{"id":82651,"date":"2018-04-17T14:14:18","date_gmt":"2018-04-17T14:14:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/product\/uncategorized\/use-a-story-map-series-instead-of-powerpoint\/"},"modified":"2024-04-08T18:18:32","modified_gmt":"2024-04-09T01:18:32","slug":"use-a-story-map-series-instead-of-powerpoint","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/story-maps\/sharing-collaboration\/use-a-story-map-series-instead-of-powerpoint","title":{"rendered":"Use a Story Map Series instead of PowerPoint"},"author":7641,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_searchwp_excluded":""},"categories":[22941,37511],"tags":[25921,26891,24871],"industry":[],"product":[36571,36551,36611],"class_list":["post-82651","blog","type-blog","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-mapping","category-sharing-collaboration","tag-powerpoint","tag-presentations","tag-story-map-tutorial","product-arcgis-enterprise","product-arcgis-online","product-story-maps"],"acf":{"short_description":"You can use a Story Map instead of PowerPoint for your presentations. Here's how.","flexible_content":[{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

Note<\/strong>: This blog article covers the classic Esri Story Maps which are in mature support and scheduled to be retired in late 2025<\/strong>. Story authors are strongly encouraged to use the new ArcGIS StoryMaps<\/a> to create stories.<\/p>\n

For more information about transitioning to the new StoryMaps, see ArcGIS StoryMaps resources<\/a>. For more information about the transition from classic Esri Story Maps to the new ArcGIS StoryMaps, see Esri Story Maps: Now in mature support<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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PowerPoint is the standard when it comes to presentations. But if you have to switch back and forth between PowerPoint and live demos, media, or websites, it can be inconvenient and clumsy, not to mention visually jarring and disruptive\u00a0for your audience.\u00a0Switching out from PowerPoint typically means exiting PowerPoint, or using Alt+tab or Command+tab to switch back and forth between slides and other content you want to show.<\/p>\n

While any Story Map<\/a> can be used to deliver a presentation, some are better suited to the task than others. My preference is the\u00a0Story Map Series<\/a>, specifically the bulleted or tabbed layout, since those provide sequential access moving from left to right, and advance on a click, rather than a scroll (like Story Map Cascade). Map Series bulleted and tabbed layouts also do not require using a side panel for additional text or media\u2014something not needed for most presentations.<\/p>\n

Here’s some tips on using a Story Map Series instead of PowerPoint for your presentations. In this example the bulleted layout is used, but the tabbed layout works in a similar way.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adding PowerPoint slides to a Story Map Series<\/h2>\n

Once exported, the easiest and best way to add the slide images to your Story Map\u00a0Series\u00a0is to add them from your local drives where you\u2019ve exported them. When using this method, the images are automatically resized and optimized, and stored within your story map.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Add a locally stored slide image<\/strong><\/p>\n

To add a slide image to your story map\u00a0from a\u00a0local\u00a0file, add a new tab or bullet, click Image, then Upload. Browse for the image, or drag and drop into the story.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

This is the recommended approach, unless you plan to\u00a0display your slides via an embedded web page, a more advanced option discussed at the end of this post.<\/p>\n

As with any image, you can also host them on your\u00a0own servers, in\u00a0your ArcGIS account, and\u00a0can use other online locations, such as Flickr, Google Photos, Box, and Google Docs. When using locations other than Flickr, ensure your images are resized and optimized for web use.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Add a slide image from a URL location<\/strong><\/p>\n

To add a slide image to your story map\u00a0from a\u00a0URL location, add a new tab or bullet, click Image, then Link. Paste the URL into the link input.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Positioning the image<\/strong><\/p>\n

After adding your slide image, use Fit, rather than the default option of Fill.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

This provides the best results for slides with text; the entire slide will be displayed ensuring no text will be cropped. Fit also ensures slides will display well on any projection resolution or aspect ratio.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

An Example<\/h2>\n

In this Story Map Series, a PowerPoint slide has been exported and added to the first entry. When adding slides, the text panel can be left blank\u2014you won’t need it since your slides will include all the necessary text.<\/p>\n

View example<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Consider the main stage background<\/h2>\n

The main stage of a Story Map Series has a background color. When using Fit the main stage background may be visible around the slide edges.<\/p>\n

You can choose a\u00a0different theme that will\u00a0complement your slide backgound. Click Settings<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Then click Theme, and choose a color scheme that works best with your slides. Click Apply when finished, and Save your story map.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Eliminating the background using Center<\/h2>\n

In\u00a0some cases you may\u00a0know the exact display resolution for your presentation in advance. If you do, another option is to determine the size needed to fill the main stage, add a few pixels on all sides to ensure the slide completely fills the space, then use a position of Center.<\/p>\n

Note:<\/strong> This technique only works when you purpose-build a presentation for a specific event and know the exact display size, since when you use Center your slides can be cropped when displayed at different resolutions.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Eliminating the background using a web page<\/h2>\n

You can eliminate the background completely by using a web page to display your slide, then adding the web page to the main stage.\u00a0This method requires you\u00a0use a single color slide background and display the slide in a web page that sets the background color of the page to match the slide background. This is an effective technique for any display resolution or aspect ratio.<\/p>\n

Below is a slide image inserted on the main stage using a Position of Fit, as described earlier. View example<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

In the next example below, the slide has been added using a web page that sets the background color of the page to match the slide background color. View example<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

 <\/p>\n

Create the web page<\/h2>\n

Copy and paste the markup below into a new HTML document and make the necessary edits for the background color and slide URL. Host the HTML document, and add it to your story map as a web page, using the default Fill option. The HTML will display the slide responsively, so that it fits any size or aspect ratio. Remember that if your story map uses HTTPS, everything else must be HTTPS.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"sidebar","content":"","image_reference":false,"layout":"code_snippet","image_reference_figure":"","snippet":"\r\n\r\n\r\n