Imagine a world without a location icon: You are driving alone in an unfamiliar neighbourhood, on your way to a friend of a friend’s birthday. It’s 11 pm—just in time to be fashionably late. Your GPS is turned on, but nothing is indicated as your destination. You are driving in circles. It’s that same block again, and again. Where is that party? You call your friend, but he’s already too drunk and useless. Suddenly, it is four hours later, and you are left screaming into the void, “Where the hell is that location icon?”

   


Nothing says “I am here” more than the patented teardrop-shaped icon. Often in a striking shade of red, the inverted-drop-shaped icon (also referred to as ‘pin’ or ‘marker’) is a widely known symbol that marks a location. It’s bold, simple, and striking to a point that it landed a spot at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Yes, that marker thing is that big of a deal.

   

You can also have the marker in other colors.



But even though the world waxes poetic on that teardrop pin, you can still use other symbols that could pin the location of anywhere in the world. Examples are:

• ‘Define Location’ icon
• User Location
• Flag
• Signpost

   


Because of the location icon, the world is brighter, and the dumb parties are easier to find.