Google Map Maker Redesigned for Easier Mapping

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Google has recently implemented redesigns in its various online services, some subtle, and some quite big. One recently-updated service is Google Map Maker, which now offers easier editing, particularly aimed at first-time mappers.

Google has redesigned Google Map Maker, with the intent of encouraging more users to contribute new points of interest, places, and also help out in editing other users’ contributions. This update by Google follows other popular services like Gmail, Docs, Reader and YouTube, which the company has given a makeover to ensure better usability, functionality and aesthetics.

The redesigned Google Map Maker was made with the first-time user in mind, with a splash screen that provides easy access to the most common tasks. These include adding a new place, editing places, adding roads and reviewing other users’ edits. The peer-review process helps ensure the quality of user-submitted edits while reducing the incidence of spam. Still, crowdsourcing map-making has helped Google expand into areas otherwise difficult to get information for.

Google’s Map Maker is actually intended to let users in developing countries improve Google’s GIS data, particularly where there is not much information that established sources can add. In the U.S., meanwhile, Map Maker has primarily been intended to help add and tweak minor details like campus maps, walking trails, bike paths, and other such information best added by individual users who are familiar with these geographic locations.

The new Google Map Maker is now live and available in more than 180 countries, including the U.S. and Canada. When edits go live, these are then made available to millions of other users through Google’s Maps applications for the web and for mobile devices running various platforms like iOS, Android, Symbian, Windows Phone and BlackBerry.