"Online maps as storytelling devices" - a presentation at the 2012 State of the Map Conference, Portland, OR

1. Maps as Storytelling
Devices within Your CMS
Sean Larkin, Partner
ThinkShout, Inc.
State of the Map
Conference, Portland OR
October 13, 2012

2. “People trust maps, and intriguing maps
attract the eye as well as connote authority”
- Mark Mononier, How to Lie with Maps
Even the most basic maps wield influence because of the historical
perception that they are hard to create. Leverage this fact for your cause.
@ThinkShout

3. Why Integrate Maps into
Your CMS?
• Cyberspace is big. Maps ground your CMS
content.
• Engage local communities.
• Show the breadth of campaigns.
• Make stuff that’s “far away” feel more accessible.
• Visualize change over time/place.
• Drill down into complex datasets.
@ThinkShout

4. TheIntertwine.org
The Intertwine Alliance is a
collaborative partnership
bringing together local
agencies and groups to
increase investment in The
Intertwine, which
encompasses the Portland-
Vancouver metro area and
surrounding rural lands.
@ThinkShout

5. Website Features
• “Parks and Trails” Drupal Content type (polygon and centroid
stored as WKT)
• “Adventures” Content type (a collection of references to park
and trail nodes)
• Strong multimedia features - Responsive slideshows
• Leaflet map search interface
• Custom MapBox tiles and tile switcher
• Mapserver integration
• Geolocation and “click” lookup
• Responsive design/theme
@ThinkShout

6. Why did we use Open
Source Maps?
• Local park data not always reflected in
proprietary map tiles
• Ability to “bake in” trail accessibility data
• Seamless UX/UI
• Mobile experience
• MapBox tiles are incredibly fast
• “Slippy tiles” = More advanced javascript library
options
@ThinkShout

7. @ThinkShout

8. @ThinkShout

9. @ThinkShout

10. Search by tag & keyword
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11. Search results
@ThinkShout

12. Geolocation &
Proximity Search
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13. Challenges
• JSON feed importer; getting data in/out
• Working with large polygons
• Drupal’s database abstraction layer doesn’t
support geo-extensions
• Limitations of GeoPHP
• Complex “stack” - RLIS and Pantheon
• “Click events” on map have awkward UX
@ThinkShout

14. What’s Next
• Leverage MapBox tiles’ interactivity
• Integrate OpenPlan’s transit API for route
planning
• “Create your own adventure” feature
• QR Codes on signage
@ThinkShout

15. Integration Options, compiled
by Patrick Hayes
@ThinkShout

16. Questions?
Thank you!
Sean Larkin, Partner
ThinkShout, Inc.
@ThinkShout