{"id":2835122,"date":"2025-06-17T03:04:48","date_gmt":"2025-06-17T10:04:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/?post_type=blog&p=2835122"},"modified":"2025-06-26T04:41:23","modified_gmt":"2025-06-26T11:41:23","slug":"seven-things-we-learned-from-the-2024-arcgis-storymaps-competition-winners","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/story-maps\/sharing-collaboration\/seven-things-we-learned-from-the-2024-arcgis-storymaps-competition-winners","title":{"rendered":"Seven things we learned from the 2024 ArcGIS StoryMaps Competition winners"},"author":9422,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_searchwp_excluded":""},"categories":[37511],"tags":[42641,398132,538552,706371,27881],"industry":[],"product":[36611,380802],"class_list":["post-2835122","blog","type-blog","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sharing-collaboration","tag-arcgis-online","tag-arcgis-storymaps","tag-competition","tag-storymaps","tag-storytelling","product-story-maps","product-arcgis-storymaps"],"acf":{"short_description":"Read interviews with the 2024 ArcGIS StoryMaps Competition winners for tips and takeaways. Here's what the StoryMaps team learned from them. ","flexible_content":[{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

As storytellers, our aim is to connect with readers\u2014capturing attention, sustaining engagement, and clearly conveying ideas. In this post, we focus on seven things that stood out in the twelve winning entries from the 2024 ArcGIS Story Maps Competition: Storytelling for a Better World<\/a>\u00a0that exemplify smart, creative storytelling techniques.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"quote","author_name":"Allen Carroll","author_profession_organization":"Founder of Esri\u2019s StoryMaps team","image":{"ID":164561,"id":164561,"title":"G53456_AllenCarroll_07small","filename":"G53456_AllenCarroll_07small.jpg","filesize":36407,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2018\/04\/G53456_AllenCarroll_07small.jpg","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/story-maps\/sharing-collaboration\/seven-things-we-learned-from-the-2024-arcgis-storymaps-competition-winners\/g53456_allencarroll_07small","alt":"","author":"7221","description":"","caption":"","name":"g53456_allencarroll_07small","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2835122,"date":"2018-04-26 12:01:15","modified":"2025-06-14 15:04:51","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":525,"height":501,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2018\/04\/G53456_AllenCarroll_07small.jpg","thumbnail-width":210,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2018\/04\/G53456_AllenCarroll_07small.jpg","medium-width":274,"medium-height":261,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2018\/04\/G53456_AllenCarroll_07small.jpg","medium_large-width":525,"medium_large-height":501,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2018\/04\/G53456_AllenCarroll_07small.jpg","large-width":525,"large-height":501,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2018\/04\/G53456_AllenCarroll_07small.jpg","1536x1536-width":525,"1536x1536-height":501,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2018\/04\/G53456_AllenCarroll_07small.jpg","2048x2048-width":525,"2048x2048-height":501,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2018\/04\/G53456_AllenCarroll_07small.jpg","card_image-width":487,"card_image-height":465,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2018\/04\/G53456_AllenCarroll_07small.jpg","wide_image-width":525,"wide_image-height":501}},"text":"These winning stories manage to stand out, even among 2024's distinguished list of finalists, as particularly beautiful and impactful narratives that make innovative use of ArcGIS StoryMaps' features. "},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

You don\u2019t need to use every approach in every story, but adding these tools to your repertoire can elevate your work.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2835142,"id":2835142,"title":"telling stories for a better world collection","filename":"telling-stories-for-a-better-world-collection.jpg","filesize":157569,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/telling-stories-for-a-better-world-collection.jpg","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/story-maps\/sharing-collaboration\/seven-things-we-learned-from-the-2024-arcgis-storymaps-competition-winners\/telling-stories-for-a-better-world-collection","alt":"A screenshot of the Telling Stories for a Better World collection, with a map on the left and list of stories on the right with cover photos","author":"9422","description":"","caption":"Learn more about the winning storytelling techniques in our Telling Stories for a Better World Series, a collection of recent interviews with the winners.","name":"telling-stories-for-a-better-world-collection","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2835122,"date":"2025-06-14 15:00:25","modified":"2025-06-14 15:01:30","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1902,"height":829,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/telling-stories-for-a-better-world-collection-213x200.jpg","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/telling-stories-for-a-better-world-collection.jpg","medium-width":464,"medium-height":202,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/telling-stories-for-a-better-world-collection.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":335,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/telling-stories-for-a-better-world-collection.jpg","large-width":1902,"large-height":829,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/telling-stories-for-a-better-world-collection-1536x669.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":669,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/telling-stories-for-a-better-world-collection.jpg","2048x2048-width":1902,"2048x2048-height":829,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/telling-stories-for-a-better-world-collection-826x360.jpg","card_image-width":826,"card_image-height":360,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/telling-stories-for-a-better-world-collection.jpg","wide_image-width":1902,"wide_image-height":829}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":"https:\/\/storymaps.arcgis.com\/collections\/22691f287d1d40b69cdaaa9c11c1dd25"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2155152,"id":2155152,"title":"ArcGIS StoryMaps - Logo Separator","filename":"ArcGIS-StoryMaps-Logo-Seperator.png","filesize":5584,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/11\/ArcGIS-StoryMaps-Logo-Seperator.png","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-storymaps\/announcements\/whats-new-in-arcgis-storymaps-on-arcgis-enterprise-11-2\/arcgis-storymaps-logo-seperator","alt":"ArcGIS StoryMaps logo separator.","author":"340882","description":"","caption":"","name":"arcgis-storymaps-logo-seperator","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2087022,"date":"2023-11-13 06:07:02","modified":"2023-11-13 06:07:33","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1304,"height":128,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/11\/ArcGIS-StoryMaps-Logo-Seperator-213x128.png","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":128,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/11\/ArcGIS-StoryMaps-Logo-Seperator.png","medium-width":464,"medium-height":46,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/11\/ArcGIS-StoryMaps-Logo-Seperator.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":75,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/11\/ArcGIS-StoryMaps-Logo-Seperator.png","large-width":1304,"large-height":128,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/11\/ArcGIS-StoryMaps-Logo-Seperator.png","1536x1536-width":1304,"1536x1536-height":128,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/11\/ArcGIS-StoryMaps-Logo-Seperator.png","2048x2048-width":1304,"2048x2048-height":128,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/11\/ArcGIS-StoryMaps-Logo-Seperator-826x81.png","card_image-width":826,"card_image-height":81,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/11\/ArcGIS-StoryMaps-Logo-Seperator.png","wide_image-width":1304,"wide_image-height":128}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2835152,"id":2835152,"title":"takeaway1","filename":"takeaway1.jpg","filesize":22820,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/takeaway1.jpg","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/story-maps\/sharing-collaboration\/seven-things-we-learned-from-the-2024-arcgis-storymaps-competition-winners\/takeaway1","alt":"1. Clear messages and accessible language are essential\u2014 especially in science communication.","author":"9422","description":"","caption":"","name":"takeaway1","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2835122,"date":"2025-06-14 15:03:13","modified":"2025-06-14 15:03:54","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1043,"height":113,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/takeaway1-213x113.jpg","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":113,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/takeaway1.jpg","medium-width":464,"medium-height":50,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/takeaway1.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":83,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/takeaway1.jpg","large-width":1043,"large-height":113,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/takeaway1.jpg","1536x1536-width":1043,"1536x1536-height":113,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/takeaway1.jpg","2048x2048-width":1043,"2048x2048-height":113,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/takeaway1-826x89.jpg","card_image-width":826,"card_image-height":89,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/takeaway1.jpg","wide_image-width":1043,"wide_image-height":113}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

