Use express maps to help tell your story

All stories happen somewhere. Place relates to an audience where things happened, which in turn can explain why or how things happened the way that they did. To help storytellers add such crucial context to their stories, express maps were one of the first features incorporated when ArcGIS StoryMaps was rolled out in  July of 2019 . Storytellers of all cartographic experience levels can populate an express map with features, pop-ups, text labels, and more, injecting slick, effective, interactive cartography into any story.

On top of that, express maps also serve as a "Trojan horse" of sorts that allows storytellers to create interactive image experiences as well as maps. Thanks to a capability added in August, 2024, you can now upload an image to serve as the base of an express map. This means that you can apply the same drawing, pop-up, and annotation tools to that image as you can to a map.

For a detailed walkthrough of exactly how to set up an express map in ArcGIS StoryMaps and get the most out of its many features, peruse the steps below, split into two main sections: the process of building and populating an express map, and then the different ways to configure your express map to maximize its storytelling potential. A third section covers the image base functionality of express maps, while two additional sections discuss best practices and some tips and tricks to get the most out of your express cartography.

And, of course, feel free to experiment and create an express map of your own in the story builder as you follow along!

Now that you've seen what kinds of features you can incorporate in express maps, take a look at the various settings that affect the cartographic experience for your story's readers.

You may have noticed, in the map options, that you also have a two-pronged choice when it comes to the Base layer that the map is using. The default is Basemap, and that selection is what this tutorial has been operating under until now. But you could also opt for Image (Beta), which will prompt you to upload an image file when selected. Doing so plasters the image onto the world map at a locked size and hides the rest of the basemap.

Once you've created an image base layer, you're free to do all of the things covered in the first section of this tutorial: Populate the image with features, fill out their pop-ups, and add text labels or arrows. Note that, when it comes to the settings for an express map with an image base layer selected, you'll only be able to toggle map navigation, grouping nearby points, and the map legend.

To see an example of the workflow for creating an express map with an image base layer, watch the short video below. To learn more about how map-based images can be used creatively and effectively for storytelling in ArcGIS StoryMaps, check out  this blog post .

A little-known fact about express maps is that they have a limit of fifty individual drawn features in any one map. Part of the reason you don't hear about this much is that not many authors come close to reaching that mark. Nor, frankly, is it a good idea to do so.

Express maps, at their core, are intended to be clean, simple complements to storytelling, relating pertinent geographic or graphic context in an immediately digestible way. They aren't meant to do heavy cartographic lifting or entrap readers into getting bogged down with voluminous information from dozens of pop-ups, et cetera. While it worked well in terms of one-stop shopping to show off all of the features, even the map I created for the demonstration graphics in this lesson has just a little bit too much going on to actually work as an effective express map within a strong story.

For a much more in-depth discussion of the whys and wherefores of express mapping and its best practices, this excellent, evergreen  blog post  by my colleague Mark Harrower is required reading.

Using an express map in the media panel of a sidecar slide opens up a few additional cartographic storytelling methods, which I will briefly run through here.

By duplicating a slide with an express map occupying the media panel and changing the duplicated slide(s) as desired, storytellers can enact what we call map choreography. Readers will see the map transform in front of their eyes as they scroll through the sidecar. This is a great way to show changes over time by adding or deleting drawn features, or to highlight different areas of focus from slide to slide.

The recommended approach here is to start with the most built-up version of your express map, so that all that needs to be done cartographically in each duplicated slide is deleting the drawn features you don't want to show. Here is a blog post that goes into  more detail about map choreography  and its uses.

Another trick that can be used with an express map in a sidecar slide is to implement media actions. Media actions are toggle-able items, either in the form of a text link or a button, that add some optional interactivity to an express map by changing its zoom level and extent when activated, or swapping the map out for another piece of content entirely. They are a handy way to draw readers' attention to specific areas or features in a map within a single slide. Media actions also work great for express maps that have an image base layer.

Read  this blog post  to learn more about media actions and how to effectively use them, and watch the video below to see how they can be implemented with an express map.

Whew! That sure was a lot to take in, I know — but getting through the tutorial was the hard part. Now you have at your fingertips the ability to quickly and easily add useful, professional-looking cartography to your stories. It goes without saying that we can't wait to see all the ways you'll use express maps to strengthen your stories.

Anyway, that's all from me. Go get mapping and storytelling—and never hesitate to tell us about it! The ArcGIS StoryMaps community on  GeoNet  and the  @ArcGIS StoryMaps  Twitter page are two great ways to provide feedback, ask questions, and share your awesome stories with us.

We have lots of articles, tutorials, videos, and more available on the ArcGIS StoryMaps website. It's a great repository for anyone looking to take their ArcGIS StoryMaps skills to the next level.