Allow custom color option for Headers in ArcGIS StoryMaps Themes

[Matt-Huser]

When creating your own Theme in ArcGIS StoryMaps, the user is unable to specify a unique, custom color for the Header. They are restricted to White, Black, and whatever they set their Background Color to. This is extremely limiting from an aesthetic and branding standpoint.

When using the Background theme, you can clearly see that the Header blends in with the rest of the StoryMap. I am unable to differentiate it with other, approved colors.

So if I want the header to be an approved red color, I have to set the ENTIRE StoryMap as that color, which makes the rest of the page look poor.

The only other option I can find is to make the header white or black, and neither of these really work with the desired branding and styling of the community.

It would be really great if I could set my own, unique header color just like I can for “Background Color”, “Accent Color”, “Optional accent colors”, and all the text colors, button colors, link colors, and separator colors. I'm curious, from a design perspective, why this appears to be the only configurable element in StoryMaps Theme editor that you cannot set a custom color for?

Thanks!

[OwenGeo]

@Matt-Huser -- Thanks for sharing this idea. This is on our radar for the future, but since the header is such a critical and visible page component we don't want to rush into providing more flexibility there without careful consideration of its impacts.

One of the main ones is that a custom header color has implications for the story and collection navigation bars. How much control would you also expect there? Would you want to separately set the colors for the text as well as the navigation elements (bullets, tabs, or minimal control color), or would you rather the theme builder calculate colors for those elements based on your header background color?

[Matt-Huser]

Hi @OwenGeo, thanks for the response and update that it is under consideration.  Direct responses to your questions below.  If you'd like to hear more perspective and see some of our existing solutions, I'm happy to jump on a call.  I will PM you my contact information.

• How much control would you also expect there?
• We would expect that the header is a fully isolated element of the theme designer.  Here is an example where the settings don't make sense.  Why would the Paragraph text parameters change my Header properties?
• 

• Would you want to separately set the colors for the text as well as the navigation elements (bullets, tabs, or minimal control color), or would you rather the theme builder calculate colors for those elements based on your header background color?
• Yes, we want to fully control those items and have them isolated as content types to configure in the Theme builder.  It’s fine to suggest but also allow customizations based on required branding or internal rules an organization has. 

[OwenGeo]

Thanks for the additional info. If we need more our product manager may reach out to you.

[EricKriener]

"How much control would you also expect there?" - to echo @Matt-Huser 's comment above, complete.

@OwenGeo, this also goes for the 'collection' header and buttons...why am I stuck with that ugly sea green when it completely clashes with my theme?

[LJackson29]

It would be great to have complete control on how the cover page appears. First, I would like to be able to adjust the height. Right now it is quite big and people have to scroll down a good bit to be able to get to the content. I would prefer to have just a small "cover" at the top in some cases. I would like to be able to edit the background and text colors as well, and what components I want to include. Right now I find the story map layout extremely restrictive.