The Storytelling for a Better World<\/em> competition theme, with its broad categories, sparked fresh ideas and encouraged authors to tackle complex topics. These stories stand out for their ability to communicate challenging concepts in ways that are both engaging and easy to understand.<\/p>\n

Jacqueline Powers, a medical student, created “Advancing Accessible Healthcare in Boston”<\/a> to explain the demographic research used to select the site for a new community health center.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"blockquote","content":"

This experience taught me that the dissemination of research does not have to be bland. We should aim to present our findings in innovative ways to have the widest reach. \u2014Jacqueline Powers, \u201cAdvancing Accessible Healthcare in Boston\u201d<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

Ruzena Zatko, author of \u201cInterpreting Brownstone Canyon<\/a>,\u201d uses clear language and supporting media to tell the story of a severely understudied archaeological district located in the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area in Nevada.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"blockquote","content":"

The floating panel is one of my favorite ArcGIS StoryMaps features. I used it as both a photo tour and a map slideshow to present data clearly and engagingly. For the map segment, it allowed me to display different types of mapped data as independent slides, keeping the basemap consistent while the data layers changed. Working with big data, I aimed to prevent overwhelming my audience and make the information easier to absorb. \u2014Ruzena Zatko, \u201cInterpreting Brownstone Canyon\u201d<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

And one storyteller engages readers in\u00a0\u201cCrossing Nets: A Loggerhead Turtle\u2019s Journey Through Bycatch in Catalonia<\/a>\u201d by narrating as<\/em> a sea turtle.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2835332,"id":2835332,"title":"sea turtle","filename":"sea-turtle.jpg","filesize":177742,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/sea-turtle.jpg","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/story-maps\/sharing-collaboration\/seven-things-we-learned-from-the-2024-arcgis-storymaps-competition-winners\/sea-turtle","alt":"An ArcGIS StoryMaps sidecar block with a sea turtle on the left and opening text on the right","author":"9422","description":"","caption":"Crossing Nets engages readers by introducing a sea turtle as the storyteller.","name":"sea-turtle","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2835122,"date":"2025-06-14 16:03:22","modified":"2025-06-14 16:44:26","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1746,"height":732,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/sea-turtle-213x200.jpg","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/sea-turtle.jpg","medium-width":464,"medium-height":195,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/sea-turtle.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":322,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/sea-turtle.jpg","large-width":1746,"large-height":732,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/sea-turtle-1536x644.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":644,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/sea-turtle.jpg","2048x2048-width":1746,"2048x2048-height":732,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/sea-turtle-826x346.jpg","card_image-width":826,"card_image-height":346,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/sea-turtle.jpg","wide_image-width":1746,"wide_image-height":732}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"blockquote","content":"

GIS allows me to present scientific data in a way that's visually engaging and easy to understand for all types of audiences\u2014from policymakers to the general public. It's not just about data; it's about making stories visible. \u2014Ona Santisteban Uribarri, \u201cCrossing Nets: A Loggerhead Turtle\u2019s Journey Through Bycatch in Catalonia\u201d <\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2835182,"id":2835182,"title":"takeaway2","filename":"takeaway2.jpg","filesize":34826,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/takeaway2.jpg","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/story-maps\/sharing-collaboration\/seven-things-we-learned-from-the-2024-arcgis-storymaps-competition-winners\/takeaway2","alt":"2. Innovative mapping techniques\u2014like drone imagery, 3D visualizations, and time-enabled layers\u2014are opening up new possibilities for visual storytelling. \u00a0","author":"9422","description":"","caption":"","name":"takeaway2","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2835122,"date":"2025-06-14 15:10:22","modified":"2025-06-14 15:10:46","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1064,"height":160,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/takeaway2-213x160.jpg","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":160,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/takeaway2.jpg","medium-width":464,"medium-height":70,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/takeaway2.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":115,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/takeaway2.jpg","large-width":1064,"large-height":160,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/takeaway2.jpg","1536x1536-width":1064,"1536x1536-height":160,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/takeaway2.jpg","2048x2048-width":1064,"2048x2048-height":160,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/takeaway2-826x124.jpg","card_image-width":826,"card_image-height":124,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/takeaway2.jpg","wide_image-width":1064,"wide_image-height":160}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

