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Bing Destination Maps Sketches Directions With Cool Aesthetics

by Caleb Johnson on June 7, 2010 at 08:30 AM

Online maps are a lifesaver when you're navigating an unfamiliar city, an absolute lifeline to the lost or touristy. That's why Microsoft wants to simplify Bing Destination Maps and bring a little aesthetic flair to the service, too. According to Information Aesthetics, Bing Destination Maps sketches a driver's route and removes any streets, avenues or roads that aren't necessary to get where he or she's going.Think of it as driving directions for dummies. Users choose a location, drag a box around the area of interest, give the map a name and Bing renders the route. Plus, you can select different aesthetics -- like "European," "Sketchy" or "Treasure" -- for each map.

Limiting clutter is a good idea, but not being able to see surrounding streets could cause confusion if you miss or make a wrong turn. We also noticed that Bing's load times can be a little long, which means we wouldn't want to sit in our car while it recalculated our directions. If nothing else, the pirate theme will make summer vacation with the family a little more tolerable. [From: Information Aesthetics, via: DVICE]




Tags: Bing, maps, navigation, personalization, rendering, top, transportation, Web

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