Google traps you in a linear query-response loop. Exploring a topic means manually re-searching each sub-question from scratch, losing all context of how the searches relate. There's no memory of the journey, only the last place you landed.

Orbit puts live web search on a spatial canvas. Refining a query spawns a child node rather than replacing the original, so you compare instead of overwrite. Follow-up queries inherit the parent's terms, so drilling deeper doesn't mean retyping. A results panel opens full previews in place, keeping you inside the canvas.

A working prototype is live with node creation, branching, and drag-and-drop in place, now going through rounds of UX testing with students and researchers.