For this week’s StoryMap exercise, I decided to do something relatively simple and lighthearted by creating a map of cats I’ve photographed. I think there’s something fun about documenting ordinary things we encounter, especially animals, and giving them a little more attention than we normally would. For feedback, I’m mainly interested in the aesthetics and structure of my StoryMap. I’m curious whether the photographs work well together and whether the map adds anything meaningful to the experience of viewing them.
The design process itself was fairly straightforward. I wanted the photographs to remain the main focus, so I tried to keep the project simple rather than overwhelming it with text. One thing I had to think about was how to organize the images in a way that felt intentional. A collection of cat pictures isn’t necessarily a story on its own, so I had to consider how their locations and presentation might give the photographs some additional context.
This exercise also made me think about our class discussions on digital storytelling and how digital tools can change the way we present information. StoryMaps is particularly interesting because it combines geographic information with more traditional forms of storytelling, like photography and written descriptions. Even though my project is relatively unserious, I think it demonstrates how mapping can make something as ordinary as taking pictures of cats into a more interactive experience. It also made me consider how a person’s experiences with a place can be represented through the smaller things they notice in everyday life.
Overall, I enjoyed having the opportunity to experiment with StoryMaps without the pressure of creating something particularly elaborate. I like photography, so it was fun to explore another way of presenting my pictures beyond a traditional gallery. If I were to expand on this project, I would probably focus more on developing a narrative that connects the different photographs rather than simply documenting where they were taken.
Media and Citations
Duong, Pierce. A StoryMap of Cats. ArcGIS StoryMaps, 2026, https://arcg.is/1fyWjr6.
All photographs featured in the StoryMap are my own.
Generative AI Use Statement
No AI was used for this blog post.