Google I/O 2013: Major Redesign of Google Maps

Today at Google I/O 2013 the company showed off some significant changes that they have made to Google Maps. The popular maps service has been built from the ground up for desktop users and it features a new user interface. Browser user interface elements are no longer in the way, the map spreads from one edge of the screen to the other. In the upper left hand corner there’s a search box for entering queries, which offers suggestions on its own.

Google is taking on a new challenge in mapping — creating real-time, personalized maps for everyone on the planet. The next version of the widely used maps tool, previewed on Wednesday at the Google i/o conference in San Francisco, will soon have a different look and some splashy new features including displays of real-time accidents and personalized recommendations.

Customized Mapping

At its annual I/O developers conference on Wednesday, Google announced a new Google Maps, rebuilt from the ground up, by far the biggest redesign since it introduced Maps eight years ago. When users who are logged in to Google visit Maps, they will see highlighted the places they frequently visit, like restaurants, museums and their home and office. Google learns the places they go by drawing information from all of Google’s services — including search and Maps history, Google Plus posts and information in their Gmail in-box. (A search on the new Maps revealed, for instance, that Larry Page, Google’s chief executive, likes State Bird Provisions, a restaurant in San Francisco.)

When users visit a new city, Google will recommend places to go based on their preferences and those of people with similar tastes.The maps will change in real-time, so if you click on a museum, the other museums in the city will pop up. Choose a museum, and the map will shift so that the small roads and landmarks needed to navigate to that museum appear, and other street names fade away.

“Everybody gets their own map, every time,” said Jonah Jones, the lead designer for the new Google Maps, in an interview before the conference.

Smarter navigation

Navigation has always been one of Google Maps' strong points, particularly when it comes to alternative forms of transportation like public transit and biking. A collection of navigation improvements focus on finding the best, speediest route to a destination in real time.
Not sure if you should bike, drive or take a train? Maps has a new schedule viewer that lines up all the options to help you decide. It will no longer be necessary to do a search for a start or end address, you can click on the map and instantly see the driving routes.
Car accidents will appear on the map in real time. Live updates on road conditions have been popular with drivers, as we've seen Waze, a popular navigation app that crowd sources road information. Google will also add dynamic rerouting, automatically finding an alternate route that avoids traffic-slowing incidents.

Google also announced 3D view of the maps which don’t require any special plugins any more. The preview is available from today, Google says that they want to get this new and improved service out the door quickly.