Digital Storytelling Toolkit

Written By Digital Storytelling Lab

Below is a curated selection of tools to support your digital storytelling projects—from recording and editing to visualizing and sharing your work. These tools are free or low-cost, user-friendly, and mindful of privacy and accessibility. This is not an exhaustive list, but a set of reliable and widely used options to get you started.

Audio Recording & Editing

  • Audacity – A widely used, open-source tool for recording and editing audio.

  • Zencastr – Ideal for podcasting and remote interviews with high-quality audio and video.

  • SoundCite – Embed short, playable audio clips directly into written text.

  • Headliner – Turn audio recordings into engaging videos with visual waveforms.

  • StoryCorps – Record and archive personal interviews; especially useful for community storytelling.

  • StoryCorps Questions – A helpful guide for crafting meaningful interview prompts.

  • PodVideo – Convert audio into shareable video clips for social media or presentations.

Video Recording

  • Google Camera (Android) – A reliable built-in app for simple, high-quality video recording.

  • iOS Camera App (iPhone) – Offers high-resolution video, plus features like slow motion and time-lapse.

Timelines & Story Structures

  • KnightLab Timeline – Create interactive timelines using Google Sheets.

  • KnightLab Storyline – Build flexible, non-linear story structures for complex narratives.

Mapping & Spatial Storytelling

  • Google My Maps – Customize maps to visualize locations, journeys, and stories.

  • KnightLab StoryMap – Combine maps with multimedia storytelling.

  • Tableau Public – Create interactive maps and data-driven visual stories.

  • ArcGIS – A powerful platform for advanced mapping and spatial analysis.

Data Visualization

  • Piktochart, Infogram, Venngage – Easy tools for creating infographics and visual reports.

  • Datawrapper & Flourish – Build interactive charts, graphs, and maps.

  • Genially – Create interactive presentations, infographics, and visual content.

Interactive Images & Visual Media

  • Canva – A versatile platform for designing visuals, infographics, and social media content.

  • Thinglink – Add interactive elements to images, videos, and 360° media.

  • Juxtapose – Compare two images interactively (great for “before and after” stories).

  • Photoshop – Advanced design tool for editing images and creating animations.

  • Steller (Flipbook) – Create immersive, photo-based storytelling experiences.

Interactive Storytelling

  • Twine – Build branching, interactive narratives using a visual interface.

Website Builders

  • Wix, Shorthand, Weebly – User-friendly platforms for building multimedia-rich websites.

Fonts & Typography

  • Adobe Fonts & DaFont – Access a wide range of fonts to enhance your visual storytelling.

Free Image Libraries

  • Pexels & Unsplash – High-quality, royalty-free images for creative use.

Colour Inspiration

  • Design Seeds – Curated color palettes inspired by real-world imagery.

  • Paletton – Generate balanced and complementary color schemes.

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