Have you ever looked at a map and felt there was a story waiting to be told? Maybe it’s the journey of a historic expedition, the environmental transformation of a landscape, or the cultural heartbeat of a neighborhood. ArcGIS StoryMaps is the revolutionary tool that lets you weave these location-based narratives into beautiful, interactive web experiences.
Think of it as a digital scrapbook that combines maps, text, images, and videos into one seamless, scrollable story. It’s designed for everyone not just tech wizards. Whether you’re a teacher sharing a lesson, a non-profit advocating for a cause, or a business presenting a project, ArcGIS StoryMaps provides the canvas for your digital storytelling.
What are ArcGIS StoryMaps?
At its core, ArcGIS StoryMaps is a web-based application from Esri that brings the age-old art of storytelling together with the modern power of Geographic Information Systems (GIS). It’s a platform where your words and your maps have a conversation. Instead of a static PDF report or a confusing spreadsheet, you can create an engaging, location-based narrative that guides your audience through a topic in an intuitive and memorable way.
It answers the “where” just as importantly as the “what” and “why.” The beauty of ArcGIS StoryMaps is its accessibility. You don’t need to be a cartographer or a web developer. If you can create a slide deck, you can build a StoryMap. It empowers researchers to share their findings, journalists to investigate and report stories, and communities to preserve their heritage, all through the powerful context of place. It turns abstract data into human experiences.
Key Features of ArcGIS StoryMaps
The power of ArcGIS StoryMaps comes from its thoughtfully designed building blocks. These features are easy to use individually, but when combined, they create a truly rich and immersive content experience.
The Narrative Builder
This is your storytelling cockpit. It’s a simple, intuitive interface where you add and arrange all the elements of your story. You work with blocks—text blocks, image blocks, map blocks, and more. It feels as familiar as writing in a word processor, but with the superpower of embedding interactive elements directly into the page. You can drag and drop to rearrange sections, making the writing and design process fluid and flexible.
Interactive Maps
This is the heart of any good StoryMap. You aren’t limited to static images. You can embed fully interactive maps that your readers can pan, zoom, and click on. You can create these maps directly within the ArcGIS ecosystem or use existing ones from your organization or the public gallery. The ability to let your audience explore the geography for themselves is what sets this form of data visualization apart from any other.
The Immersive Block
Want to make a big impact right at the top of your story? The immersive block is your go-to tool. It allows you to place a large, full-width image or video as a cover, often with your title overlaid. You can even use a scrolling effect (parallax) to create a sense of depth and drama as the reader moves down the page. This immediately sets the tone and draws people into your narrative.
Map Tour
This is one of the most popular and effective storytelling formats. A map tour guides your audience through a series of locations. Think of a historical walk through a city, a tour of project sites, or a collection of personal stories from different neighborhoods. As readers click through numbered points or a sidebar list, the map automatically navigates to each location, displaying a photo and descriptive text. It’s simple to build and incredibly effective for linear, place-based stories.
Sidecar
For more complex narratives, the sidecar is a game-changer. This block lets you pair a scrolling panel of content (text, images, etc.) with an accompanying media panel (a map, image, or video). As the reader scrolls through the text, the media in the adjacent panel changes automatically to match. This is perfect for explaining a process, showing change over time, or providing a detailed, step-by-step visual guide alongside your explanation. It creates a powerful, synchronized narrative flow.
Express Maps
Don’t have a pre-made map? No problem. Express maps are a built-in feature that lets you draw right inside your StoryMap. You can quickly mark points, draw lines and shapes, and add labels without ever opening a separate mapping application. It’s perfect for sketching out a quick study area, highlighting a specific route, or creating a simple diagram. The simplicity of express maps makes custom cartography accessible to anyone.
Embed Multimedia
A story isn’t just maps and text. ArcGIS StoryMaps allows you to embed a wide variety of content to enrich your narrative. You can easily add:
- Images and photo galleries
- Videos from YouTube or Vimeo
- Audio clips and podcasts
- Web pages
- Social media posts This flexibility ensures your story is as dynamic and multi-faceted as the topic you’re covering.
Creating Your First StoryMap
Feeling inspired? Let’s walk through the basic steps of building your very first story. Don’t worry about perfection; the goal is to get familiar with the process.
Step 1: Start with a Plan
Before you even log in, grab a notebook. Every great story starts with a plan. Ask yourself:
- What is the core message of my story?
- Who is my target audience?
- What is the key takeaway I want them to have?
- What maps, photos, and data do I already have?
Sketching a quick outline will save you hours and result in a much clearer, more focused narrative.
Step 2: Building the Narrative
Log into your ArcGIS account and open the StoryMaps builder. Start with your title in an immersive block to grab attention. Then, just start writing. Use the text block to introduce your topic. Keep your paragraphs short and scannable. Break up text with subheadings. Remember, people are reading on screens, so readability is key.
Step 3: Adding and Configuring Maps
This is where the magic happens. Click the “Add block” button and select “Map.” You can then:
- Browse existing maps from your organization’s content.
- Search for public data in ArcGIS Living Atlas.
- Create a new map on the spot using Map Viewer.
- Build a quick express map.
Once your map is embedded, configure its appearance. Set the initial zoom level, choose which layers are visible, and customize the pop-ups so they show the right information when a reader clicks.
