My role
I helped the Google AIUX team in understanding how users from different cultures interpret probabilistic forecasts in Google Weather Search results. I designed prototypes that introduced new ways to communicate AI forecasts and improved usability for everyday life and crisis response.
Role: UX Student Researcher
Duration: 3 months
Impact on weather search results research
Tested multi modal prototypes with users from across the globe
Weather means different things to different people. A 70% chance of rain might make someone in Seattle shrug, while the same forecast could completely change someone's plans in India. I discovered these fascinating cultural differences by talking to people around the globe.
Predicting opportunity area to serve next billion users
Getting updates and predictions can be the difference between having a livelihood or not. Urban flooding affects hundreds of millions of Google users, and providing users with predictions in advance will help sustain livelihood.
Advocated for product team design decisions
I collaborated with Google Weather team and helped them validate design decisions for an upcoming feature launch for 2023.
Weather forecasts can be powerful tools for planning our daily lives, when we understand how to interpret them effectively. By learning to contextualise probabilities and relate them to our personal experiences, we can make informed decisions about everything from our wardrobe choices to emergency preparedness. Yet, confusing 'percentages' often make these forecasts hard to use.
Discovered opportunities for improvement in the current live version while usability testing the prototype.
Prototypes are not indicative of actual recommendations or concepts tested. They are general ideas used to communicate high-level intent.
My ongoing study surfaced that urban flooding was emerging as a critical challenge for developing nations and Google's 'next billion users'. After conversations with senior stakeholders, I focused on understanding forecasts for users living in urban areas especially during monsoon and times of high precipitation or extreme weather events
Disrupts travel
Prolonged loss of everyday economic value
Seasonal disruptions to everyday life
Large scale impact
I focused the interviews on understanding how small and medium-sized businesses in flood-prone areas of India use weather forecasts for daily planning of business activities.
I tested both, the current live version of Google Weather results and our prototypes, to understand the differences in perceptions. This approach led to the discovery of:
How small-medium businesses interpret weather forecasts.
Strategies they employ to prepare for potential flooding events.
The link between weather information and economic resilience.
Collaboration took place at multiple touch points throughout the study, with constant iterations utilising the valuable feedback.
The findings were then synthesised, and clear patterns were shared across the team, including design, product and engineering.
Design Strategy & UX Research Lead
Google DeepMind (Direct Manager)
This experience was transitional to my growth as it helped me understand what it takes to responsibly design for potentially billions of users. It taught me how to understand research scopes and propose design solutions that work at scale. I learned to collaborate with senior stakeholders at an organisation like Google and experienced firsthand how innovative teams work together and function internally.
