Digital Mapping
- Sophie Byers
- Apr 4, 2024
- 2 min read
A unique storytelling method
Today I will be exploring digital mapping, a fascinating form of creative expression. I will discuss what it is, what makes it so cool, and even connect it to my family history. I will also talk about some examples of digital mapping and list some resources if you're interested in giving it a try.
And now it's time to talk about digital mapping!
What is it?
Digital mapping is exactly what it sounds like. It's a story that is told digitally through or related to a map. A great example is my professor who mapped out her life by breaking it down to the places she has lived and related to her personal growth. I found this very interesting and hope to do something similar today. Like map the lives of one of my relatives or show how the city I grew up in has changed in the last 50 years.
What makes it so cool?
Digital mapping involves spacial awareness, narrative story telling, and looking at how things change over time. In other words it looks at where we've been and where we're going. What makes it so cool is that our perspective is changed when we look at a story through a map. My grandmother left her place of birth and immigrated to Canada. Seemingly leaving everything behind for a foreign country where she didn't even know the language. She traveled 7460 kilometres. That's 4636 miles or 4028 nautical miles. Maybe that seems like just a bunch of numbers but when you see the distance on a map it changes your perspective. For me it showed me just how brave my Grandmama was and what a life changing it must have been for her. And it's a good thing she did because if she hadn't she would have never met my Grandpapa.
Where can I try?
You can try it yourself with the website story maps which I have linked down below. It's free and seems fairly easy to use. I also linked additional resources like a map of Ulysses, a map of London from the 1600s, and more. That's all for now, have a fantastic day!
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