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KRISTIN APPENBRINK: Hi, everyone.
I'm Kristin Appenbrink, the Editorial Lead
for Google Earth.
For the past four years, I have lead the story creation
of the Voyager, Google Earth's storytelling platform.
But we like to think of it as the coolest magazine
of the planet on the planet.
The Voyager team has brought you stories
from some of the most iconic institutions like NASA
with our Apollo 11 countdown to launch, "Time"
magazine and the Nature Conservancy,
where we followed the migration of the hawksbill sea turtle.
We've told stories of the natural world,
like the migration of the pied cuckoo in India,
and the live cams of the brown bears of Alaska's Katmai
National Park.
We've told the stories of the people who
share our planet, from inviting you
into homes around the world, to sharing greetings in more
than 80 indigenous languages.
And we've explored the impact we've had on our planet
by examining the threat of sea-level rise
and, through our latest project, Timelapse
in Google Earth, which allows you
to see 37 years of satellite imagery
in time lapse video on the digital globe.
Through these projects and the hundreds more
our team has produced, like the photo ark with National
Geographic, a layer 10,000 years of volcanoes, our "Carmen San
Diego" game, and Earth View, a collection
of beautiful satellite imagery, we've
learned a thing or two about how to tell
a good story in Google Earth.
So let's take a look at the five best storytelling practices
for your Google Earth project.
First up, think about the structure
of your project or story.
While it's tempting to jump right in and start
adding points and info boxes and photos,
take a minute to really think about the beginning, middle,
and end of your story.
Like with many of our Voyager stories,
you might be trying to explain your work on a complex issue,
like this example here of threats to the hawksbill sea
turtle, to a broad audience who aren't experts on your topic.
That's why our stories generally follow this formula--
an introduction to the issue, which will take about one
to two sides, three to five examples
on the subsequent three to five slides, and then look
to the future.
We always like to end on a positive note when we can.
So let's take a look at an example.
In this story about the Leuser ecosystem,
we introduce you to this biodiverse area in Indonesia.
You can see here, the outline of the Leuser ecosystem
on the map.
We then go through what really makes this ecosystem unique.
We can take a look at the topography here.
We examine the flora and fauna of the region.
And then, we look at the threats to the ecosystem.
This view here shows the different forest loss
throughout several years.
In the end, we take a look at what local groups are
doing in an attempt to save the flora
and fauna and the wildlife of this amazing ecosystem.
Another example takes the structure a step further.
In "The Day the Dinosaurs Died," HHMI Biointeractive
takes readers on a scavenger hunt of sorts
to find the impact crater of the asteroid that
wiped out the dinosaurs.
You can see here, they're starting to look and see
where the crater is.
And then they go through several sites around the world,
starting out in Spain, to see, could this be the site?
I won't spoil the ending for you.
You'll have to read the story for yourself
to find out where the crater eventually is.
Next up, think about the view you're showing
for each part of your story.
Google Earth enables you to use three different kinds
of imagery-- satellite, 3D, and Street View.
Choosing the right imagery for each panel
can make a big difference in getting your point across.
Satellite imagery is great for setting the context of a place,
examining natural features, and seeing
how we've impacted our planet.
3D imagery gives readers a bird's or drone's eye view
of location.
It's especially impressive for architecture and topographical
features.
I mean, look at the Sydney Opera House.
While we haven't covered the entire globe yet,
we have had mapped a lot of it.
Use our 3D imagery and Google Earth layer
to see where it's available.
Finally, Street View lets your readers experience a place
like they're actually there.
Using it can help your readers understand
what it's like to walk down a street,
explore a national park, or even hike Machu Picchu.
If you can't find the exact view you're looking for,
you can always upload your own photosphere to Google Maps
and add it to your project.
One example of this is our story on Spitsbergen Island.
You can see here, how we look at the topography of the island.
You can see the snow cover and where it's melted.
But then, we also can take you directly into Street View
so you can see what it's really like on the ground.
If we rotate around here, you can see what parts
of the island have snow cover, what parts don't.
You can see the boat that we're taking the Street View from.
It really gives readers a good example
of what it looks like to be there.
Just like in Voyager, Google Earth Projects
allow you to add your own photos and videos to the info box
to help you tell your story.
When choosing the photos to add to your project,
think about the view of the globe you're showing
and what kind of photo or video might give your readers
more information instead of duplicating
the view that's on the globe.
One of my favorite examples, and one of my all time favorite
stories, is our story on biomimicry,
which is using design inspired by nature.
So in this story, "Buildings Inspired by Nature,"
we show different types of architecture
and showing the building in Google Earth.
We're going to fly here to London to look at the Gherkin.
So we show the building in Google Earth.
And then in the panel, we show you the animal or plant
that it was based on.
So this one, you can see here.
Did the that the Gherkin was designed after a sea sponge?
And one of my favorite examples of this
is the Milwaukee Art Museum.
This is a pavilion designed by Santiago Calatrava.
And you can really tell how it was mimicked
after the wings of a bird.
Moving to another one of my other favorite examples,
this is the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago.
And we're going to dive into Street View again here.
You can really see how this part of the covered boardwalk
is designed to look like the shell of a turtle.
Isn't that beautiful?
Sometimes, the best way to communicate
an idea in your story is to do so on the map.
With the drawing tools available in Google Earth,
you can easily create additional points
or draw lines or shapes to further explain an idea.
Let's look at an example of this from Conservation
International.
In this story, they're talking about the challenges
to safeguarding national parks.
Just because a national park has been created, doesn't mean it's
a national park forever.
So here, we're looking at the original boundary of Yosemite
National Park in California.
And here, in blue, you can see the current park boundary.
This really underscores for readers what's at stake
and how these boundaries are changing,
and how land that had been formerly protected right now
will be lost due to all kinds of different legislative efforts
or conservation efforts.
And they're really doing their best
to try and track this and reverse it.
Finally, consider your audience.
One of the best parts about Google Earth
is how easy it is to share your project with a wide audience.
All you need to do is share the link.
To make your story more accessible,
try these three things.
First, keep it short.
Many of your readers might be reading your story
on their mobile device.
With that in mind, keep your text short.
We recommend no more than 75 words per info box.
Keep it conversational.
Remember, not all of your readers
will be experts on your topic.
Use plain language and clearly explain
technical terms when necessary.
Keep it informative.
If your story is an introduction to a topic,
make sure your readers have places to go to learn more.
Add additional links to resources,
news articles, even your own website
to let readers deep dive when they want to.
And finally, don't forget to have
a little fun with your story.
This is one of the most fun stories we worked on
with the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
It was talking about the return of the sea otter
and how their population had rebounded.
But we had some fun adding puns into the text.
Who can resist a good otter pun, like you "otter know?"
And diving in here, we're going to look
at Moss Landing in California.
But of course, the key takeaway here
is that otters are "pawsome."
We go in and explain how otters are a keystone species.
Look at the beautiful view here.
And of course, I encourage you to read this story in full.
There are lots of great puns and otter videos all throughout.
So let's wrap it up.
To recap, here are the five things to remember.
Structure your story with a clear beginning, middle,
and end.
Make use of the different imagery
Google Earth has to offer, from satellite, to 3D,
to Street View.
Use photos and videos strategically.
Don't just duplicate what's already on the globe.
Use the drawing tools to mark up the map.
Sometimes, it's the best way to make your point.
And write your story for a broad audience.
We want to help you get the word out about your project
and cause, and this is a great way to do it.
Thanks so much for joining me today.
My team would love to see the projects you made.
So please, please share them with us.
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