GIS, or Geographic Information System, is often misunderstood by non-GIS professionals. To address this, resources like short videos and articles from Esri provide fun and accessible introductions to GIS. These materials cover topics such as location intelligence, data sharing, GIS in education, and support for various business functions. Additionally, publications are available for further exploration ..read more

The King County GIS Center embarked on a modernization project for its public reporting application, facing challenges in identifying its user base and their needs. Leveraging Microsoft’s Clarity, the team discovered key insights about user behavior, leading to significant UX improvements. The new Districts and Developments report aims to address user needs more effectively ..read more

Public Health and the GIS Center launched a new map-based application in August 2023, consolidating septic and Group B water system records. The app simplifies access to records and provides valuable information for homeowners, potential buyers, companies, and real estate professionals. The application's successful implementation has been well-received and praised for its ease of use and efficiency ..read more

I recently attended the Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (URISA) annual GIS-Pro Conference in Columbus, Ohio. The 2023 URISA ESIG Awards One of the highlights of the Conference is the annual awards breakfast, where inductees into the GIS Hall of Fame are announced, as well as various service awards to URISA members, committees, and ..read more

Understanding GIS software usage at King County, WA Given that ESRI is ending support for ArcGIS Desktop in 2026, the King County GIS Center needed to understand the migration of users from ArcGIS Desktop to ArcGIS Pro. Specifically, we wanted to know who is using ArcGIS Pro and how often they’re using it. Today we ..read more

I recently had the opportunity to contribute to a discussion on Women in IT, with a spotlight on GIS. We had a set of questions to choose from, and I chose to answer "How is GIS different or the same as IT?" and "What would you say to help encourage/mentor women if they were considering the IT profession ..read more

Today I want to acknowledge International Women’s Day and that King County’s Women in Technology event chose “Women in GIS” to feature as the spotlight ..read more

Recently the Sound to Summit Regional GIS Steering Committee approved a final report with key recommendations for pursuing a regional, collaborative GIS. Early in 2022 agencies in the region will receive a call to action – first to attend a series of kick-off/informational sessions. These sessions will review the process that the Sound to Summit ..read more

Have you made the transition to ArcGIS Pro? Plan your route to the future GIS skills and abilities you will need with several ArcGIS Pro classes from the KCGIS Training Program in early 2022. While COVID-19 restrictions remain in place all KCGIS classes are presented remotely, via ZOOM. To maximize class effectiveness, class size is ..read more

Have you made the transition to ArcGIS Pro? Chart your course to the GIS skills and abilities you will need with several ArcGIS Pro classes from the KCGIS Training Program in 2021. While COVID-19 restrictions remain in place all KCGIS classes are presented remotely, via ZOOM. To maximize class effectiveness, class size is limited to ..read more