====== 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 ====
  * [[en:courses:training:element-20:worksheets:sm-ws-02-1|W02-1: Story Map with ArcGIS Online]]
  * [[en:courses:training:element-20:worksheets:sm-ws-02-2|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 =====
[[en:courses:training:element-20:worksheets:sm-ws-02-1|W02-1: Story map with ArcGIS Online]]

And once you have become familiar with how to create a story map, go on with:
[[en:courses:training:element-20:worksheets:sm-ws-02-2|W02-2: Pico Pequeno eruptions 2014 – make your own story]]