Mapping the future of UX design with Loren Baxter

When you think of map making, your mind may first go to hand drawn scrolls and cartographers trekking through uncharted terrain. Thanks to the intrepid labor of the map makers of old, today we’re able to enjoy a far less arduous experience. Map making is more accessible than ever before – and still highly valuable in a wide variety of applications.

This week on Catalyst, Loren Baxter, Head of Design at Felt, the world’s first collaborative mapping software, joins Clinton to discuss the web-based app that is democratizing map making and how experts and novices alike are using it. Check out the highlights below, then dive into the full episode to learn more.

Challenges with traditional GIS

For those of us who are new to map making, a geographic information system (GIS) is a computer system for capturing, storing, checking, and displaying data related to positions on Earth’s surface to help us better understand spatial patterns and relationships. GIS started with navigation on paper maps and has progressed significantly with the advent of computers and satellite imagery, but traditional GIS tools are complex and cumbersome to manipulate and require specialized skills and knowledge. This complexity has created a divide between novice users and experts, hindering broader adoption and usage.

Felt's approach

Enter Felt, a next-generation GIS-enabled platform designed to democratize mapping technology. It aims to lower the friction and complication of manipulating mapping data, making it accessible to everyone from novice users to GIS professionals. It runs in the browser, which further lowers the barrier of entry, and offers collaborative features and depth of functionality for both basic and advanced geospatial use cases.

Who’s using Felt and how

While its user-friendly interface was designed to appeal to a broad audience that includes map making newcomers, Felt has also gained fans among a community of advanced GIS users who appreciate its ease of use and collaborative capabilities. Felt is used in a variety of cases including public advocacy, personal projects like planning hikes or road trips, and business applications such as sales territory mapping. It has also been instrumental in disaster response and real-time coordination during emergencies.

User experience

As with any app, if it’s not easy to use, no one is going to use it no matter how great it is. Felt understands this and prioritizes user experience to make map creation intuitive and visually appealing. The design process focuses on ensuring that maps look professional by default.

Simplifying data processing

Simplifying the data processing and import process enables users to work with spatial data without needing expertise in concepts like projections. The platform uses AI to process data efficiently, such as converting addresses into latitude-longitude coordinates.

Product roadmap and community engagement

Prioritizing features and making decisions on what to include or exclude from the roadmap is a challenge that user feedback can help address. Users are encouraged to explore the platform for free and provide feedback and suggestions. Felt is truly a collaborative experience that balances vision, customer feedback, and business strategy. 

As always, don’t forget to subscribe to Catalyst wherever you get your podcasts. We release a new episode every Tuesday, jam-packed with expert advice and actionable insights for creating digital experiences that move millions.