Allow Groups to be created right from StoryMaps

[ShanaCrosson2]

At my academic institution, StoryMaps users often need a Group for collaborative editing or sharing StoryMaps.  Sometimes multiple editors need access to a StoryMap for a class group project or departmental content, other times a group or class may need a private space to share StoryMaps without making them open to the Organization.

Having to go into AGOL to set up groups is a significant barrier for those who are just using StoryMaps. If someone is just using StoryMaps, they do not see/understand the connection to AGOL and it is very, very confusing. Plus, the difference between a Shared Update Group and a Group without Shared Update capabilities is very confusing. It requires that the user reach out to the help desk to create the group, or those of us supporting StoryMaps create all the groups for them. It just adds a layer of extra confusing work.

We would really like to have an easy way to create groups (both Shared Update and non) right from the ArcGIS StoryMaps interface.

[ShanaCrosson2]

The primary use case for this request is to make it easier for the StoryMap owner to add other editors to their StoryMap. Students expect to be able to share StoryMap editing like they share a Google Doc. As I mentioned above, the whole concept of AGOL Groups is confusing. If there is another way to add users who can also edit (or view) besides creating a group, that would work even better than creating Groups. 

[ElizabethTulanowski1]

On a related note, I think it would be useful to be have more options for sharing and viewing that are more flexible. This could be through either a different way to create groups as the original post is suggesting, or perhaps sharing a StoryMap to only those with the link (an option that Google docs and YouTube both have)

[AmyWork3]

This would be a great addition to support those students who are asked to create StoryMaps as a final project. The students have no/little GIS experience and won't necessarily use the ArcGIS Online side of things. This places the task of creating groups either on the professors or someone else to help create a group and set it up. Yes, the students can do so, but if they could create a group and identity the group members directly from the ArcGIS StoryMaps site, it would make using and sharing StoryMaps with others easier for all involved. 

[PeterKnoop]

Reading this Idea, I would suggest the underlying use case is to make access to Group functionality (create a group, manage membership, share content with a group, etc.) easier for people using StoryMaps (limited to the subset of such users who are not using other ArcGIS Online apps, such as Map Viewer, Survey123, etc.) 

It also feels to me that this use case is one of many symptoms of an artificial divide resulting from product silos. (See the Idea, Consolidate Story Maps into ArcGIS Online.)

Given folks' background these days with cloud drives and productivity apps (e.g., Google Drive and Docs, Sheets, Slides, etc., or the Apple or Microsoft equivalents) they are generally familiar with the user experience pattern pairing content management and apps. Perhaps another way to reach the user goal of this Idea would be to do away with StoryMaps customized content management page, and redesign user interactions with StoryMaps to follow that familiar pattern. In this case, ArcGIS Online "Content" is the content management portion, and the StoryMaps app is the app portion. (See the Idea, Consolidate Story Maps into ArcGIS Online.)

So for a group doing a final project utilizing StoryMaps, one of the members needs to create the StoryMap and they or another member needs to create the Group. 

To create the StoryMap, one of the members of the group could go to their "Content". From there they could initiate a new StoryMap (or Theme or Collection), like they can create a new Google Doc from Google Drive or a new Excel sheet from OneDrive. When they need to subsequently view or edit their story, then they get to it from their Content, like when working with content stored in Google Drive and OneDrive.

To create the Group, one of the members of the group could go to their "Groups". From there they could initiate a new group. When they subsequently need to view or edit their group, or update its membership, then they get to it from their Groups. (Unfortunately the approach to sharing that ArcGIS Online takes, does not match the expectations of how you manage sharing in Google or Microsoft collaboration environments, so you cannot build on past experiences, and have to deal with a disconnect.)

So rather than duplicating more of the ArcGIS Online capabilities into the StoryMaps app (i.e., group management), I would like to see user goal here addressed by moving the content management part of the StoryMaps app into ArcGIS Online Content. 

In such a scenario, one might also get rid of the Map, Scene, and Notebook tabs in ArcGIS Online, and enable users to create new web maps, web scenes, and notebooks, following the same user experience they would use to create any other type of ArcGIS Online app content (e.g., StoryMaps, Survey123 form, Dashboards, Experiences, Instant Apps.)