1. A method of controlling, on behalf of a user, a map application executing on a touch-sensitive display of a device having a processor, the method comprising: executing on the processor instructions configured to: receive, via the touch-sensitive display, an inked gesture written by the user; identify a shape of the inked gesture corresponding to a mapping operation; identify at least one characteristic of the inked gesture, the at least one characteristic corresponding to at least one characteristic of the mapping operation; and apply to the map application the mapping operation with the at least one characteristic of the mapping operation.