A 3D scene guides readers around the many habitats of a U.S. National Park in the winning story \u201cDiscovering San Juan Island\u2019s Natural Diversity<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"blockquote","content":"

The 3D scene was really fun to work with. We used a digital surface model of the area and used that to take viewers on a tour of the park\u2019s ecosystems from a bird\u2019s-eye view. Displaying the park in 3D let us visualize how all the various landscapes are connected to each other. You get to see how the shape of the landscape affects the forest cover and how the elevation near the coastlines explains the location of the lagoons. \u2014Micah Stailey, U.S. National Park Service<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

And in \u201cDrone-based Aerial Mappings of Landslide<\/a>,\u201d visualization of drone imagery played an important role in comparing Nepal before and after the Ghyapche Landslide.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2835342,"id":2835342,"title":"swipe","filename":"swipe.gif","filesize":3263258,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/swipe.gif","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/story-maps\/sharing-collaboration\/seven-things-we-learned-from-the-2024-arcgis-storymaps-competition-winners\/swipe-14","alt":"An ArcGIS StoryMaps slider showing Nepal before and after a disaster","author":"9422","description":"","caption":"The author uses a Swipe block to show change over time, comparing 2017 drone orthophoto (on left) to 2023 drone orthophoto.","name":"swipe-14","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2835122,"date":"2025-06-14 16:05:14","modified":"2025-06-16 10:50:11","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/gif","type":"image","subtype":"gif","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1572,"height":720,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/swipe-213x200.gif","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/swipe.gif","medium-width":464,"medium-height":213,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/swipe.gif","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":352,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/swipe.gif","large-width":1572,"large-height":720,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/swipe-1536x704.gif","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":704,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/swipe.gif","2048x2048-width":1572,"2048x2048-height":720,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/swipe-826x378.gif","card_image-width":826,"card_image-height":378,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/swipe.gif","wide_image-width":1572,"wide_image-height":720}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"blockquote","content":"

Using platforms like ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Online, and associated UAV photogrammetry software, I processed drone-captured data into detailed orthomosaic images, digital surface models (DSM), and point cloud datasets. These outputs allowed precise volume calculations and morphological analysis of the landslide over multiple years. GIS was crucial for change detection, comparing data from 2017 and 2023 to quantify the landslide's expansion and severity. \u2014Dinesh Lamichhane, \u201cDrone-based Aerial Mappings of Landslide\u201d<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2835192,"id":2835192,"title":"takeaway3","filename":"takeaway3.jpg","filesize":15232,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/takeaway3.jpg","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/story-maps\/sharing-collaboration\/seven-things-we-learned-from-the-2024-arcgis-storymaps-competition-winners\/takeaway3","alt":"3. Illustrations add a new level of detail and unity to stories.","author":"9422","description":"","caption":"","name":"takeaway3","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2835122,"date":"2025-06-14 15:12:59","modified":"2025-06-14 15:13:30","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1083,"height":75,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/takeaway3-213x75.jpg","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":75,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/takeaway3.jpg","medium-width":464,"medium-height":32,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/takeaway3.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":53,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/takeaway3.jpg","large-width":1083,"large-height":75,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/takeaway3.jpg","1536x1536-width":1083,"1536x1536-height":75,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/takeaway3.jpg","2048x2048-width":1083,"2048x2048-height":75,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/takeaway3-826x57.jpg","card_image-width":826,"card_image-height":57,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/takeaway3.jpg","wide_image-width":1083,"wide_image-height":75}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

Each winning competition story features a custom theme and beautiful photography, enhanced by illustrated separators, infographics, and visual flourishes. These design elements not only reinforce a story\u2019s theme but also unify its parts and add a layer of professional polish.<\/p>\n

The \u201cTucson Equity Priority Index<\/a>\u201d story, created to empower city staff with data-driven decision-making tools and raise community awareness, beautifully combines data and impartial illustrations to connect with its audiences.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2835362,"id":2835362,"title":"emotions2","filename":"emotions2.jpg","filesize":85957,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/emotions2.jpg","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/story-maps\/sharing-collaboration\/seven-things-we-learned-from-the-2024-arcgis-storymaps-competition-winners\/emotions2","alt":"","author":"9422","description":"","caption":"The Grand Prize Winner of the 2024 ArcGIS StoryMaps Competition combines bold illustrations, particularly in its immersive sections, with technical information and statistics to create a reader-friendly story.","name":"emotions2","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2835122,"date":"2025-06-14 16:07:10","modified":"2025-06-14 21:24:09","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1500,"height":800,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/emotions2-213x200.jpg","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/emotions2.jpg","medium-width":464,"medium-height":247,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/emotions2.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":410,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/emotions2.jpg","large-width":1500,"large-height":800,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/emotions2.jpg","1536x1536-width":1500,"1536x1536-height":800,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/emotions2.jpg","2048x2048-width":1500,"2048x2048-height":800,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/emotions2-826x441.jpg","card_image-width":826,"card_image-height":441,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/emotions2.jpg","wide_image-width":1500,"wide_image-height":800}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

 <\/p>\n

And in \u201cDiscovering San Juan Island\u2019s Natural Diversity<\/a>,\u201d the custom illustrations reinforce the natural world and connect different habitats.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"blockquote","content":"

