L02: Conceptual design of a story map

The last lecture introduced the basic concept of story maps and a few different types. Now that you’ve become familiar with them, let's take a look at some concepts worth considering before you producing your own story map.

Things we cover in this session

Basic technical and creative aspects for creating a story map

Things you need for this session

W02-1: Story Map with ArcGIS Online

W02-2: Pico Pequeno eruptions 2014 – make your own story

Things to take home from this session

At the end of this session you should be able to

explain the basic technical and creative aspects for designing a story map

develop a script for a story map

produce a story map

Story maps as representation of spatial contents

Before you actually design a story map there are some conceptual questions you need to address carefully*.

1. What is the story behind the map? What do I want to communicate?

First, summarize the topic/subject of the story map in a few sentences.

Then, write a storyboard (script) that only includes the essential elements of the presentation.

2. Who is the audience of my story map? What contextual information do users need in order to understand my story map?

Does my story map speak for itself, for example as a web link in a term/seminar paper?

Do I want to give a presentation using my story map?

3. Which materials do I need to create my story map?

Can I tell my story on the basis of only one map? Or do I need multiple maps, such as topographical maps, satellite images, digital maps or survey maps?

Which media do I need? Texts, images, animations, graphs, diagrams, tables or videos?

Which sources are important enough to cite? How should I reference them?

4. Which media can I omit from my story map?

Which information is need or redundant (i.e. appears in several places)?

Consider the rule: Less is more.

5. How will users of my map navigate through my “story”?

Is there a linear sequence to the presentation of the contents or can users work independently through the story map without a fixed sequence?

Based on ESRI 2012: Thinking about Storymaps. http://www.esri.com/news/arcnews/summer12articles/files/arcnews34_2/arcnews-summer12.pdf.

Time for practice

W02-1: Story map with ArcGIS Online

And once you have become familiar with how to create a story map, go on with: W02-2: Pico Pequeno eruptions 2014 – make your own story