Thematic atlas information expansion design: A storytelling concept under web environment

In order to suit new mapping scenarios and to meet non-professional users' reading requirements as well as their cognitive features, through a practical case of ‘the Atlas of Shanghai Second Water Resources Survey’, we explore storytelling-concept-based multiple solutions to thematic atlas information expansion design, which integrated the characteristics of information transmission of web environment with ‘user-centered’ principles. First, we make the atlas's potential information logic appeared in an obvious narrative framework. Then, we process the expansion design in several aspects, not only including content diversification, medium digitalization, and interaction activation, but also treating the mapping space as a ‘stage’. Via all of the above, alternative design plans are proposed to visual interfaces and information interactions. The application shows that the information expansion design can enrich the expressive forms of atlas themes, and it can break through the visualization limitation when a vast amount of information needs to be integrated within a limited screen space. Thus, faced with potential users, it could give innovations and references on the propagation and communication mode of future atlas design.