Navigational Challenges

A twisted world map

While traipsing through New England on a recent vacation, I found myself using Google Maps to navigate from my current location to the destination of my choice. As I write this post, I have to admit that I have totally forgotten both where exactly I was and to where I wanted to go. Yet the difficulties that I faced orienting myself around the map were very real.

After several long, frustrating minutes of trying to figure out where I was on the map, I zoomed out, using my fingers to pinch the map. Only when I zoomed out far enough did I realize that I had totally spun the map around. No wonder I was confused!

I understand why Google enables the map to be spun, but surely there could have been a better method for indicating that my map was turned head-over-heels.

2 comments

  1. Yes. Why do GPS maps never have compass roses? That is so much information that can be placed in such a little place on the screen.

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