John Nelson

Cartography and UX, ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World team

My inspiration: Fram expedition by Markus Brustad

Markus uses many techniques to create a period-specific feel for a historical theme, including subtle coastal fades and waterlines, land features that interrupt the neatline, all while representing the expedition progress clearly.

Heather Smith

Principal GIS Content Engineer, Tutorials team

My inspiration: The valley of the moon by Shira Ellenson, Dewberry

I love this map for a lot of reasons. Its controlled color palette, its curved labels, its simplicity and clarity. But the thing I love most about this map is how it captures my imagination. Looking at it, I feel like I can imagine myself walking through these canyons, looking up at the high rocks. I can feel their sandstone texture and the dry heat on my face. I feel like I'm there. (Watch Heather's video about the map.)

Dr. Este Geraghty

Chief Medical Officer

My inspiration: Cancer clinical trial locator by Amanda Stanko, Esri

Clinical trials offer hope to those facing critical illness, providing a path to new treatments and better outcomes. This GIS-based prototype app inspires me with its simplicity, integrating data, filters, and maps to make finding trials easier and more accessible.

Owen Evans

Lead Product Engineer, StoryMaps team

My inspiration: Geography, class, and fate: Passengers on the Titanic by the StoryMaps team...a long time ago

Let’s all hop in a time machine! “Geography, class, and fate: Passengers on the Titanic” is a custom story created by the original StoryMaps team way back in 2012. It is the first story map I remember seeing, and it immediately hooked me on the concept of map-based storytelling. The simple act of mapping some information from a Wikipedia article and adding a little interactivity brought this historical event to life in a way that astounded me!

Andria Olson

Senior Content Specialist, StoryMaps team

My inspiration: Community-based wildlife crime prevention case study: A place-based crime script of professional hunting around Pù Mát National Park, Vietnam by Elle J. Xu, Meredith L Gore, and Judith Rakowski, University of Maryland; Laure Joanny, Luan Van Nguyen, and Ha.Anh Nguyen, Flora & Fauna; and James Slade and Andrew Tilker, ReWild

Perhaps it’s just my affinity for crime documentaries, but I was fascinated by this submission to our 2023 ArcGIS StoryMaps competition. I found their method of presenting a crime script and then going into the geography of wildlife crime intriguing, and their use of maps, map actions, and images was highly effective in making the topic understandable.

Warren Davison

Senior Content Specialist, StoryMaps team

My inspiration: How Widespread Was Canada’s Historic 2023 Wildfire Season? by Peter Atwood on maps.com

Creating a map to communicate phenomena is one thing, but artfully animating a map and choreographing the cartography is a whole other task. Peter's animation of the 2023 Canadian wildfire season is stunning. Not only does it visualize the sheer quantity and scale of the fires and the far-reaching smoke, but it achieves this with beautifully rendered visuals that trigger a visceral response. I can't help but feel like the map itself is on fire. Crafting a map that connects with and evokes a reaction from the audience is a vital skill in communicating and sharing the work we do with GIS.

Ashley Du

Senior Content Specialist, StoryMaps team

My inspiration: Living territories by Amazon Conservation Team

This story resonated with me because it highlights the importance of sharing stories about Indigenous communities around the world. The use of interactive maps and custom graphics really brings it to life, in addition to providing important information about the groups working daily to protect sensitive areas throughout Colombia.

Joseph Kerski

Education Manager, Education team

My inspiration: How walkable is your community? by Joseph Kerski, Esri

This resource shows the power of web GIS by connecting four components: A field survey, a web map, a dashboard, and a story map. I have used it from middle school to university levels, showing viewers that they can use the same idea to map and analyze trees, water quality, noise, historical homes, weather, and many other phenomena.

Jess Altamira

Senior Solution Engineer, GeoExperience Center

My inspiration: Digging up dinosaurs by Warren Davison, Esri

What really stood out to me was the awesome graphics and animation in the story. This story seamlessly blends adventure and science and deepens my love for dinosaurs. It kept me hooked from start to finish.

Lisa Berry

Senior GIS Engineer and Living Atlas Evangelist, ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World team

My inspiration: Wildfire aware by Emily Meriam, Esri

This map is a beautiful representation of a terrifying topic. Emily has designed a multi-scale experience with a fully customized basemap that provides the right contextual elements at the right scale. As you zoom into the map, you gain additional information to help you view terrain, forests, rivers, fire outlines, and factors that are critical for understanding the impact and contributing elements related to wildfires. The app itself was designed by multiple Living Atlas team members, and it portrays key metrics related to each wildfire, such as reported acres, containment, weather, population, ecosystems, and more.

