Single point adding on maps?

Question

I am developing an interactive web map that displays user-generated markers. In terms of adding a new marker, what would be the best way to start the process, especially on mobile?

There are multiple methods that I thought of, mainly:

1. Click on an "add" button which would replace the current controls with a "cancel" and "continue" button, where "continue" brings up a modal form that lets the user add a name (reverse geocoded from the point on the map by default), photos, and tags
   • Either the marker presented would be draggable on its own, or the centre of the map acts as the location of the marker, having the user pan the map to determine the location
2. Tap somewhere on the map which would then either expose an "add" button over the generated marker or replace the controls at the bottom with a single "Add" button
   • Either have the marker draggable, make the marker static (requiring to tap away to select again), or like above use the centre of the map as the location
3. Click on "add", have a modal form appear and either have a secondary map or plain form fields for filling in the location

As I expect a majority of people to use the application on mobile devices and at night, I want to make the interaction as smooth and enjoyable as possible.

This is what the base UI currently looks like:

Answer 1

How comfortable it would be to use option number three, depends in what kind of situations your users use the map. For example, if I'm walking around a city, going to bars and stores and want to mark the places so I would remember the place later, I almost certainly wouldn't know the address, and having to check it from the street signs or from the map or asking someone, would be a major inconvenience. It would only work if you know for certain that users will use it only for places which address they already know (for example you did user research and this was the result).

Number two feels the most natural for me, because I can choose the exact spot I want, instead of number 1 where it's not clear where the marker would be. It is also how most of the maps currently work, I think. I would do A/B testing between options 1 and 2 to see which one your users prefer.

Answer 2

If there is no heading that says 'add marker' , and it isn't the main task indicated elsewhere, add the label 'marker' to your + button.