I love the black and white drawings that help transition through each ecosystem and topic. The use of multiple artistic techniques truly makes it an immersive experience. \u2014Sara Dolan, U.S. National Park Service.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2838192,"id":2838192,"title":"takeaway4","filename":"takeaway4-1.jpg","filesize":17474,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/takeaway4-1.jpg","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/story-maps\/sharing-collaboration\/seven-things-we-learned-from-the-2024-arcgis-storymaps-competition-winners\/takeaway4-2","alt":"4. Beyond a pretty picture\u2014stories integrate GIS applications for real-world solutions.","author":"9422","description":"","caption":"","name":"takeaway4-2","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2835122,"date":"2025-06-17 12:04:17","modified":"2025-06-17 12:04:45","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":970,"height":97,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/takeaway4-1-213x97.jpg","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":97,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/takeaway4-1.jpg","medium-width":464,"medium-height":46,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/takeaway4-1.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":77,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/takeaway4-1.jpg","large-width":970,"large-height":97,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/takeaway4-1.jpg","1536x1536-width":970,"1536x1536-height":97,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/takeaway4-1.jpg","2048x2048-width":970,"2048x2048-height":97,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/takeaway4-1-826x83.jpg","card_image-width":826,"card_image-height":83,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/takeaway4-1.jpg","wide_image-width":970,"wide_image-height":97}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

The storytellers from African People & Wildlife use immersive blocks and web applications, like the dashboard below, to engage readers in \u201cCharting a Path to Human-Elephant Coexistence in Tanzania<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2835382,"id":2835382,"title":"charting a path dashboard","filename":"charting-a-path-dashboard.jpg","filesize":190205,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/charting-a-path-dashboard.jpg","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/story-maps\/sharing-collaboration\/seven-things-we-learned-from-the-2024-arcgis-storymaps-competition-winners\/charting-a-path-dashboard","alt":"A black and orange dashboard that visualizes elephant crop raiding incidents in Tanzania.","author":"9422","description":"","caption":"GIS tools, like the elephant crop raiding dashboard, empower local communities to track and contribute to the underlying data.","name":"charting-a-path-dashboard","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2835122,"date":"2025-06-14 16:08:17","modified":"2025-06-14 21:34:54","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1902,"height":879,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/charting-a-path-dashboard-213x200.jpg","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/charting-a-path-dashboard.jpg","medium-width":464,"medium-height":214,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/charting-a-path-dashboard.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":355,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/charting-a-path-dashboard.jpg","large-width":1902,"large-height":879,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/charting-a-path-dashboard-1536x710.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":710,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/charting-a-path-dashboard.jpg","2048x2048-width":1902,"2048x2048-height":879,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/charting-a-path-dashboard-826x382.jpg","card_image-width":826,"card_image-height":382,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/charting-a-path-dashboard.jpg","wide_image-width":1902,"wide_image-height":879}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"blockquote","content":"

\u2026we train human-elephant coexistence officers from the communities on how to collect data on crop raiding incidents using Survey 123. We use ArcGIS Dashboards to visualize and disseminate that data back to the community decision-makers. And we use a suite of tools in ArcGIS Pro to identify hotspots and corridors of conflict within community land\u2026These GIS tools ensured that communities feel ownership over the data, programming, and outcomes of conservation initiatives. \u2014Elizabeth Naro, African People & Wildlife<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

The competition winners offer readers an active role and experience through interactive maps, media, and web applications\u2014from ArcGIS Dashboard to Survey 123 to Power BI visualizations. Multiple geospatial tools turns linear stories into choose your own adventure reads.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2835242,"id":2835242,"title":"takeaway5","filename":"takeaway5.jpg","filesize":20990,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/takeaway5.jpg","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/story-maps\/sharing-collaboration\/seven-things-we-learned-from-the-2024-arcgis-storymaps-competition-winners\/takeaway5","alt":"5. Immersive blocks and interactive features remain go-to tools for reader engagement.","author":"9422","description":"","caption":"","name":"takeaway5","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2835122,"date":"2025-06-14 15:23:42","modified":"2025-06-14 15:23:56","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1053,"height":108,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/takeaway5-213x108.jpg","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":108,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/takeaway5.jpg","medium-width":464,"medium-height":48,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/takeaway5.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":79,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/takeaway5.jpg","large-width":1053,"large-height":108,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/takeaway5.jpg","1536x1536-width":1053,"1536x1536-height":108,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/takeaway5.jpg","2048x2048-width":1053,"2048x2048-height":108,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/takeaway5-826x85.jpg","card_image-width":826,"card_image-height":85,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/takeaway5.jpg","wide_image-width":1053,"wide_image-height":108}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

From Sidecar and Swipe to Map Tour and Map Actions, storytellers lean into ArcGIS StoryMaps immersive blocks and interactive features to share both technical information and personal stories.<\/p>\n

In \u201cNational Huemul Corridor<\/a>,\u201d Rewilding Chile and partners deliver technical information, like field notes and wildlife camera tracking, through immersive blocks.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"blockquote","content":"

The interactivity of ArcGIS StoryMaps was fundamental to communicate visually and effectively the huemul\u2019s critical situation and our conservation actions. One of the most relevant resources we used was the \u201cSwipe\u201d tool, which allows us to compare the huemul\u2019s historical and current distributions effectively. This visualization easily generates an immediate impact on those who explore the history by showing the drastic fragmentation.\u2014Lorena Valenzuela, Rewilding Chile<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

Using similar tools, storyteller Mel Escobar of Latinos in Heritage Conservation combined narrative, historical documents, and multimedia to share the experiences of U.S. migrant farmworkers in Braceros Across the United States – Mexico Border<\/a>.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"blockquote","content":"

