From FastCompany: Maps used to be beautiful, when cartography was as much of an art as a science, and dragons were as likely to be waiting on the other side of the world as new spice trades. But as of late, maps have swapped beauty for convenience and clarity. Designers at data visualization house Stamen have created a very cool compromise for digital maps. It’s a watercolor-like skin for any OpenStreetMap project, and it’s totally remarkable. Streets have an organic, analog roundness to their edges, and bodies of water aren’t a solid blue, but a mix of hues and color densities, as if the map is actual, textured paper slathered with a casual mix of water and paint.
Read the Full FastCompany Post on Stamen Maps
Stamen Map of Bay Area