GEOSTORIES

Storytelling with geography in mindthe integration of digital media and maps

Jeremy Goldsmith

Frank BiasiNational Geographic Maps

@natgeomaps

• Channels of geographic storytelling

with print examples

• GeoStories & how it’s being utilized?

• Lessons Learned & Conclusion

Outline

Maps are the primary language of

geography

Geography is a key factor in issues and

stories

Many people love maps, and many don’t

know the language

Why should we use maps in

storytelling?

1. Elegant, well-designed cartography

2. Concise, well-written notes and

captions

3. Beautiful, interesting pictures

1. A careful balance of those three

elements…

What makes a map universally

engaging?

Pictures

NarrativeMaps

Primary channels for engagement and

understanding

Pictures deliver “reality” and visual

stimulus, placing viewers on-site or

illustrating concepts

Narrative delivers the

explanation, meaning, storyline and key facts

Maps deliver the geographic and

environmental context with detailed data

(complemented by graphs and charts)

Each channel delivers a distinct and

rich

“cognitive payload”

Pictures can take the form of

photos, illustrations, video, slide shows, and

animation

Narrative can be written or spoken and

include music and sounds to convey feelings

Maps can be zoomed and panned; layers

turned on and off; features clicked to pop-up

data; and animated to show changes in time

and space

Digital media are much more flexible

than print, but content must be

simplified

Embed multimedia stories in websites to tell

place-based stories

Combine maps, photos, video, and narrative

to take viewers on tours of places and topics

Basically a map-enabled slideshow that can

be easily embedded anywhere

GeoStories are a new publishing

format to integrate maps and

multimedia

GeoStory title screen

Storypoint #1

Storypoint with multiple pictures and sound

Storypoint with embedded video

Style and embed the player in multiple websites

http://www.geostories.org/portal/player/the-best-mountain-bike-trails-of-2013/ges397EAFB8F1D4075F0/

Add multimedia to maps to extend reach

and engagement

Spoonfeed maps on the back of

compelling pictures and narrative

Simplify pictures, narrative and maps

Use multiple simple maps rather than a

single complex map viewer

Lessons for engaging laypeople with

maps

Questions?GeoStories.org

Jeremy Goldsmith & Frank Biasi

National Geographic Maps

natgeomaps.com

@natgeomaps

jeremy@geostories.org - @jwgoldsmith

fbiasi@ngs.org - @fbiasi