What to Include in an E-Learning Mood Board

Choosing a visual design for your e-learning project can be a challenging task. There are many decisions to make: font styles, branding considerations, colors, images, icon style, and more. One great way to pull together some of the key elements of your e-learning projects’ visual design is to use a mood board. An e-learning mood board is a type of collage made up of font styles, color schemes, and sample images to convey a general sense of the visual design or look and feel of the course you will be creating. 

Example of an e-learning mood board

Using an e-learning mood board ensures you and your project stakeholders are on the same page aesthetically, so you all have a feel for the design of the course up-front. Let’s consider what you might want to include in a mood board.

Images and Icons

Imagery is a big part of your course’s visual design, so your mood board should include examples of the types of images that will be included in the course. Do you like more traditional-looking stock photos? More natural candid shots? Are they bright and colorful? More muted colors? The type of imagery you choose will likely be influenced by the content and subject matter of the course. 

You should also consider including examples of the types of icon and style of illustrations that you plan to use in the course. 

Navigation Elements

Navigation elements such as buttons and clickable icons are important components to include in your mood board. You might even want to incorporate details such as the appearance of the hover state or visited state.

Color Scheme

Colors provide a visual tie-in to an organization’s brand, so you’ll probably want to incorporate the company’s colors in the design. Depending on the specifics, you might want to select a palette of two or three complementary colors to include in your mood board. 

Fonts

Fonts are another critical design component. This is another area of design that most companies define in their branding guidelines. You might go so far as to include examples of what fonts—for example, a button, a heading, or a paragraph—will be used for what types of content. 

Including these four simple items in an e-learning mood board ahead of your next project will help you identify the specific components of your design and get approval from everyone. That’s a win-win!

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