map style

I am planing to make a unique map for my app to show the user briefly where they are going in a birds eye view before going into the 3D viewing, I felt that if it drew out the out like on where they were going in birds eye view the person would get a feel on where they were going. I want the map to draw the part from where they are to there destination.
I was trying to keep to the idea of making the pictures out of words that related to the building, such as cotton the words; Cotton, CO, Vic Uni, Kelburn, Wellington. My first design I tried to use colour to define which building was what but it didn't come off visually appalling so i went back to another idea of mine giving it an old vintage feel and only using brown and reds, I felt that this Idea came of stronger as it related to an old map and gave character.