I am designing an interface where users are using facets to narrow down entertainment venues (from a very broad range - more than 1000 experiences).
Part of the UI includes showing a google maps screen where all these locations are displayed with custom pins.
(don't mind the locations on water. these are random generated coordinates while i'm playing with the interface)
Now I am considering to perhaps customize the visual style of the map itself and, say, pick one of the styles from http://snazzymaps.com/
The benefits I can imagine are two:
Silencing the visual noise of redundant information and making the custom pins stand out more
Establish an unique look and feel about the site/interface
Drawbacks I imagine:
- Users might feel alienated and/or confused and fail to recognize google maps interface underneath and thus fail to discover available functionality
What are any other considerations I should take into account when deciding upon this matter?