"Turn left at the house with the green shutters then right at CVS..." This is how I find my way around when driving.
Google has integrated human-like directions into Google Maps India. From Google's blog:
The visual landmarks to confirm you're on the right track definitely feel more human than just "go right" and "go left." Most of us are visual by nature and have a hard time remembering names, but not faces, and the landmark approach works in the same manner.
What Else We'd Like To See
• It integrated with your in-car navigation
• The ability to set your iPhone to speak the landmarks to you while showing you a street view pic at the same time
• Applied to sight-seeing landmarks as well. It could be a mash up of navigation and the headsets you get in museums on tours.
• Added crowdsourced directions
• The ability to share your map/landmark view while you are driving or walking so you can get audio confirmation from a friend. This would be especially helpful if you're looking for a tiny detail that would otherwise not show up or be obvious on a map - like a specific area in a park or a section in a department store.
Google Isn't Alone
The New Zealand-based company Navman has been trying to introduce this idea to the masses with their NavPix concept for quite a while, bringing not only the names of landmarks into the directions, but with visuals. Check out the geotagged photos of landmarks from the users.
Also, Garmin, together with Google Panoramio, is trying to do the same.
How soon before Google rolls out the U.S. version? What would you like to see?
Sandy Marsh
Casey Riggleman
Craig Ritchie
Karri Ojanen
Google has integrated human-like directions into Google Maps India. From Google's blog:
"Have you ever been lost? Perhaps you missed a turn because a street sign was poorly labeled, hard to see in the dark, or just not where it should have been? These are problems we've all faced, but they're especially complicated in India, where street names are not commonly known and the typical wayfinding strategy is to ask someone on the street. Without road names, it's difficult to produce a set of directions that makes sense."
The visual landmarks to confirm you're on the right track definitely feel more human than just "go right" and "go left." Most of us are visual by nature and have a hard time remembering names, but not faces, and the landmark approach works in the same manner.
What Else We'd Like To See
• It integrated with your in-car navigation
• The ability to set your iPhone to speak the landmarks to you while showing you a street view pic at the same time
• Applied to sight-seeing landmarks as well. It could be a mash up of navigation and the headsets you get in museums on tours.
• Added crowdsourced directions
• The ability to share your map/landmark view while you are driving or walking so you can get audio confirmation from a friend. This would be especially helpful if you're looking for a tiny detail that would otherwise not show up or be obvious on a map - like a specific area in a park or a section in a department store.
Google Isn't Alone
The New Zealand-based company Navman has been trying to introduce this idea to the masses with their NavPix concept for quite a while, bringing not only the names of landmarks into the directions, but with visuals. Check out the geotagged photos of landmarks from the users.
Also, Garmin, together with Google Panoramio, is trying to do the same.
How soon before Google rolls out the U.S. version? What would you like to see?
Sandy Marsh
Casey Riggleman
Craig Ritchie
Karri Ojanen
Strategists & Planners
Comments (1)
I'm guessing that Google started this in India because India lacks consistent street signage and thus the only realistic way to give directions is via landmarks. I lived in Japan for many years and this was certainly the case there - you very often can't tell a cab driver the name of the street you live on. You have to use landmarks to get them there if they don't know the area well. After my experience there, I must admit that I was very happy to come home and be able to navigate via street names again - I feel it's a luxury and wouldn't really want my navigation system to use landmarks exclusively. However, it might be nice to hear "Turn Left at Jones Street, which has a 7-11 on the corner" or something like that.
Posted on January 21, 2010 14:41