As the semester draws to a close, so does the culmination of our labor—the completion of the “Along the Chester Way” Story Map. This semester-long project was a combined effort of three key individuals: Kelan Amme, Cade Smucker, and me. Kelan and Cade headed the research and writing portion of the project. Meanwhile, I was charged with website development, ensuring that the virtual tour not only informs but also captivates through compelling visuals. In my first essay, Along the Chester Way: Visualizing History with Story Maps I outlined our project, current progress, and what was left to accomplish. In the end, I was able to meet the goals I set at the beginning of the semester. My contributions towards the end of the semester comprised three tasks 1. designing an Along the Chester Way logo, 2. designing a graphic for the Story Map header, and 3. reviewing the Digital Harrisburg website and giving feedback for improvement.
In conceptualizing our project logo, I set forth specific objectives. The logo needed to effectively convey the essence of our project, remain clear when viewed at a smaller scale, and subtly reference the interactive map. I used Photoshop to vector a curved line traveling into the distance with two points marking “stops” along the way. I tried to replicate the look of the stop points in the Story Map when creating the stop points of the logo. While my initial design involved a more elaborate combination of images and text, I opted for a simpler and more effective logo. I figured I would incorporate the higher-level design within the project’s header.
The next task of designing a header shared similar requirements but with more flexibility. I needed to communicate what the Story Map was through text and image. For this, I started by tracing an image of the Commonwealth Monument. I placed a low opacity screenshot of the 19th century Harrisburg map behind the vector of the monument. In the right half of the frame, I incorporated our title and brief project description. The original black-and-white graphic lacked character, so I overlayed blue gradients to add contrast and visual interest.
I received feedback on the logo and graphic multiple times to ensure that both my peers were satisfied with the product and that it communicated the right message.
After the project was completed, I created an ePortfolio which summarizes the work that I did on this project. Feel free to read my essays and view our finished Story Map.
I am grateful to have had the opportunity to contribute to this project. I believe in the task of recounting the stories of uncelebrated African American heroes. I hope that my involvement with this project contributes to the larger objective of acknowledging and honoring those often-overlooked heroes of the past.
The realization of a finished product is undeniably exciting. I hope that students, educators, and a broader audience will leverage our Story Map as a gateway to learn more of the captivating history of Harrisburg.
Digital Harrisburg 