orientation – Map UI Patterns

Browse geographies

WHAT Users don’t know or cannot recall the name or location of a geographic boundary and need help to discover or find places based on a hierarchical structure. WHY Browsing is a common human behavior to orient oneself, e.g. people typically scan the table of contents of a new book or magazine and similarly browse […]

Focal point

WHAT The focal point pattern highlights the center of interest or activity and assists the user in finding the important piece of information quickly. WHY Harmony in design can be attributed to the gestalt theory, a set of design principles that describes how humans perceive groups of objects. At its core, gestalt theory states that […]

Overview map

WHAT The overview map serve as a “You are here” sign so that the user can tell at a glance where they are in the context of the whole data set by looking for the viewport on the overview. WHY Users need to deal with the complexity of navigating through different scales, some of this […]

Search

WHAT The search pattern uses a single-line input field for users to search for a location. It is the main mechanism for finding a place or an entity that has a location associated with it. Users expect to receive the correct result, regardless of what they type and search for. WHY The search pattern is […]

Location finder

WHAT The location finder pattern helps find a place, point of interest, or address and shows it on a map. WHY Location, location, location. What has been the number one rule in real estate for many years is also true for map apps. Showing a map is valuable but showing a map that is centered […]

Locate me

WHAT The locate me pattern helps users quickly find their current location in the map. It is a crucial mechanism for providing meaningful context about the user’s location and surroundings. WHY Users on mobile devices are focused on their immediate area and tend to have a narrow center of interest or activity. They are usually […]