ArcGIS Online Blog

J: I know you are a big fan of wireframing or sketching out app designs before you start building customer work. I’m curious if you take that same approach when working on your personal creative projects.

😧😧You know, I think it depends for me. I’m super into the idea of wireframing or sketching out an app or popup design to settle in on a layout. I find that otherwise, if I just start in the app builder, I tend to stick to what I’m comfortable with, and I also think that wireframes are important when you need to involve others in the design process. But, sometimes it can be helpful to use the builder as a sandbox, especially when you’re trying to wrap your head around what a widget can and can’t do.

J: That’s an interesting take. I’ve never thought of wireframing as a way to break out of your comfort zone. I personally jump in and start building with only the vaguest sense of a plan and see what happens. Take the opposites challenge app for example. I had the general idea of an app ‘split in two’, but no idea what that would actually entail. I just get in there and start throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks.

Jen's Day/Night App - no wireframes needed! 

Early on in the New Year we're all likely still catching up with things that we put aside during the holidays. One of those things might have been a review of what's been added and improved in ArcGIS Online, a good review exercise to ensure you getting the most out of new features and capabilities.

The recently published 2025 ArcGIS Online year in review covers all the updates during last year, and provides quick links to get details and a list of all blog articles covering each update. 

As you begin working this New Year, it's worth a look to see if you've overlooked something that might be useful in your workflows.

Check out the newest storymap to explore how the Transit On-Time Performance solution enables agencies to monitor and improve their on-time performance. 

With templates, editors spend less time filling out forms and more time focusing on what matters. Templates let us set default values for different categories of features for more reliable data and a smoother data collection experience. In this step‑by‑step guide, we’ll unwrap what templates are, why they’re so handy, and how to update them in Map Viewer.

Welcome to the first installment of the Configure It Out series, where two professional app builders explore out of the box thinking, creative problem solving, and having fun in ArcGIS. 

The November 2025 update of ArcGIS Velocity introduces expanded support for new data providers and new real-time analytics for streamlined workflows.

The October 2025 update to ArcGIS Online has arrived, along with two brand‑new tools for editing –Split and Merge – plus a tricked-out selection experience that makes it easy to fine‑tune exactly which features you’re working with.

The October 2025 release of Esri Demographics introduces a wealth of data to significantly improve your analysis and enhance decision-making. Key highlights include: 

• Esri France: Updating data vintage from 2022 to 2025. Removing 14 population/housing variables and adding 4 household-related variables. 

• Canada, Environics Analytics: Updating data vintage from 2024 to 2025. Adding 14 DemoStats variables and 145 Household Spend variables, while removing 162 outdated Household Spend variables.  

• Esri Norway: Adding 200 new data variables for Norway users. 

Discover all these updates and more in our What's New October2025 blog article. 

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