Mathew A. Dooley, University of Wisconsin-River Falls | Mathew.dooley@uwf.edu
The NACIS Student Dynamic Map Competition provides an opportunity for students to demonstrate their skills in dynamic map design. The 2011 competition was another success thanks to a strong community of dedicated cartography instructors, several high-quality map entries, and a distinguished panel of judges.
Two prizes were awarded in the categories of best narrative map and best interactive map. The narrative category includes maps that are designed to communicate a story, cause, or message. The interactive category includes maps that provide tools for navigation, location-based services, or exploratory geovisualization.
The winner for best narrative map is Zachary Bodenner, from the University of Wisconsin–River Falls, for his map titled The Rising Sun, Japanese Imperial Action: 1868-1941. This map tells the story of Japanese imperialism through a series of captions and map animations depicting seven periods of invasion. The design is elegant in its simplicity, with smoothly fading transitions and traditional Japanese music playing softly in the background.
2011 winner for best narrative map
The winner for best interactive map is Erik Samsoe, from the University of Montana, for his map titled University Campus Map. His work, powered by Google Maps, allows students to locate and highlight points of interest, such as parking, eateries, works of art, and places to print, among others. A custom interface provides the ability to map efficient routes between buildings and other important places on campus.
2011 winner for best interactive map
A special thanks goes out to our panel of judges: Michael Peterson (University of Nebraska–Omaha), Hans van der Maarel (Red Geographics), and Alethea Steingisser (University of Oregon InfoGraphics Lab). Their expertise and hard work proved invaluable for a successful 2011 competition.
This year’s competition offers a $500 prize for best narrative map and a $500 prize for best interactive map. Any student enrolled in a degree or certificate program may enter. Instructors, please encourage your students to submit a map today!
For complete rules and submission guidelines, visit http://www.nacis.org/