The Geo team is responsible for maintaining Google's location-based mapping products and geospatial infrastructure.
Gemini in Navigation (GIN) is a voice-forward, conversational co-pilot that helps users confidently get to where they're going on Google Maps.
ROLE
UX Design Intern
TIMELINE
Jun-Sep 2026
TOOLS
Figma
Gemini
AI Studio
Internal AI Tools
TEAM
Geo | Driving Experiences
2 Designers
1 UX Design Intern (Me!)
COLLABORATORS
3 Designers
3 Researchers
2 Product Managers
1 Product Group Manager
1 Director of UX
OVERVIEW
3 Words: Fast, Agile, and Cross-Functional.
Over the summer, I contributed to growth goals for Gemini in Navigation in Google Maps on mobile by defining ambiguous problem spaces and translating high-level PM concepts into actionable UX processes. In doing so, I took early-stage sketches into dynamic, interactive prototypes with AI-powered tools and prepared several designs for concept validation with qualitative user research and A/B testing, later iterating on those concepts based on user insights.
Throughout the process, I collaborated closely with cross-functional partners in product management, engineering, and user research to define product requirements, advocate for user-centric solutions, and establish foundational design documentation.
Want to learn more about this project? Leave me a message at ruofuli@uw.edu!
Reflections
1
Different roles carry different priorities.
Of course it makes sense when you hear it, but this was the first time I really understood what that looked like. The extensive cross-functional collaboration this project required not only helped me better understand how to communicate with different stakeholders, but also further grew my empathy for their priorities, pressures, and perspectives.
2
You might create 100 ideas and use none of them, but a design never dies.
The ambiguous design space and agile nature of this project meant much of our design ideation was like throwing spaghetti at the wall and seeing what sticks. Even though we might not have used 90% of what we came up with, those ideas served us well later down the line and ended up becoming our most successful solutions.
3
Be an agent of your own design (literally!).
Designers are more than just executors of a PM's ideas or an engineer's requirements. Having a voice, with design decisions backed by tangible evidence, helps us hold the bar on quality for first-rate experiences our users deserve.
