A computer-implemented user interface method and apparatus are disclosed. A user input signal corresponding to a drawn gesture is received and sampled. If the input signal is orientation invariant, the sampled, spaced points are rotated in accordance with an indicative angle to generate an input vector. If the input signal is orientation sensitive, the sampled, spaced points are rotated to align with a base orientation to generate the input vector. The gesture is recognized based on a comparison of the input vector to a plurality of templates.