There are currently six themes available in the story builder. This section will automatically take on a slightly lighter or darker shade than the story’s background color to help it stand out. Up to thirty items can be displayed in the nav bar for a given story.Ĭredits: Turn this on to add a block to the end of your story, within which you can list contributors to the story, sources for data and media, and other footnotes in a two-column format. When in the story builder, hover over the navigation bar and you’ll see a little gear icon appear click on that to access a control panel, with which you can edit the text for a heading as it will appear in the nav bar, or turn items off entirely. When a reader clicks on an item in the nav bar, the story will jump right to that section of the story.
![hex map designer hex map designer](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/08/a2/7d/08a27d7b735454231cab985fbafa45de.jpg)
Navigation: When you enable this option, all of the headings in your story (including those in sidecar slides and in the credits block) will be treated as bookmarks that will appear in a navigation bar that sticks to the top of the screen as you scroll down a story. Moving on down the design panel, the next section enables storytellers to activate two additional story components: an in-story navigation bar that will enable readers to immediately jump to designated parts of the story (toggled off at the start), and a credits block at the very bottom of the story (automatically toggled on). The full, side-by-side, and minimal (with media) cover layouts.
![hex map designer hex map designer](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/e4/1c/21/e41c21044baee05dff63e5de21f9c4de.jpg)
Or, use the minimal cover to create space for a kind of story preface, like we did in this example, inserting some introductory text immediately after the subtitle and using full-width media to separate it from the body of the story. (You can still add a little visual flourish at the top, perhaps something abstract or textural, if you find your opening needs a little more flair.) For all these scenarios, a descriptive headline is what matters most, and the minimal layout makes sure nothing gets in the way of your title coming across loud and clear. This can often be the case for how-to articles, thought pieces, or press-release-style updates. Minimal (initial setting for all new stories): Maybe the thing that will most interest your target audience is better conveyed through words than visuals. If you’ve added an image to your cover, make sure you adjust the focal point in the image properties to keep the most important area of your image visible across screen sizes. It’s also better suited to display any portrait-oriented photos or videos you may be considering for your cover. For media that falls in this second category-think images with lots of texture or light-to-dark contrast, or a map with lots of labels-this layout lets you present your title and subtitle right alongside an unobstructed, alluring visual. Side-by-side: There are some photos and videos over which you can legibly lay text, and then there are some over which you can’t. Or, if your story centers around an especially artistic map, use an image of it here to preview the impressive work a reader can explore if they keep going. Fill the screen by uploading some atmospheric video, or use a high-quality land- or cityscape photo to introduce the setting. As different as they are, each layout can be highly effective-picking the right one depends on what kind of first impression you’re after.įull: This layout is perfect for stories where you really want your audience to feel transported to a specific location. Switch between the three available layouts in the design panel and you’ll start to see how changing from one to another can also dramatically affect a reader’s emotional response. But there are a variety of ways to kick off a story.
![hex map designer hex map designer](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aV8KxZxo2l4/U9OreP1qvqI/AAAAAAAAHbM/vjlcL4aJLwQ/w1200-h630-p-k-no-nu/hex+map+update+7-25-14.jpg)
We always tell people to start with a bang, something that grabs a reader by the eyeballs and immediately pulls them right in. It’s that initial view that welcomes a reader to your content and hints at what’s in store, should they keep reading. Think of the cover as your story’s first impression. The design decisions you make here are broken down into a few key parts. This panel is a command center of sorts, dictating all kinds of details about how content appears in your story. Luckily, with ArcGIS StoryMaps’ design panel you have a variety of tools at your fingertips for making a story that’s sure to catch the eye.įor those not familiar, the design panel can be opened up from the header of the story builder. There’s no shortage of content out there for the digital reader to peruse-our storytelling community alone is creating more than 1,000 new stories every day! If you want to cut through the noise and capture your audience’s attention, you’ll need the power of visual design on your side.