StoryMaps Exercise

This exercise will walk you through the steps involved in creating a StoryMap, based around the theme - Winter in Hamilton. This tutorial is inspired by Esri's  Getting Started with ArcGIS StoryMaps .

 PDF version available for download 

• Log in with your ArcGIS account at  https://storymaps.arcgis.com/ 

• In the top right corner, click + New Story and choose to Start from scratch

• Give your story a title and subtitle (optional)
• Add cover image or video to your cover page
  • For images that are in the public domain or fall under a creative commons license, try  Flickr Commons ,  Wikimedia Commons ,  Unsplash ...
  • Download the image 
  • Click Add cover image or video 
  • Browse your files 
  • Select the image and click Open 
  • Click Add 
• To add attribution or Alternative text, hover over the image and click the gear symbol
  • Add attribution information under the Display menu and Alt text under properties 
  • Click Save 

The design of the cover page will be revisited at the end of the tutorial.

All StoryMap content can be added using the + symbol to access the block palette of available features.

Add a brief statement introducing your story.

• Click the + symbol, and select Text
• Type in a sentence or two introducing your story and what users will learn or key takeaways

Add sections or headings to your story using the Text function.

• Click the + symbol, and select Text
• Type in Tobogganing Hills and click Enter
• Highlight the text and select Heading as the format
• Repeat for the other sections of your story: Winter Scenes and Things to Do

To help introduce the theme of Winter in Hamilton, add a slideshow to the section Winter Scenes.

• Search for a few images showing winter scenes
  • For images that are in the public domain or fall under a creative commons license, try  Flickr Commons ,  Wikimedia Commons ,  Unsplash ...
• Download the images to a folder on your computer 
• Click the + symbol, and select Slideshow under Immersive 
• Add a Slide title and description 
• Click Add media and choose to Add image or video 
• Browse your files and navigate to the folder on your computer containing the images 
• Select the images and click Open 
• Click Add 
• Repeat for the remaining images

Maps can be added to StoryMaps using existing content from ArcGIS Online (your own or content that has been shared publicly), or by adding an Express Map:

Add an express map:

• Below the heading Tobogganing Hills, access the block palette (+) and select Map under Multimedia 
• Select + New Express Map
• In the Search by location field, search for the address of the tobogganing hill
  • See the  City of Hamilton’s list of permitted tobogganing hills  for locations
• Hit Enter or select a location from the list of populated addresses
• Click Add to map
• Rename the point, add more information in the description field
• Click Done
• Repeat for the other hills
• Zoom out on the map so that you can see all the points
• Click Done

One of the multimedia options is to add a video to your story. 

Add a video highlighting activities to do in Hamilton during the winter months in the section Things to Do. 

• Search YouTube for an appropriate video of winter activities in Hamilton and copy the link 
  • Try the Royal Botanical Gardens, Tourism Hamilton, City of Hamilton 
• Click the + symbol and select Video under Media 
• In the Link menu, paste the link to the video 
• Click Add 
• Hover over the video and select one of the display options (small, medium, large) 
• Hover over the image, click the gear symbol to access the options and include some alternative text

Another multimedia options is to add a timeline to your story.

Add a timeline outlining the snowiest days in Hamilton.

• Click the + symbol and select Timeline under Media
• Select one of the layout options - waterfall (stacked), single side (all information on one side), or condensed (dates on one side, description on the other)
• Using the list of  Snowiest February Days Hamilton, Ontario  from the Weather Network, enter the Time or date and a brief description (total snowfall)

As you add content, you may decide to reorder your story. To do so, simply click the dots to the left of the content and drag it to its new location.

Try moving the map of tobogganing hills below the video of winter activities, or moving the slideshow of winter scenes below the introduction. The heading and content will have to both be moved.

You may also wish to add additional contextual information at this time.

Now that you have content in your story, try changing the design settings. This can be done at any point in the process, but it sometimes helps to have content on the page first.

• In the top right corner, click the Design button
• Choose a cover layout - minimal (narrow image above title), side-by-side, or full (text overlaid on image)
• Select any optional story sections you wish to include - navigation (adds an interactive menu to the top) or credits (credits section at the bottom)
• Select a theme

When you're ready to share your StoryMap, preview it on different screen sizes first, then publish.

To preview:

• In the top right corner, click the Preview button
• Click the different options for full screen, desktop, tablet, or phone to see how it will display on different screen sizes
• Make any necessary adjustments

Publish:

• Click the drop-down arrow next to the Publish button in the top right corner
• Choose the sharing level (private = only you, organization = anyone in McMaster with an account, public = anyone, anywhere)
• Click Publish
• Once published, you can share a link or embed it in a website (if shared publicly)