Inspiration

We were curious about how fictional worlds connect to real places. Many stories are inspired by actual locations, but authors transform them into something magical and imaginative. We realized there was this hidden layer of storytelling around us that lay in ordinary places that had become extraordinary through the stories we love. This got us thinking: what if we could reveal these connections and let people explore where their favorite characters lived or where the stories unfolded?

What it does

Streets of Stories is an interactive application where users can explore the real life locations that inspire or are related to a selection of stories.

How we built it

We used React and Maps JavaScript API (3D maps and streetview) to build the project. We deployed it with Vercel.

Challenges we ran into

Adding interactive billboards in the Street View was a challenging part of the project, since it involved spatial relationships between objects and perspectives. We also spent a lot of time trying to figure out the best user design for the app, and had to go through many drafts before finalizing the website design.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We were happy that we were able to make smooth transitions between map perspectives, e.g., flyover animation and travel between places. We are also happy that we made something that brings the literary world into the physical world in a new way.

What we learned

Through this project, we learned how to access the Google Maps API, integrate the Google Maps API into the application, and how to utilize its features in a meaningful way. It was also a valuable team collaboration experience and gave us more insights into the software development life cycle.

What's next for Streets of Stories

In the future, we plan to add animations on the map to make it more interactive and user-friendly. We also plan to include more stories on the map and add user authentication and interaction features, e.g., allowing users to save or collect locations.

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