We especially loved using the sidecar layout and map tour tools. These features helped us connect places directly to personal stories and visuals, allowing users to follow the journey of a single bracero or explore broader regional patterns\u2026They also provided us with the flexibility to combine scholarly data with community-driven content in one frame. Specifically, with the sidecar layout options, we are able to integrate a wide array of historical images, different perspectives of maps, and even videos and audios of the braceros themselves! \u2013Mel Escobar, Latinos in Heritage Conservation<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

And Vaidehi Patel, the student winner behind\u00a0 \u201cThe Climate Puzzle: Mangroves as the Key Piece<\/a>\u201d embraced the power of Sidecar, saying: \u201cThe sidecar block was such a game-changer. I could pair images or maps with focused discussion points in a really clean and organized way.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2835252,"id":2835252,"title":"takeaway6","filename":"takeaway6.jpg","filesize":11076,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/takeaway6.jpg","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/story-maps\/sharing-collaboration\/seven-things-we-learned-from-the-2024-arcgis-storymaps-competition-winners\/takeaway6","alt":"6. Local voices are not an afterthought.","author":"9422","description":"","caption":"","name":"takeaway6","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2835122,"date":"2025-06-14 15:27:14","modified":"2025-06-14 15:27:30","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1063,"height":68,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/takeaway6-213x68.jpg","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":68,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/takeaway6.jpg","medium-width":464,"medium-height":30,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/takeaway6.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":49,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/takeaway6.jpg","large-width":1063,"large-height":68,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/takeaway6.jpg","1536x1536-width":1063,"1536x1536-height":68,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/takeaway6.jpg","2048x2048-width":1063,"2048x2048-height":68,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/takeaway6-826x53.jpg","card_image-width":826,"card_image-height":53,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/takeaway6.jpg","wide_image-width":1063,"wide_image-height":68}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

Throughout the interviews, our winners emphasize the importance of including local communities and partners at every stage of a GIS project\u2014from planning and data collection to reviewing the final story and supporting GIS products.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"blockquote","content":"

The cornerstone of our work is community engagement\u2014by investing in the people who have lived on and protected these landscapes for generations, we put the power back into the hands of communities to support relevant and lasting conservation efforts on the ground. \u2014Elizabeth Naro, African People & Wildlife, \u201cCharting a Path to Human-Elephant Coexistence in Tanzania\u201d<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

For some storytellers, like Rewilding Chile, multi-lingual storytelling elevated local voices.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

And the \u201cBreaking Point: The State of Tribal Forestry Today<\/a>\u201d authors brought local voices to life through photos, quotes, audio, and video\u2014creating richer, more authentic narratives.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2835412,"id":2835412,"title":"tribal forestry map tour","filename":"tribal-forestry-map-tour.jpg","filesize":289798,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/tribal-forestry-map-tour.jpg","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/story-maps\/sharing-collaboration\/seven-things-we-learned-from-the-2024-arcgis-storymaps-competition-winners\/tribal-forestry-map-tour","alt":"A screen shot of an ArcGIS StoryMaps map tour of Tribal forest lands and people.","author":"9422","description":"","caption":"The \"Breaking Point\" story introduces the people behind Tribal forestry through individual spotlights with photos and videos, biographical information, and quotes. ","name":"tribal-forestry-map-tour","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2835122,"date":"2025-06-14 16:22:20","modified":"2025-06-16 10:43:15","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1902,"height":882,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/tribal-forestry-map-tour-213x200.jpg","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/tribal-forestry-map-tour.jpg","medium-width":464,"medium-height":215,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/tribal-forestry-map-tour.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":356,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/tribal-forestry-map-tour.jpg","large-width":1902,"large-height":882,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/tribal-forestry-map-tour-1536x712.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":712,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/tribal-forestry-map-tour.jpg","2048x2048-width":1902,"2048x2048-height":882,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/tribal-forestry-map-tour-826x383.jpg","card_image-width":826,"card_image-height":383,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/tribal-forestry-map-tour.jpg","wide_image-width":1902,"wide_image-height":882}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"blockquote","content":"

The team prioritized building genuine relationships by meeting people, listening, doing their homework, and building real connections that often extended beyond the project\u2019s completion. They ensured they didn\u2019t \u201conly take without giving,\u201d bringing gifts and giving honorariums when they traveled. \u2014Intertribal Timber Council, \u201cBreaking Point: The State of Tribal Forestry Today\u201d <\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2838172,"id":2838172,"title":"takeaway7","filename":"takeaway7-1.jpg","filesize":23304,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/takeaway7-1.jpg","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/story-maps\/sharing-collaboration\/seven-things-we-learned-from-the-2024-arcgis-storymaps-competition-winners\/takeaway7-2","alt":"7. Storytellers have big ideas\u2014the annual ArcGIS StoryMaps competition offers a platform to share them globally.","author":"9422","description":"","caption":"","name":"takeaway7-2","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2835122,"date":"2025-06-17 12:01:04","modified":"2025-06-17 12:01:21","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":979,"height":114,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/takeaway7-1-213x114.jpg","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":114,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/takeaway7-1.jpg","medium-width":464,"medium-height":54,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/takeaway7-1.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":89,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/takeaway7-1.jpg","large-width":979,"large-height":114,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/takeaway7-1.jpg","1536x1536-width":979,"1536x1536-height":114,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/takeaway7-1.jpg","2048x2048-width":979,"2048x2048-height":114,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/takeaway7-1-826x96.jpg","card_image-width":826,"card_image-height":96,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/takeaway7-1.jpg","wide_image-width":979,"wide_image-height":114}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

Discover why our winners entered the 2024 ArcGIS StoryMaps Competition, and what they took away from the experience.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"blockquote","content":"

The experience of the 2023 ArcGIS StoryMaps Competition was valuable and allowed us to see how other organizations presented their conservation projects, which inspired us to improve our story for 2024. From that experience, we learned the importance of taking care of every detail, from the design of maps to the structure of the story. \u2014Liliana Guzm\u00e1n, Rewilding Chile, \u201cNational Huemul Corridor\u201d<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"blockquote","content":"

