map navigation
Widget gallery Panning
Compass
A map and compass is all one needs to navigate the world and the web.
When users click on any of the four cardinal points of the compass, the map page refreshes, moving the map view in the specified direction. Together with the magnifying glass for a zoom button is the compass widget one of the strongest metaphors for map navigation. The TIGER Map Service has incorporated a rather basic compass widget, including only the four cardinal points: North, East, South, and West.
A solitary compass widget, as opposed to a compass around the map, fits very well in a “classic” WIMP user interface that features one distinct tool area or menu bar that includes all the commands and controls to manipulate the interface. As people have become familiar with web browsers and web applications in general, tools, controls, and widgets can be found in many different parts of the user interface, for example the compass around the map.