Hi,
I really like Waze, and think that overall you guys are doing a fantastic job. The one feature I’ve never really cared for has been the speed indicator, and the new updates have made it so incredibly bad that I’ve considered using a different app.
Don’t get me wrong, I really like having a speed indicator, it’s just that your current implementation of it is nothing short of terrible. I’d like to be as specific as possible, so please excuse the lack of brevity in this comment.
First, the little highlight in the circle that tells you how close to the speed limit you have is really too difficult for me to use. I’ve damaged my right eye, and my phone is on the right side, so perhaps it’s just my issue, but I think it’s too small to work well. I glance quickly at my display so that I can gather information and get my eyes back on the road. Having such a small indicator requires more than a “glance” to be useful for me.
Second, I often want to know what the speed limit is when driving in unfamiliar areas or places where signs are infrequent, but it doesn’t get displayed until I’ve exceeded it. That’s exactly too late.
Third, when the speed limit is finally displayed, it overlays my actual speed, completely obscuring it. Displaying expected data in such a way that it obscures real data is a terrible design approach, and it makes my brain itch every time.
Fourth, the new design has a pulsing red outline around the speed limit sign and it continually jumps up to cover my actual speed whenever it thinks I’ve exceeded the speed limit. This is bad for a number of reasons. One, it is “movement” and the human brain is design to notice movement and direct the eyes to that location. This then becomes a visual distraction when driving, diverting the driver’s attention from the road (in case it’s not clear, I think that’s bad). Another is that because of the vagaries of the cell and other signals in my area, the GPS keeps calculating my speed as above and below the speed limit – even when the car’s speedometer isn’t changing. With the new design that means the truly awful red speed limit sign keeps appearing and disappearing, pulsing and growing and shrinking. It’s nothing short of awful.
Please allow me to make a suggestion for fixing all of this. Put both pieces of information on the display at all times. Keep turning the real speed red when the speed limit has been exceeded, but don’t do more than that. Abandon the animations here unless the speed limit changes. Then temporarily resize the speed limit sign, then return everything to normal. That small change would make this feature truly useful and well designed.
Thanks for listening.
Anonymous
Hi,
I really like Waze, and think that overall you guys are doing a fantastic job. The one feature I’ve never really cared for has been the speed indicator, and the new updates have made it so incredibly bad that I’ve considered using a different app.
Don’t get me wrong, I really like having a speed indicator, it’s just that your current implementation of it is nothing short of terrible. I’d like to be as specific as possible, so please excuse the lack of brevity in this comment.
First, the little highlight in the circle that tells you how close to the speed limit you have is really too difficult for me to use. I’ve damaged my right eye, and my phone is on the right side, so perhaps it’s just my issue, but I think it’s too small to work well. I glance quickly at my display so that I can gather information and get my eyes back on the road. Having such a small indicator requires more than a “glance” to be useful for me.
Second, I often want to know what the speed limit is when driving in unfamiliar areas or places where signs are infrequent, but it doesn’t get displayed until I’ve exceeded it. That’s exactly too late.
Third, when the speed limit is finally displayed, it overlays my actual speed, completely obscuring it. Displaying expected data in such a way that it obscures real data is a terrible design approach, and it makes my brain itch every time.
Fourth, the new design has a pulsing red outline around the speed limit sign and it continually jumps up to cover my actual speed whenever it thinks I’ve exceeded the speed limit. This is bad for a number of reasons. One, it is “movement” and the human brain is design to notice movement and direct the eyes to that location. This then becomes a visual distraction when driving, diverting the driver’s attention from the road (in case it’s not clear, I think that’s bad). Another is that because of the vagaries of the cell and other signals in my area, the GPS keeps calculating my speed as above and below the speed limit – even when the car’s speedometer isn’t changing. With the new design that means the truly awful red speed limit sign keeps appearing and disappearing, pulsing and growing and shrinking. It’s nothing short of awful.
Please allow me to make a suggestion for fixing all of this. Put both pieces of information on the display at all times. Keep turning the real speed red when the speed limit has been exceeded, but don’t do more than that. Abandon the animations here unless the speed limit changes. Then temporarily resize the speed limit sign, then return everything to normal. That small change would make this feature truly useful and well designed.
Thanks for listening.