Dan Searles Navigation issues appear in two distantly related areas of virtual reality. One is finding your way around in a computer generated virtual world, and the other is finding your way around large data sets or in large information systems. In either case, it is easy for a user to get lost and disoriented, and not know how to proceed.
Different systems have different solutions to the navigation problem.
In a virtual world where the user is immersed, it is easy to become lost or confused. Although some virtual worlds are limited, most require you to move around in them to experience more of the world. Virtual worlds may include doors or windows through which the user can pass, exposing new parts of the virtual world. Large worlds can include sign posts or other familiar mechanisms to guide the user around. There may be unique locations which are easy to return to through the use of a gesture or command.