Joshua Stevens

Cartographic Editor of Maps.com and Senior Digital Content Strategist, Digital Experience team

My inspiration: Spike mapping by Warren Davison, Esri

What I love so much about Warren’s map is that, as in so much of his work, it has many layers of utility. It is a fantastic map in and of itself. But Warren goes on to show readers exactly how this map was made, and how others can apply these same techniques to their maps, down to the Arcade expressions that power them. Lots of people make great maps.

Warren is also in the habit of creating great cartographers. This map exemplifies his dedication to well-designed maps and the people who make them.

Kristi Licera

Manager of Web Writing, Content Marketing team

My inspiration: Bird migration explorer by National Audubon Society

Wonder. That is what this map stirs in me. Vivid illustrations capture the nostalgia of classic encyclopedia. Modern data visualizations illuminate the paths of more than 450 avian species that grace our skies.

It reminds us to stop. Listen. Look up.

Marcus Seepersad

Marketing Automation Specialist, Digital Experience team

My inspiration: Have money, will travel by Esri's StoryMaps Team

This story is cool because it highlights the correlation between income and travel, showing how wealth enables global exploration. Travel enriches life experiences and fosters respect for different cultures, deepening one’s reverence for diversity through meaningful interactions.

Raynah Kamau

Lead, GeoEquity Cross-Sector Practice

My inspiration: She did that! by Black Girls MAPP

This story is a powerful example of how GIS can be a tool for social empowerment, specifically highlighting the critical role of Black women in the geospatial field. I deeply resonate with its mission to elevate and celebrate the contributions of Black women in GIS. This story not only tells their stories but also underscores the importance of representation, mentorship, and leadership within the industry. By combining personal narratives with actionable insights, it reflects our shared vision of creating spaces where Black women can thrive in tech, fostering diversity and inclusion in a traditionally underrepresented field.

Angelique Samaro

Associate Product Marketing Manager, Product Management team

My inspiration: ArcGIS Monitor by the Monitor Development Team

ArcGIS Monitor is a great tool for anyone using ArcGIS Enterprise. It monitors your system's health, performance, and usage, and proactively identifies possible issues. This means less system downtime, improved efficiency, and big savings, both in time and in money. That's why I love ArcGIS Monitor...Check out our success stories to see how Monitor is making an impact across different industries. (Watch Angelique's video about ArcGIS Monitor.)

Lauren Bennett

Product Engineering Director, Spatial Analysis and Data Science team

My inspiration: Library deserts by Esri's StoryMaps team

I love this story because it's a great example of using geography, GIS, and storytelling to help improve lives and advocate for change. So many of the big challenges that our communities face have a spatial component; using maps to help tell stories and compel people to act can be particularly effective. Libraries and the resources that they provide, from knowledge to a safe place to hang out after school, are absolutely crucial to our communities and our society. Writing about it, showing charts and tables, and even interviewing people, can be effective communication tactics, but there is something about a map that can really speak to people in a way that few other mediums can.

Jason Sawle

Global Industry Manager for Schools

My inspiration: Seafloor crustal age in MapMaker by National Geographic Education and Esri

The Sea Floor Crustal Age map can help students understand the dynamic processes that shape the Earth.

In MapMaker, students can explore the map and click on different locations to see the different geologic ages of the sea floor. What pattern do they see? What processes could they describe to explain this? It's a great tool for critical thinking and a way to help immerse students in the subject matter.

Lauren Tierney

Senior Product Manager of Mapping and Cartography, Product Management team

My inspiration: Chesapeake Bay National Recreation Area: Establishing a new national park unit by Amy Tian, National Parks Conservation Association

I love Amy's map of the Chesapeake Bay! The combination of illustrations and inset maps really bring this project to life and draws the viewer in to learn more about the Chesapeake Bay. The color palette across the maps and illustrations ties the whole piece together in a beautiful way. Cartography is not just about maps (infographics and illustrations are important too!) and this project really drives that home. Living so close to the Chesapeake Bay this map makes me want to get out and explore the ecological, historical, and cultural landscape of the region.