StoryMaps Basics

The new StoryMaps, based on the overview page on Esri, is a tool that

"helps you tell remarkable stories with custom maps that inform and inspire."

It has a more friendly UI and UX and is easier to build than the classic StoryMaps. In addition to the simple integration of map into the storytelling, the tool also allows the creator to add multimedia into the story that contributes to the interactive narrative, which could be easily published and shared.

The collection contains some of the existing tutorials and guides of this tool. Each with a brief description of the content on the top, feel free to skim through to pick one that is most interesting to you.

Getting started with ArcGIS Storymaps is The tutorial to read if you have zero knowledge about the tool and would like to learn some basics. This one starts with a short introduction and then directly goes to the steps on how to build your own storymaps.

It doesn't provide any materials thus requires you to prepare your content and organize the story before starting. It is also recommended that you have the tutorial open and side-by-side with your storymaps building page.

https://arcg.is/aDqTP (access the tutorial by clicking the card above)

In contrast, Get started with ArcGIS StoryMapsBuild - a story map about a scientific expedition to a Guatemalan volcano is a detailed example with data, for those who haven't tried the new StoryMaps.

If you do not have data available immediately and do not mind exploring the Guatemalan volcano, follow the steps in this guide and build your first StoryMaps.

The above tutorials are general guide introducing you to the building of the whole storymaps. However, this tool also has some special features that worth to take a look at. One of the features are Immersive Blocks. Both of the guides have briefly mentioned the names. Here is the full list:

• Sidecar
• Slideshow
• Map tour

If you have used the classic storymaps, these names may sound familiar to you. Yes, these are the different templates in the classic one. With the new storymaps, you can choose to use one or more of the blocks within the same storymaps.

Sidecar is similar to the Map Journal template in the classic storymaps. With this tool, your audience could keep scrolling vertically with the narrative text on the side describing or explaining the story, and the media in the background, creating a continual experience of reading and watching.

Once you choose to create a Sidecar block, you will see the options of different layout styles. You could switch to another style during your editing or anytime later. However, do remember that only One style is allowed within One immersive block, thus you cannot have a mix of docked, floating, or slideshow within the same block.

Follow the instruction below in Add a sidecar to your story, you will learn how to build a sidecar in your storymaps.

If you are curious about the different styles of Dock and Float, check out the following two storymaps! The first is in a Docked style while the second is in Floating style, with the same content on Urban Africa.

The Slideshow is similar to the cascade style in the classic template. As the old name indicates, the slideshow creates an immersive cascading experience focusing on the media, which could be still images, videos, and/or maps. The text is optional here. The audience needs to manually click on the side arrow to go to the next slide. which may break the continuity.

An example of slideshow: The Indus section of the storymaps

Map Tour, as its name indicates, shows a collection of places on maps with information of each, just like a tour on the map.

It is probably the least changed one comparing to its classic counterpart. Here is a collection of map tours that will guide you and let you explore this interesting immersive block.

If you have a list of locations to show instead of presenting the narratives, and willing to try Map Tour, check this  instruction .

As the title, The Anatomy of a Story indicates, this storymaps is a cheat sheet of the design side of the storymaps. Come and check it out if you suddenly forget how to use some of the functions and/or wonder where a specific button is.

This is a very interesting example of how to use this tool. However, the beginners should not try to use it as this one doesn't fully exhibit the tool's potential of story-telling.

The Esri Storymaps team provides more resources if you would like to learn more about the stroymaps. You could also search the web to see what others have done and how they work with the tool to tell their stories.

If you are a member of the NYU Shanghai community and would like to try this tool, feel free to contact me via fan.luo@nyu.edu to discuss the details!