CASE 02 / 2025
UX research – UX/UI design – concept
YANDEX MAPS
× WEATHER
grab an umbrella or go another way?
Role
UX researcher and UX/UI designer
Task
Integrating Weather into Yandex Maps
Platform
Mobile · iOS
Format
Yandex Practicum course project · team of 4 · one month
COVER · YANDEX MAPS × WEATHER
01
– Task
The topic came from Practicum: Yandex services are getting more and more connected, and Maps needs Weather. The task – make weather help people choose a route, not get in the way. A team of four, one month for everything, a review at the end.
We went through the full cycle: market and user research, framing and selecting hypotheses, user flow, an interactive prototype and testing it with respondents.
01
Research
competitors, interviews, CJM, user portrait
02
Hypotheses
problems, hypotheses, selection and reasoning
03
Design
feedback point, user flow, prototype
04
Testing
5 respondents, findings
05
Results
what held up and what’s next
02
– Competitor analysis
Maps don’t know about weather,
weather doesn’t know about routes
7 services: 3 maps, 4 weather apps
Product
Type
Who it’s for and its value
Weaknesses
Google Maps
Mapping and navigation
Everyday users and professionals – taxi drivers, couriers
Incomplete offline maps, depends on the internet, routes aren’t always optimal
2GIS
Business directory and city maps
Finding businesses, opening hours and reviews
Not available on Google Play, some features work online only
Guru Maps
Mapping and navigation
Tourists and search-and-rescue teams: works offline
Limited offline mode, basic features behind a subscription
Gismeteo
Weather forecast
A clear forecast for every day
Intrusive ads, cluttered interface, inaccurate long-range forecasts
Mail.ru Weather
Weather forecast
Quick forecast check from your phone
Inaccurate long-range forecasts, little regional data
Meteoinfo
Website of the Russian Hydrometeorological Centre
Trust in a state source
Not every city, awkward website, no geolocation
rp5.ru
Weather forecast
Athletes, anglers, travellers
Outdated design, no precipitation map
Takeaway
There’s no feature on the market yet that helps you pick a route with the weather in mind. But it’s clear competitors are already thinking in that direction – so the niche is open.
03
– Interviews and insights
Weather drives decisions
4
respondents aged 23–33 from Moscow, St Petersburg and Kostroma. All use navigators regularly, mostly Yandex Maps.
User portrait
“Not everyone wants to spend more on taxis, but everyone wants comfort and to get to point B faster”
01
The navigator is an everyday tool
It shows trip time, when to leave and what to grab on the way.
02
Weather affects choices
It decides clothes, how to get there and when to leave – especially without a car.
03
A general forecast isn’t enough
People need to know the weather in a specific area and along the route, not just at points A and B.
04
A constant forecast gets in the way
Not everyone wants weather on the map all the time – it should be hideable.
05
What they want to see
Temperature, wind and the precipitation map: these affect the decision most.
Checking 10 research hypotheses
6 confirmed · 1 partly · 3 not proven
№1
yes
№2
no
№3
yes
№4
no
№5
no
№6
yes
№7
yes
№8
partly
№9
yes
№10
yes
04
– CJM
User journey: where weather ruins plans
01
Opens Yandex Maps
Action
Wants to choose how to travel based on the weather
Emotion
Neutral
Expectation
The app opens fast, no bugs
Barrier
Didn’t update the app, poor internet
Solution
Offline access to maps
02
Route search
Action
Looks for the best way to get there given the weather
Emotion
Annoyed by choosing and building the route
Expectation
Search suggests route options
Barrier
The weather changes – the route has to be rebuilt fast
Solution
Recommend routes based on the weather
03
Choosing how to travel
Action
Looks through the suggested options
Emotion
Surprised: the app suggests options for unstable weather
Expectation
An accurate forecast in the navigator
Barrier
A wrong forecast leads to a bad choice of transport
Solution
Update the forecast often and warn about unstable weather before setting off
04
Trip from A to B
Action
Has chosen how to travel and set off
Emotion
Neutral
Expectation
Get to point B without trouble
Barrier
The way of travelling didn’t suit the weather
Solution
AI analysis of weather and routes, alerts about sudden changes on the way
05
Result
Action
Has reached point B
Emotion
Glad the trip is over
Expectation
The weather didn’t spoil a comfortable trip
Barrier
The route got to the address, but it’s unclear where to go next
Solution
The full way to the point, including building maps
05
– Problems and hypotheses
From user stories to hypotheses
Out of seven user stories, we took four into work – prioritised with ICE and an “importance – effort” matrix. Two solution hypotheses for each.
Problem / story
Hypotheses: we assume that…
01
When I forget to check the weather, I want notifications about the forecast and its changes, so I don’t get caught out
→
Push notifications on the lock screen will help people keep up with the weather during the day and adjust their plans
An hourly weather status in a lock-screen widget will warn about changes in time while the user is on the way
02
When I plan a route, I want weather tips, so my mood doesn’t get ruined
→
A hint like “the weather will change in the next 3 hours” while building a route will help people get ready to leave
Showing the weather at the route’s end points will help people plan their next steps
03
When I’m shown lanes, cameras, the route and weather layers all at once, I want to switch some of them off, so the clutter doesn’t annoy me
→
A weather visibility toggle in the navigator will keep users from being overloaded with extra information
Weather settings with a separate switch for the precipitation map will make Maps more comfortable to use
04
When I need to get somewhere, I want an accurate forecast, so I save time on the way and know what to wear
→
Pulling the forecast into the navigator more often will improve the quality of weather data
A detailed forecast in route cards will help people plan their day better
06
– Chosen hypothesis
Weather where and when you’re going
Job story
When I plan a trip along a route, I want to see an accurate forecast at key points of the way and for my arrival time, so I can adjust the route or prepare in advance.