Participating in the competition was an opportunity to step back from the day-to-day technical work and focus on how to communicate it in a way that resonates\u2026For public sector storytellers especially, this is a chance to translate complex policies, programs, or data into something people can understand and connect with. \u2014Laura Sharp, City of Tucson, \u201cTucson Equity Priority Index\u201d<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"blockquote","content":"

The most surprising benefit was connecting with an international community of changemakers and storytellers who are tackling diverse challenges across the globe and who showed genuine interest in our localized Minnesota drainage project. This exchange of ideas highlighted how seemingly regional environmental solutions contribute to global sustainability conversations. \u2014Emma Dorn, student winner, \u201cMartin County Ditch No. 28 Nutrient Treatment Train\u201d <\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

Read the Storytelling for a Better World collection<\/a> for more tips and advice from all of our 2024 ArcGIS StoryMaps competition winners.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2155152,"id":2155152,"title":"ArcGIS StoryMaps - Logo Separator","filename":"ArcGIS-StoryMaps-Logo-Seperator.png","filesize":5584,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/11\/ArcGIS-StoryMaps-Logo-Seperator.png","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-storymaps\/announcements\/whats-new-in-arcgis-storymaps-on-arcgis-enterprise-11-2\/arcgis-storymaps-logo-seperator","alt":"ArcGIS StoryMaps logo separator.","author":"340882","description":"","caption":"","name":"arcgis-storymaps-logo-seperator","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2087022,"date":"2023-11-13 06:07:02","modified":"2023-11-13 06:07:33","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1304,"height":128,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/11\/ArcGIS-StoryMaps-Logo-Seperator-213x128.png","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":128,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/11\/ArcGIS-StoryMaps-Logo-Seperator.png","medium-width":464,"medium-height":46,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/11\/ArcGIS-StoryMaps-Logo-Seperator.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":75,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/11\/ArcGIS-StoryMaps-Logo-Seperator.png","large-width":1304,"large-height":128,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/11\/ArcGIS-StoryMaps-Logo-Seperator.png","1536x1536-width":1304,"1536x1536-height":128,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/11\/ArcGIS-StoryMaps-Logo-Seperator.png","2048x2048-width":1304,"2048x2048-height":128,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/11\/ArcGIS-StoryMaps-Logo-Seperator-826x81.png","card_image-width":826,"card_image-height":81,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2023\/11\/ArcGIS-StoryMaps-Logo-Seperator.png","wide_image-width":1304,"wide_image-height":128}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

Are you our 2025 Storyteller of the Year?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The 2025 ArcGIS StoryMaps Competition theme will be announced next month during the 2025 Esri User Conference. Want a little hint at things to come? <\/em>Esri\u2019s ArcGIS StoryMaps and Living Atlas of the World teams will co-host the competition this year!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2835492,"id":2835492,"title":"2025 arcgis storymaps competition collage","filename":"2025-arcgis-storymaps-competition-collage.jpg","filesize":181042,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/2025-arcgis-storymaps-competition-collage.jpg","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/story-maps\/sharing-collaboration\/seven-things-we-learned-from-the-2024-arcgis-storymaps-competition-winners\/2025-arcgis-storymaps-competition-collage","alt":"A horizontal collage of five maps","author":"9422","description":"","caption":"","name":"2025-arcgis-storymaps-competition-collage","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2835122,"date":"2025-06-14 16:52:43","modified":"2025-06-14 16:53:05","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1716,"height":339,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/2025-arcgis-storymaps-competition-collage-213x200.jpg","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/2025-arcgis-storymaps-competition-collage.jpg","medium-width":464,"medium-height":92,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/2025-arcgis-storymaps-competition-collage.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":152,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/2025-arcgis-storymaps-competition-collage.jpg","large-width":1716,"large-height":339,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/2025-arcgis-storymaps-competition-collage-1536x303.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":303,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/2025-arcgis-storymaps-competition-collage.jpg","2048x2048-width":1716,"2048x2048-height":339,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/2025-arcgis-storymaps-competition-collage-826x163.jpg","card_image-width":826,"card_image-height":163,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/2025-arcgis-storymaps-competition-collage.jpg","wide_image-width":1716,"wide_image-height":339}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

 <\/p>\n

Visit the competition website<\/a> on July 14, 2025, for more details and to get started.<\/p>\n

