KE Lee · UX Leader

Led product strategy and end-to-end UX for a unified customer engagement platform across Google Maps and Search (via GMB)

Background

Before this initiative, merchants using Google My Business (GMB) struggled to manage customer interactions—reviews, messages, bookings, and followers were scattered across different tools and entry points. This fragmentation led to missed opportunities, inconsistent workflows, and inefficiencies that limited business impact.

As UX Manager (and initial IC), I identified the need for a centralized “Customers” hub—a platform where merchants could manage all customer interactions across Google Maps and Search. I proposed the vision, led design sprints, aligned cross-functional teams, and guided the UX through launch and post-MVP scaling.

This case study highlights how I translated a fragmented experience into a cohesive platform strategy, built alignment across teams, and delivered a product that scaled engagement for millions of merchants.

Problem

The disconnected nature of customer-facing features created major friction:

Merchants had no centralized place to view or manage customer interactions.
Workflows were inefficient and scattered across multiple surfaces, reducing responsiveness.
Product teams were working on overlapping tools with no unified UX or vision.
Users experienced inconsistent and underutilized business communication features across Maps and Search.

The opportunity was clear: unify communication touchpoints into one cohesive, actionable platform.

Approach

I reframed this opportunity from a feature launch into a platform strategy that would transform how merchants engage with customers across Google.

Product Vision & Strategy

Proposed the initial concept for a centralized “Customers” hub to consolidate messaging, reviews, bookings, and more
Partnered with a lead PM to develop the strategic roadmap and secure buy-in across Search, Maps, and GMB orgs
Positioned the product as a long-term engagement layer, not just a feature bundle

Sprint Facilitation & Alignment

Led three design sprints (30+ participants) to build alignment, shape the product vision, and define the MVP scope
Developed E2E merchant-customer journey maps to anchor planning and feature prioritization
Balanced speed and scalability—identifying near-term value while enabling long-term extensibility

UX Design & Launch Execution

Led UX design from concept to MVP, collaborating across GMB, Maps, and Search platform teams
Delivered interaction models and UI for reviews, messaging, bookings, and followers
Allocated and mentored two UX designers post MVP launch to scale the platform and expand the vision

Centralized review management
Merchants could view and respond to all customer reviews from Google Maps and Search in one unified location—improving visibility and responsiveness.
Streamlined customer messaging
Merchants were able to manage and track all customer conversations in one place, making follow-ups faster and more consistent.
Integrated scheduling and communication
Bookings and customer conversations were unified, enabling merchants to manage appointments and communications from a single interface.
Customer insights and engagement
Merchants gained visibility into their follower base, enabling more proactive engagement and profile sharing through lightweight insights.
Centralized review management
Merchants could view and respond to all customer reviews from Google Maps and Search in one unified location—improving visibility and responsiveness.
Streamlined customer messaging
Merchants were able to manage and track all customer conversations in one place, making follow-ups faster and more consistent.
Integrated scheduling and communication
Bookings and customer conversations were unified, enabling merchants to manage appointments and communications from a single interface.
Customer insights and engagement
Merchants gained visibility into their follower base, enabling more proactive engagement and profile sharing through lightweight insights.
Centralized review management
Merchants could view and respond to all customer reviews from Google Maps and Search in one unified location—improving visibility and responsiveness.
Streamlined customer messaging
Merchants were able to manage and track all customer conversations in one place, making follow-ups faster and more consistent.
Integrated scheduling and communication
Bookings and customer conversations were unified, enabling merchants to manage appointments and communications from a single interface.
Customer insights and engagement
Merchants gained visibility into their follower base, enabling more proactive engagement and profile sharing through lightweight insights.
Centralized review management
Merchants could view and respond to all customer reviews from Google Maps and Search in one unified location—improving visibility and responsiveness.
Streamlined customer messaging
Merchants were able to manage and track all customer conversations in one place, making follow-ups faster and more consistent.
Integrated scheduling and communication
Bookings and customer conversations were unified, enabling merchants to manage appointments and communications from a single interface.
Customer insights and engagement
Merchants gained visibility into their follower base, enabling more proactive engagement and profile sharing through lightweight insights.

Centralized review management
Merchants could view and respond to all customer reviews from Google Maps and Search in one unified location—improving visibility and responsiveness.
Streamlined customer messaging
Merchants were able to manage and track all customer conversations in one place, making follow-ups faster and more consistent.
Integrated scheduling and communication
Bookings and customer conversations were unified, enabling merchants to manage appointments and communications from a single interface.
Customer insights and engagement
Merchants gained visibility into their follower base, enabling more proactive engagement and profile sharing through lightweight insights.
Centralized review management
Merchants could view and respond to all customer reviews from Google Maps and Search in one unified location—improving visibility and responsiveness.
Streamlined customer messaging
Merchants were able to manage and track all customer conversations in one place, making follow-ups faster and more consistent.
Integrated scheduling and communication
Bookings and customer conversations were unified, enabling merchants to manage appointments and communications from a single interface.
Customer insights and engagement
Merchants gained visibility into their follower base, enabling more proactive engagement and profile sharing through lightweight insights.
Centralized review management
Merchants could view and respond to all customer reviews from Google Maps and Search in one unified location—improving visibility and responsiveness.
Streamlined customer messaging
Merchants were able to manage and track all customer conversations in one place, making follow-ups faster and more consistent.
Integrated scheduling and communication
Bookings and customer conversations were unified, enabling merchants to manage appointments and communications from a single interface.
Customer insights and engagement
Merchants gained visibility into their follower base, enabling more proactive engagement and profile sharing through lightweight insights.
Centralized review management
Merchants could view and respond to all customer reviews from Google Maps and Search in one unified location—improving visibility and responsiveness.
Streamlined customer messaging
Merchants were able to manage and track all customer conversations in one place, making follow-ups faster and more consistent.
Integrated scheduling and communication
Bookings and customer conversations were unified, enabling merchants to manage appointments and communications from a single interface.
Customer insights and engagement
Merchants gained visibility into their follower base, enabling more proactive engagement and profile sharing through lightweight insights.

Expected Impact

The MVP launched in November 2018 and became a core driver of business engagement across Google’s local ecosystem.

Improved Merchant Experience

Unified tools into a single hub, simplifying workflows and boosting responsiveness
Enabled merchants to manage reviews, conversations, and bookings from one place
Introduced actionable insights to help merchants better understand and grow their customer base

Measurable Engagement Gains

8.84 million review replies, 2 million conversations, and 2.6 million new followers in just 3 months
172% increase in daily business-to-customer connections
Became the most used entry point for customer engagement in GMB

Strategic Platform Shift

Transformed GMB from a static listing tool to a dynamic engagement platform
Set the foundation for future features like Contacts, segmentation, and customer insights
Widely recognized by external media for its business impact (VentureBeat, TechCrunch, Search Engine Land)

Led product strategy and end-to-end UX for a unified customer engagement platform across Google Maps and Search (via GMB)

Centralized review management

Streamlined customer messaging

Integrated scheduling and communication

Customer insights and engagement

Centralized review management

Streamlined customer messaging

Integrated scheduling and communication

Customer insights and engagement