Reasoning
What matters isn’t the weather “now”, but the weather where and when you’re going: you leave in +20°, and 40 minutes later you arrive in a downpour. Right now weather in the navigator isn’t tied to time or route points.
A sense of control
the user knows in advance what’s coming
Saving time
the app suggests a better route itself
A safety net
you know what to take and wear
Impact on GDU / DAU
01
Extra value for daily trips
02
Less frustration from unexpected weather
03
A competitive edge: no other maps or weather service has this in one flow
04
More repeat use thanks to accurate forecasts
Success metrics
01
More users checking the forecast before a trip
02
More adapted routes: time, transport, clothes
03
Positive answers to the built-in question “Did the forecast help?”
07
– Feedback point
One question
after the trip
A mini survey appears at the end of the trip or the next time the app is opened with the weather feature: “Was the suggested route useful?”
“Yes” / “No” answers are a direct signal for the “Did the forecast help?” metric and don’t take up the user’s time.
yes / no – that’s it
01 · Question after the trip
02 · Answer chosen
03 · Back to the map
08
– User Flow
Main scenario
01 · Start
Plans a trip and opens Yandex Maps – in advance or before leaving
02 · Address
Point A by GPS or manually, enters point B
03 · Route
The app shows the route with a weather map
04 · On the way
Current weather on the route and an alert if it changes
05 · Finish
The trip ends with the question “Did the weather forecast help you today?”
Branches at step 03 and their outcomes
The user checks the forecast
There are weather risks → taps the weather banner → agrees to change the route
positive
Saves time and uses the feature more often
positive
Agreed, but ended up spending more time
negative
Followed the forecast, but it was wrong – trust in the feature drops
negative
The user ignores the forecast
Everything went fine – didn’t feel the feature’s value
neutral
Got wet or cold – more willing to check the forecast in future
positive
Ignores the alert, but the weather matched the forecast
neutral
Ignores the survey at the end of the trip
neutral
09
– Prototype
Weather on the route: key screens
01 · Launch
The familiar Maps pin with the Weather umbrella
02 · Route
Familiar route building, the weather icon is on the map
03 · There’s a better route
A banner by the weather icon hints at an alternative
04 · Weather widget
Precipitation, wind, hourly forecast and a “Change route” button
05 · Changed route
An option that’s faster and more comfortable in the current weather
06 · Trip
A route that takes the weather into account
07 · Restore route
The original route comes back with one button, a toggle turns the weather off
08 · Weather hidden
If you don’t need the forecast, it stays out of your way
10
– Design decisions
A widget inspired by Yandex Weather
The widget is inspired by Yandex Weather. I wanted to show not just the feature itself, but also that Yandex services are connected.
Stands out
A dark weather gradient separates the widget from the light map
Makes you think
The weather state and the route hint read at a glance
Still familiar
Components and logic stay consistent with Yandex Maps
Weather gradients
Day Clear
#335DB8 · #45A0E7
Night Rainy
#011039 · #5B74B7
Night Snowy
#050721 · #1F223B · #3B4664
Fogy Rainy
#78818D · #57616D
UI kit
The weather widget, hourly forecast cells, buttons and the “There’s a better route” alert are built as components with state variants.
all on components
11
– Testing
5 respondents, one scenario
the prototype mustn’t give hints
Ivan
30 y.o. · Almaty
Uses 2GIS, changes route or clothes depending on the weather
Observation
Noticed the weather icon right away, but expected a coverage layer like in Yandex Weather
Regina
29 y.o. · St Petersburg
Always checks the weather before going out
Observation
Expected a weather layer; the icons on the map are hard to notice
Aisha
23 y.o. · Moscow
Often takes taxis
Observation
The alert by the weather icon goes unnoticed; alternative ways to travel are distracting
Andrey
21 y.o. · Moscow
Rarely checks the forecast, uses public transport
Observation
The route alert is hard to see
Pavel
33 y.o. · Moscow
Relies on the forecast, drives her own car
Observation
Everything was clear, but didn’t like the UI
Overall findings and reasoning
01
The feature feels useful
Almost all respondents check the forecast before going out in one way or another. This confirms the value of building weather right into the route.
02
The main pain – it’s easy to miss
The weather icon is too small, and the alert next to it barely gets noticed. I missed the mark here: if we want people to use the feature, the signal has to be brighter.
03
Different expectations of the format
Some respondents expected a coverage layer, like in Yandex Weather, rather than icons. Yet people don’t always want to see the weather. The solution – an option to turn the layer on or off.
04
The flow is unclear in places
Prototype limitations got in the way of building a route. It needs a clearer “one goal – one route” scenario and a simpler prototype.
05
The UI gets mixed reactions
One respondent said they didn’t like how the widget looked. The sample is too small to conclude anything – this needs separate research.
12
– Results
What came out of it and what’s next
A year later I’d change almost nothing – I still like my decisions. The project taught me to move fast and dig deeper into the task.
01
The niche was open
None of the 7 services we studied linked routes and weather. Right after our sprint a similar feature appeared in Maps itself – a coincidence, but a nice one.
02
Hypothesis confirmed
6 of 10 hypotheses were confirmed in interviews. We took the main one into work: a forecast at key points of the way and for the arrival time.
03
Solution built and tested
A weather widget, a “There’s a better route” banner, a toggleable layer and a mini survey. The prototype was tested with 5 respondents.
04
Next steps
Make the icon and alert more noticeable, add a coverage layer with a toggle, research the widget UI separately.
13
– Contacts
For questions and collaboration – kateshprints@gmail.com
Thanks for watching!
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Project
Yandex Maps × Weather, concept
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