We can\u2019t wait to see what you create.<\/p>\n"}],"authors":[{"ID":9422,"user_firstname":"Michelle","user_lastname":"Thomas","nickname":"Michelle Thomas","user_nicename":"mthomas","display_name":"Michelle Thomas","user_email":"mthomas@esri.com","user_url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/arcgis\/products\/arcgis-storymaps\/overview","user_registered":"2019-04-05 16:54:26","user_description":"Michelle Thomas is a communications lead and content strategist on Esri's StoryMaps team. She manages the annual ArcGIS StoryMaps competition, digital platforms, and storytelling campaigns that feature storytellers globally.\r\n\r\nPrior to joining Esri, Michelle created digital campaigns at the U.S. Interior Department and U.S. Department of Agriculture. She leveraged Esri's storytelling tools at both agencies, tying people, resources, and places together through stories. She joined Esri's StoryMaps team to share those experiences widely and empower storytellers to tell stories that matter.","user_avatar":""},{"ID":276192,"user_firstname":"Sharon","user_lastname":"Kitchens","nickname":"Sharon Kitchens","user_nicename":"skitchens","display_name":"Sharon Kitchens","user_email":"SKitchens@esri.com","user_url":"","user_registered":"2021-09-13 15:10:14","user_description":"Arkansan now living in Maine by way of California.","user_avatar":""}],"related_articles":[{"ID":2733322,"post_author":"9422","post_date":"2025-04-22 05:54:30","post_date_gmt":"2025-04-22 12:54:30","post_content":"","post_title":"Congratulations to the 2024 ArcGIS StoryMaps Competition Winners\u2014building stories for a better world","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"congratulations-to-the-2024-arcgis-storymaps-competition-winners","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-04-23 07:44:17","post_modified_gmt":"2025-04-23 14:44:17","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/?post_type=blog&p=2733322","menu_order":0,"post_type":"blog","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2564552,"post_author":"9422","post_date":"2025-02-12 04:26:21","post_date_gmt":"2025-02-12 12:26:21","post_content":"","post_title":"Our picks for the 2024 ArcGIS StoryMaps Competition finalists are in. Vote for your favorite story!","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"vote-for-your-favorite-2024-arcgis-storymaps-competition-finalist","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-03-21 05:42:02","post_modified_gmt":"2025-03-21 12:42:02","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/?post_type=blog&p=2564552","menu_order":0,"post_type":"blog","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1700062,"post_author":"32401","post_date":"2025-11-03 06:00:51","post_date_gmt":"2025-11-03 14:00:51","post_content":"","post_title":"Your guide to entering the 2025 ArcGIS StoryMaps competition","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"2025-arcgis-storymaps-competition-criteria","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-11-03 06:41:38","post_modified_gmt":"2025-11-03 14:41:38","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/?post_type=blog&p=1700062","menu_order":0,"post_type":"blog","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"show_article_image":false,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/06\/2024competition-interviews.jpg","wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Finalists-Blog-Cover.jpg"},"yoast_head":"\nSeven things we learned from the 2024 ArcGIS StoryMaps Competition winners<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Read interviews with the 2024 ArcGIS StoryMaps Competition winners for tips and takeaways. Here's what the StoryMaps team learned from them.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/story-maps\/sharing-collaboration\/seven-things-we-learned-from-the-2024-arcgis-storymaps-competition-winners\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Seven things we learned from the 2024 ArcGIS StoryMaps Competition winners\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Read interviews with the 2024 ArcGIS StoryMaps Competition winners for tips and takeaways. Here's what the StoryMaps team learned from them.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/story-maps\/sharing-collaboration\/seven-things-we-learned-from-the-2024-arcgis-storymaps-competition-winners\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"ArcGIS Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/esrigis\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-06-26T11:41:23+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/2024competition-interviews.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"826\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"465\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@ESRI\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"12 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":[\"Article\",\"BlogPosting\"],\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/story-maps\/sharing-collaboration\/seven-things-we-learned-from-the-2024-arcgis-storymaps-competition-winners#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/story-maps\/sharing-collaboration\/seven-things-we-learned-from-the-2024-arcgis-storymaps-competition-winners\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Michelle Thomas\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/#\/schema\/person\/91fecab52a67372dac021aabfa726ceb\"},\"headline\":\"Seven things we learned from the 2024 ArcGIS StoryMaps Competition winners\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-06-17T10:04:48+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-06-26T11:41:23+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/story-maps\/sharing-collaboration\/seven-things-we-learned-from-the-2024-arcgis-storymaps-competition-winners\"},\"wordCount\":10,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/#organization\"},\"keywords\":[\"ArcGIS Online\",\"ArcGIS StoryMaps\",\"Competition\",\"storymaps\",\"storytelling\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Sharing and Collaboration\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/story-maps\/sharing-collaboration\/seven-things-we-learned-from-the-2024-arcgis-storymaps-competition-winners#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/story-maps\/sharing-collaboration\/seven-things-we-learned-from-the-2024-arcgis-storymaps-competition-winners\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/story-maps\/sharing-collaboration\/seven-things-we-learned-from-the-2024-arcgis-storymaps-competition-winners\",\"name\":\"Seven things we learned from the 2024 ArcGIS StoryMaps Competition winners\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2025-06-17T10:04:48+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-06-26T11:41:23+00:00\",\"description\":\"Read interviews with the 2024 ArcGIS StoryMaps Competition winners for tips and takeaways. Here's what the StoryMaps team learned from them.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/story-maps\/sharing-collaboration\/seven-things-we-learned-from-the-2024-arcgis-storymaps-competition-winners#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/story-maps\/sharing-collaboration\/seven-things-we-learned-from-the-2024-arcgis-storymaps-competition-winners\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/story-maps\/sharing-collaboration\/seven-things-we-learned-from-the-2024-arcgis-storymaps-competition-winners#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Seven things we learned from the 2024 ArcGIS StoryMaps Competition winners\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/\",\"name\":\"ArcGIS Blog\",\"description\":\"Get insider info from Esri product teams\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Esri\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Esri.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Esri.png\",\"width\":400,\"height\":400,\"caption\":\"Esri\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/esrigis\/\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/ESRI\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/5311\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/#\/schema\/person\/91fecab52a67372dac021aabfa726ceb\",\"name\":\"Michelle Thomas\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2020\/09\/mthomaspic.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2020\/09\/mthomaspic.jpg\",\"caption\":\"Michelle Thomas\"},\"description\":\"Michelle Thomas is a communications lead and content strategist on Esri's StoryMaps team. She manages the annual ArcGIS StoryMaps competition, digital platforms, and storytelling campaigns that feature storytellers globally. Prior to joining Esri, Michelle created digital campaigns at the U.S. Interior Department and U.S. Department of Agriculture. She leveraged Esri's storytelling tools at both agencies, tying people, resources, and places together through stories. She joined Esri's StoryMaps team to share those experiences widely and empower storytellers to tell stories that matter.