Step 4: Incorporating Other Media
Now, flesh out your story. Add a photo gallery to show details. Embed a short video to provide context or a personal testimony. Use a sidecar to dive deep into a specific section, pairing your detailed analysis with an evolving map or a series of charts. The goal is to use a mix of media to engage different learning styles.
Step 5: Preview, Refine, and Publish
Always, always preview your story before you share it. Check how it looks on both a computer and a mobile phone. Is the flow logical? Do the maps load correctly? Is the text easy to read? Tweak and refine until you’re happy. When you’re ready, hit “Publish.” You can share it publicly, within your organization, or with a specific group of people.
Real-World Examples and Applications
The best way to understand the potential of ArcGIS StoryMaps is to see it in action. Here are just a few ways it’s being used to drive impact and public engagement across different fields.
Environmental Conservation
An advocacy group creates a StoryMap to showcase the effects of deforestation in the Amazon. They use a map tour to highlight specific affected indigenous territories, a sidecar to show satellite imagery of forest loss over time, and embedded videos featuring local community members. This powerful location-based narrative makes a complex global issue feel immediate and personal, driving donations and support.
Historical and Cultural Preservation
A city’s historical society builds a story documenting a century of change on its main street. They weave archival photographs from the library with an express map they’ve drawn to show where old buildings once stood. An interactive map allows users to click on buildings to see their history, creating a virtual museum that is accessible to everyone, everywhere.
Urban Planning and Public Engagement
A city council needs to gather feedback on a proposed new bike lane network. Instead of a hard-to-read technical PDF, they publish a StoryMap. It explains the project’s goals, uses an interactive map to show the proposed routes, and embeds a simple survey form. This transparent, easy-to-understand approach leads to more constructive and informed feedback from citizens.
Education and Research
A university professor tasks her students with creating StoryMaps about local water quality. The students go into the field, collect data, and use express maps to mark their sampling sites. They then build a story that includes their interactive maps of pollution levels, photos of the sites, and their written analysis. This project teaches them GIS, writing, and digital storytelling skills in one engaging package.
Tips for Effective Storytelling
Creating a StoryMap is easy. Creating a great one takes a bit of craft. Here are some pro tips from years of experience.
Start with a Strong Hook
Your first few sentences are everything. Pose a compelling question, share a surprising fact, or present a beautiful image that creates curiosity. You need to give your reader a reason to care and keep scrolling.
Let the Maps Breathe
Don’t cram your maps into tiny spaces. Give them room on the page. A large, legible map is inviting and usable. A small, cluttered one is frustrating. Use the full-width and sidecar blocks to let your cartography shine.
Write for the Web
This means concise language, short paragraphs, and plenty of white space. Use subheadings to break up long sections. Bullet points are your friend. Assume your reader is scanning. Make it easy for them to grasp the key points quickly.
Maintain a Consistent Visual Style
Use a consistent color palette and font style throughout your story. If you’re using multiple maps, try to use a similar basemap and symbol style. This visual coherence makes your story look professional and polished, and it helps guide the reader’s eye smoothly through the content.
Guide the Reader’s Journey
You are the tour guide. Use your narrative to tell the reader what to look at on the map. For example, you could write, “As you can see on the map to the right, the three proposed sites are clustered in the southern district,” and then have the map panned to that area. This direct guidance creates a seamless connection between your words and your visuals.
Test on Mobile
A huge portion of your audience will view your story on their phone. What looks good on a desktop can be broken on a mobile screen. Preview constantly and adjust your layout to ensure a flawless experience for all users.
FAQs About ArcGIS StoryMaps
Do I need to be a GIS expert to use ArcGIS StoryMaps?
Not at all! While having GIS knowledge lets you create sophisticated custom maps, the StoryMaps builder itself is designed for users of all skill levels. The ability to use express maps and embed public data means anyone can start creating compelling location-based narratives right away.
Is ArcGIS StoryMaps free to use?
There is a free public account option that provides access to core storytelling features, which is great for individuals and students. For advanced features, more storage, and organizational sharing, a paid subscription to ArcGIS Online is required.
Can I collaborate with others on a StoryMap?
Yes, collaboration is a key strength. If you are part of an ArcGIS Online organization, you can share your story as a draft with colleagues, allowing them to view and edit the content, making it an excellent tool for team projects.
What’s the difference between a Map Tour and a Sidecar?
A map tour is a linear, sequential walk through a series of points. It’s perfect for a straightforward list of locations. A sidecar is more flexible; it allows you to pair a scrolling narrative with any type of media (maps, images, videos) that changes in sync with the text. Use a tour for a simple list and a sidecar for a more complex, explanatory narrative.
Can I see who has viewed my published StoryMap?
Yes, if you have a publisher or administrator role in ArcGIS Online, you can access view-count analytics and metrics for your published stories, giving you valuable insight into your public engagement.
Conclusion About ArcGIS StoryMaps
ArcGIS StoryMaps is more than just software; it’s a bridge between data and humanity, between location and understanding. It has democratized the power of spatial storytelling, allowing anyone with a story to tell and a map to show to create something truly impactful. It fosters connection, clarity, and public engagement in a way that static reports simply cannot match.
The journey from a blank page to a published story is one of creativity and discovery. So, what story will you tell? Your community, your research, and your world are waiting to be seen in a whole new light. Start building your first ArcGIS StoryMaps project today and share your unique perspective with the world.
