understand these 10 principles of good design before you start your next elearning project
DESCRIPTION
Design is too often overlooked by course developers, or otherwise misunderstood – some eLearning designers think that as long as their course "looks good," the visuals are sufficient. But graphical composition and design affect the way a learner takes in information.TRANSCRIPT
Principles of Good
Before You Start Your Next eLearning Project
Understand these 10
Design
Guide the viewer's eyeThe placement of the elements on each page should flow naturally from one to the next in a progression that lends itself to the content you're teaching.
Control the clutter
Going overboard with text density in an eLearning course can be a very big deterrent to students, especially when they're reading on a screen.
Shorten your columns
It's easier to read a shorter line of text than a longer one; many readers feel daunted by strings of words that stretch all the way across their screen.
WHITE SPACE IS YOUR BEST FRIEND. Don't fill every spot on the screen with content or graphics. The negative space on the page can be useful to guide the reader's attention and eliminate distractions.
Make smart font choicesAvoid fancy fonts that are harder to read. Use size and color to emphasize or highlight certain elements, but don't go overboard; less is more, especially in dramatic color usage.
Keep things consistentThe visual theme of your eLearning course should carry through from page to page. Getting too creative can end up distracting the reader from the content.
Watch your alignmentIt should always be clear what text is associated with which images, and any tables and charts should be easy to read at a glance.
Alignment makes your course more organized and digestible, as well as making it seem more professional.
Let prominence inform positionThe content should be placed in a screen in the order of importance and relevance.
The most relevant pieces should be placed in the upper left of the page, and anything important should be visible at the top of the page without scrolling.
Look at this exercise:
Offer easy access
Don't turn your eLearning course into a scavenger hunt. Just as in effective websites, any information that users want should be accessible in three clicks or fewer.
Employ contrasting colors
When it comes to eLearning, contrast is one of the most critical elements. It’s highly
effective for keeping a learner's attention as people
are drawn to the contrast naturally.