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/arcgis\/products\/arcgis-storymaps\/overview\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/ArcGISStoryMaps\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/author\/mthomas\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Seven things we learned from the 2024 ArcGIS StoryMaps Competition winners","description":"Read interviews with the 2024 ArcGIS StoryMaps Competition winners for tips and takeaways. Here's what the StoryMaps team learned from them.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/story-maps\/sharing-collaboration\/seven-things-we-learned-from-the-2024-arcgis-storymaps-competition-winners","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Seven things we learned from the 2024 ArcGIS StoryMaps Competition winners","og_description":"Read interviews with the 2024 ArcGIS StoryMaps Competition winners for tips and takeaways. Here's what the StoryMaps team learned from them.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/story-maps\/sharing-collaboration\/seven-things-we-learned-from-the-2024-arcgis-storymaps-competition-winners","og_site_name":"ArcGIS Blog","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/esrigis\/","article_modified_time":"2025-06-26T11:41:23+00:00","og_image":[{"width":826,"height":465,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/2024competition-interviews.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_site":"@ESRI","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"12 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":["Article","BlogPosting"],"@id":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/story-maps\/sharing-collaboration\/seven-things-we-learned-from-the-2024-arcgis-storymaps-competition-winners#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/story-maps\/sharing-collaboration\/seven-things-we-learned-from-the-2024-arcgis-storymaps-competition-winners"},"author":{"name":"Michelle Thomas","@id":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/#\/schema\/person\/91fecab52a67372dac021aabfa726ceb"},"headline":"Seven things we learned from the 2024 ArcGIS StoryMaps Competition winners","datePublished":"2025-06-17T10:04:48+00:00","dateModified":"2025-06-26T11:41:23+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/story-maps\/sharing-collaboration\/seven-things-we-learned-from-the-2024-arcgis-storymaps-competition-winners"},"wordCount":10,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/#organization"},"keywords":["ArcGIS Online","ArcGIS StoryMaps","Competition","storymaps","storytelling"],"articleSection":["Sharing and Collaboration"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/story-maps\/sharing-collaboration\/seven-things-we-learned-from-the-2024-arcgis-storymaps-competition-winners#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/story-maps\/sharing-collaboration\/seven-things-we-learned-from-the-2024-arcgis-storymaps-competition-winners","url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/story-maps\/sharing-collaboration\/seven-things-we-learned-from-the-2024-arcgis-storymaps-competition-winners","name":"Seven things we learned from the 2024 ArcGIS StoryMaps Competition winners","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/#website"},"datePublished":"2025-06-17T10:04:48+00:00","dateModified":"2025-06-26T11:41:23+00:00","description":"Read interviews with the 2024 ArcGIS StoryMaps Competition winners for tips and takeaways. Here's what the StoryMaps team learned from them.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/story-maps\/sharing-collaboration\/seven-things-we-learned-from-the-2024-arcgis-storymaps-competition-winners#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/story-maps\/sharing-collaboration\/seven-things-we-learned-from-the-2024-arcgis-storymaps-competition-winners"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/story-maps\/sharing-collaboration\/seven-things-we-learned-from-the-2024-arcgis-storymaps-competition-winners#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Seven things we learned from the 2024 ArcGIS StoryMaps Competition winners"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/","name":"ArcGIS Blog","description":"Get insider info from Esri product teams","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/#organization","name":"Esri","url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Esri.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Esri.png","width":400,"height":400,"caption":"Esri"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/esrigis\/","https:\/\/x.com\/ESRI","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/5311\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/#\/schema\/person\/91fecab52a67372dac021aabfa726ceb","name":"Michelle Thomas","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2020\/09\/mthomaspic.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2020\/09\/mthomaspic.jpg","caption":"Michelle Thomas"},"description":"Michelle Thomas is a communications lead and content strategist on Esri's StoryMaps team. She manages the annual ArcGIS StoryMaps competition, digital platforms, and storytelling campaigns that feature storytellers globally. Prior to joining Esri, Michelle created digital campaigns at the U.S. Interior Department and U.S. Department of Agriculture. She leveraged Esri's storytelling tools at both agencies, tying people, resources, and places together through stories. She joined Esri's StoryMaps team to share those experiences widely and empower storytellers to tell stories that matter.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/arcgis\/products\/arcgis-storymaps\/overview","https:\/\/x.com\/ArcGISStoryMaps"],"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/author\/mthomas"}]}},"text_date":"June 17, 2025","author_name":"Multiple Authors","author_page":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/story-maps\/sharing-collaboration\/seven-things-we-learned-from-the-2024-arcgis-storymaps-competition-winners","custom_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Finalists-Blog-Cover.jpg","primary_product":"ArcGIS StoryMaps","tag_data":[{"term_id":42641,"name":"ArcGIS Online","slug":"arcgis-online","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":42641,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":420,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":398132,"name":"ArcGIS StoryMaps","slug":"arcgis-storymaps","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":398132,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":183,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":538552,"name":"Competition","slug":"competition","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":538552,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":10,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":706371,"name":"storymaps","slug":"storymaps","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":706371,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":56,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":27881,"name":"storytelling","slug":"storytelling","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":27881,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":120,"filter":"raw"}],"category_data":[{"term_id":37511,"name":"Sharing and Collaboration","slug":"sharing-collaboration","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":37511,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":424,"filter":"raw"}],"product_data":[{"term_id":36611,"name":"ArcGIS StoryMaps","slug":"story-maps","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":36611,"taxonomy":"product","description":"","parent":36981,"count":571,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":380802,"name":"ArcGIS StoryMaps","slug":"arcgis-storymaps","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":380802,"taxonomy":"product","description":"","parent":0,"count":322,"filter":"raw"}],"primary_product_link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/?s=#&products=story-maps","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog\/2835122","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/blog"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9422"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2835122"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog\/2835122\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2835122"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2835122"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2835122"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=2835122"},{"taxonomy":"product","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product?post=2835122"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}