Last week we launched Geocode highlighting on Maps, which highlights search results for political features and postal codes on desktop Maps for places where the data are available and we can show them. Highlighting was already available on websearch and is now also available on desktop Maps (a frequent user request):
My colleague Willem and I just wrote an article on the design process for Google Maps, which is being featured on the front page of Core77!
Some nice quotes in reaction to this:
"The designers' careful work is a reminder that a map is not just a small representation of a place, but a cultural artifact that relies on shared assumptions about what certain symbols should look like, or what is the best way to get someone from point A to point B. " -- Rebecca J. Rosen, The Atlantic
"Interesting read. The combination of cartography, UX, and technology, all mashed up into a lovely product. I use Google Maps daily, without giving second thought for the intricate thinking that goes behind creating this product. I myself love pouring over any kind of maps, and am sure it must have been really fascinating to go through the localized maps from across the globe. Keep up the 'Goog' work!!" -- Nikhil, commenting on the article
"Great read. I hadn't thought of it before, but after this I realize just how much info is now being presented through one of my favorite tools. Google Maps is becoming an operating system in it's own right." -- Jason, commenting on the article
Read the Core77 article: Google Maps: Designing the Modern Atlas
One of the most commonly requested features for our biking layer on Google Maps was the provision of a legend. We've now launched this, built right into where you activate the layer, so it's there when you need it and out of the way when you don't:
More details in the blog post on the Google Lat Long blog...
