Wayfinding with MapsPeople

Configure interactive kiosk wayfinding, multi-floor routing, mobile handoff, and meeting-driven navigation using the Korbyt and MapsPeople integration.

Written By Ed Kinne

Last updated 2 days ago

Overview

Korbyt Wayfinding with MapsPeople provides a modern, high-performance map and routing experience that can be embedded into Korbyt layouts for kiosk use. It supports multi-floor navigation, search-based discovery, role-based visibility, mobile handoff via QR code, and integration with room scheduling platforms like Momentous.

This approach replaces legacy SVG-based map implementations that can struggle with kiosk touch performance, zoom-level visual quality, and long-term scalability.

Live Demo

The live interactive wayfinding experience is embedded on the Korbyt blog and can be shared with stakeholders for evaluation. It demonstrates the out-of-the-box MapsPeople interface embedded within a Korbyt layout, including floor switching, destination search, QR handoff, and routing behavior.

Demo URL: https://www.gokorbyt.com/resource/blog/korbyt-wayfinding-faster-scalable-mapping-with-mapspeople/

This sample uses a MapsPeople demo map. Behavior, categories, roles, and styling are all configurable for a production deployment.

How it Works at a High Level

The solution is composed of three layers working together.

Layer	What it Does	Where it Lives
Korbyt experience layer	Hosts the wayfinding view inside a layout. Controls surrounding UI, branding, optional meeting list, and QR placement.	Korbyt CMS
MapsPeople wayfinding	Map rendering, search, categories, floor switching, multi-step routing, and accessibility routing options.	MapsPeople platform
Data layer	Locations, destination IDs, and optional meeting and room metadata.	Customer systems and/or Korbyt integration services

Prerequisites

You will need the items below before delivering a production deployment.

Item	Required for	Notes
Digitized map set	Any deployment	Built through an initial PS digitization engagement with MapsPeople. Customer provides floor plan source files.
Destination IDs	Routing to rooms and POIs	Each routable location must have a stable MapsPeople destination identifier.
Kiosk origin point	Kiosk-anchored routing	The kiosk must be bound to a specific 'you are here' starting location on the map.
Scheduling platform API access	Meeting-driven routing	Any EMS or scheduling platform is viable as long as it provides a consistent room identity field.

Kiosk Modes

Korbyt deployments use one of two navigation patterns depending on the context.

Mode	Best Fit	How Origin is Set	User Flow
Kiosk-anchored routing	Lobby kiosks and fixed public stations	Fixed to the kiosk's physical map location	Select destination > start directions
Free-form routing	Mobile use or desktop browsing	User selects their own starting point	Select destination > select origin > start directions

Many projects use kiosk-anchored routing on large touch displays and free-form routing for mobile handoff.

Set Up a Kiosk-Anchored Experience

Use the following steps to configure a wayfinding experience where the kiosk assumes the user's starting location.

Create or open a Layout.
- Open the Korbyt CMS and create or open the Layout that will host the wayfinding experience.
Add the wayfinding view.
- Embed the MapsPeople wayfinding experience into the Layout using the appropriate embed method for your deployment, either HTML Container Element or External URL Element
  - See How To Use an HTML Container Element or How To Use An External URL Element
Set the kiosk origin.
- Configure the experience so it assumes a fixed 'you are here' starting point based on the kiosk's physical location on the map.
Configure destination discovery
- Set up the search, category browse, or POI tap interaction that users will use to select where they are going.

Roles and Visibility

MapsPeople supports role-based map views, which control what locations and routing options are visible in a given experience. This is used when different audiences should see different destinations.

Scenario	Recommended setup
Visitors vs employees	Assign a visitor role to public kiosks and an employee role to internal kiosks.
Restricted floors or zones	Create a dedicated role that limits visible locations and routing options for kiosks in that area.
No user identification at the kiosk	Treat the kiosk itself as the role selector based on its physical placement. This is the most common approach.
Optional 'Who are you?' selector	Only use if the customer explicitly wants user-driven selection. It adds interaction friction and security questions.

Tip: If users will not authenticate at the kiosk, the most reliable approach is role-by-kios
k-placement. Avoid prompting users to identify themselves unless there is a specific business requirement.

Mobile Handoff and QR Codes

Default Behavior

By default, a QR code opens a web-based map view on the user's phone. This works well for general handoff but may not meet the security requirements of regulated or enterprise environments.

Security Requirements

Requirement	Implementation direction
QR should open only in the company mobile app	Use an app deep-link strategy. Requires coordination with the customer's mobile app team.
Authentication required before viewing maps	Enforce SSO in the target app or behind a protected web endpoint.
Time-limited or rotating QR	Render the QR dynamically in the Korbyt experience layer and route through an endpoint that enforces expiry.
Prevent unauthenticated browser access	Do not use a public web template as the QR destination. Route to an authenticated experience instead.

QR configuration is currently a Boolean on/off in the MapsPeople layer. More granular controls should be handled at the Korbyt experience layer or through the mobile app destination.

Meeting-Driven Routing

Meeting-driven routing is the 'tap a meeting, route to the room' workflow. The key requirement is a reliable mapping between a scheduling room identity and a MapsPeople destination ID.

Data Mapping Model

The scheduling system provides the Room name, Room ID, or an email address
You maintain the lookup mapping from room identity to Maps People destination ID
They are used together to route a person to the destination ID based on their meeting in the Wayfinding view

Integration Flow

Pull meetings from the scheduling platform API
Normalize and filter meeting data
Resolve the room to the destination ID
Launch routing to the resolved destination

Map Formats: 2D vs 3D

Many organizations already have existing 2D floor plan assets (AI or SVG files created by a design firm). The MapsPeople platform can use these as visual assets, but the choice of format affects what is possible.

Option	When to use it	Key trade-off
Use existing 2D assets	When the organization wants to preserve the familiar visual design from print maps	Remains a 2D visual. Does not unlock 3D perspective views.
Build 3D map models	When the organization wants rotation, isometric views, and a richer spatial experience	Different production path from importing 2D artwork. Higher initial setup effort.

The right choice depends on stakeholder preference, how users navigate the space, and long-term update needs. In most cases, performance and clarity matter more than visual style.

Map Administration and Updates

After initial digitization, admins can handle many routine updates through the MapsPeople map administration tools without requiring additional PS work. This includes renaming locations, adjusting points of interest, updating room metadata, and making minor routing or visibility changes.

Structural changes that affect the routing graph (construction, new wings, wall removals) typically require a mapping update engagement. For large enterprise environments with frequent space changes, automated pipelines that integrate with CAD systems are also available as a longer-term option.

Troubleshooting

Symtom	Most Common Cause	What to Check
Destination not found in search or categories	Role visibility or category configuration	Confirm the role assigned to the kiosk and whether the destination is visible under that role.
Tapping a meeting does not start routing	Room-to-destination mapping mismatch	Validate lookup entries and confirm room naming is consistent between the scheduling system and the map dataset.
The route starts from the wrong location	The kiosk origin is not correctly bound	Confirm kiosk-anchored configuration and verify the origin binding to the correct map location.
Wrong floor content displayed	An incorrect building or floor dataset was loaded	Verify the map set assigned to the experience matches the intended building and floors.
The QR code opens the wrong experience	QR target not aligned to security policy	Confirm whether browser vs app is expected, whether authentication is required, and whether expiry is enforced.
Map feels slow or unresponsive	Legacy SVG-based rendering or device-level constraints	Confirm the experience is using the MapsPeople integration and not the older SVG map element. Test on supported hardware.