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E-Learning Challenges
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How do Course Designers Build Custom Graphics for E-Learning? #391

DavidAnderson's avatar
3 years ago

E-Learning Graphics Tutorials #391: Challenge | Recap

The graphics you use in your e-learning play a large role in the effectiveness of your course. The challenge for most course designers is that they don’t have access to a team of graphic designers or professional illustrators who can help them create the appropriate graphics for their course. 

The good news is that most of what anyone needs to create course graphics is already available in tools like PowerPoint and Storyline 360. Using simple lines and shapes in creative ways, designers can build their own custom graphics that can be reused across multiple courses. And that's what this week's screencast challenge is all about!

Screencast Challenge of the Week

This week, your challenge is to screencast a design tip showing how you create graphics for e-learning. 

What's a screencast challenge?

The screencast challenges work just like the regular challenges. The only difference is the deliverable. For example, rather than sharing a published demo of a project you built, you'll share a video recording demonstrating how you built the demo or interaction. 

I like the screencast challenges because they shift the focus from design and development to explanation and presentation.

NOTE: Don't worry if someone has already recorded a similar tutorial. This week's screencast challenge is about showing what you know using your voice and style.

How do I record a screencast?

You can record your screencast using any tool you like. Storyline’s built-in screen recorder is one option. Replay 360 and Peek 360 also work well for quick screen recordings. Another popular option is Camtasia.

How do I share my screencast?

Please use YouTube, Vimeo, or Wistia to host your screencast. That will make it easy for me to embed the tutorials in the weekly recap post for each challenge.

Ready? Set? Record!

Share Your E-Learning Work

  • Comments: Use the comments section below to share a link to your published example and blog post.
  • Forums: Start  your own thread and share a link to your published example..
  • Personal blog:  If you have a blog, please consider writing about your challenges. We’ll link back to your posts so the great work you’re sharing gets even more exposure.
  • Social Media: If you share your demos on Twitter or LinkedIn, try using #ELHChallenge so your tweeps can track your e-learning coolness.

Last Week’s Challenge:

Before you record your e-learning graphics tips, check out the conditional navigation examples your fellow challengers shared over the past week:

Conditional Navigation in E-Learning RECAP #390: Challenge | Recap

New to the E-Learning Challenges?

The weekly e-learning challenges are ongoing opportunities to learn, share, and build your e-learning portfolios. You can jump into any or all of the previous challenges anytime you want. I’ll update the recap posts to include your demos.

Learn more about the challenges in this Q&A post and why and how to participate in this helpful article

Published 3 years ago
Version 1.0
  • Some time ago, I found a video by one Elena Baryshkina (YouTube Channel: Graphic Design with Elena) that walks through the process of converting 2D graphics to 3D using Adobe Illustrator. Thought it was pretty cool, but didn't explore it further. However, when another artist I follow, Will Paterson, put out a video today on the very same topic (talk about timeliness!), I thought to myself, alright, I better take a closer look at this.

    One tip I would give is to make sure to separate your graphic out into logical groups before applying the Inflate effect. Also, while it's totally personal preference, I like to take down the Metallic slider all the way to 0, and the Roughness to around 0.60

    https://360.articulate.com/review/content/32b5ab66-deab-42e7-b6fd-a0d8aaca18bd/review

    Video tut by Elena: https://youtu.be/_coFmqQ2ViQ

    Video tut by Will: https://youtu.be/tSWu817nZjs


    Graphic Source:
    https://storyset.com/ninja
    • CydWalker_mwhc's avatar
      CydWalker_mwhc
      Community Member
      Looking forward to trying this, thanks Daniel! I follow Will Paterson too!
    • Yvonne's avatar
      Yvonne
      Community Member
      What a cool effect! I seriously need to make time to learn more about working in Adobe Illustrator. Thank you for sharing these tutorials to remind me. :)
  • Bonjour Heroes.
    Of course, I didn't draw it for this challenge because it took me hours and hours a few months ago just for the fun of it. I did the screencast this morning. And I posted my first video on Youtube. Yeah! (I used FonePaw as a screencast device.)
    https://youtu.be/hOCUUeD1LHk
    • JodiSansone's avatar
      JodiSansone
      Community Member
      What an effort! I like how you were able to isolate every element of the painting and see it in shapes. That is such a lonely painting that I've never been able to get beyond the desolation it presents to see the composition.
    • Yvonne's avatar
      Yvonne
      Community Member
      What a labor of time and accomplishment, Thierry! Congratulations on your first YouTube production.
    • HeatherHolbr695's avatar
      HeatherHolbr695
      Community Member
      This was brilliant! I never even noticed the Merge Shapes option. Thank you!
    • Yvonne's avatar
      Yvonne
      Community Member
      Shannon, I must confess, that in all my years of PowerPoint vector creation, I have never tried out the Merge features. Your demonstration was not only well-produced and wonderfully structured, but it opened my mind to new PowerPoint possibilities. I literally do not know how I've gone this long without trying any of those out!
      • ShannonMcNicol's avatar
        ShannonMcNicol
        Community Member
        Thank you Yvonne, I am glad you liked it and learned something new. I have enjoyed this challenge and learned a lot of new tips and tricks too!
    • ThierryEMMANUEL's avatar
      ThierryEMMANUEL
      Community Member
      Very clear, Shannon. My favorite effect is the image cut out by letters. Or vice versa: letters filled by image.
      • ShannonMcNicol's avatar
        ShannonMcNicol
        Community Member
        Thank you Thierry, that is also my favorite effect/shape, I use that effect all the time.
  • TracyCarroll's avatar
    TracyCarroll
    Community Member
    Annotated Video Tutorial: Create Cartoons with PowerPoint

    This was an ELH Challenge I did originally several years ago, but I found it was no longer playable in the old Storyline version. So, I redid the video in Camtasia. Freebie PowerPoint download included!

    Blog post with embedded video: https://tracycarroll.net/annotated-video-tutorial-create-cartoons-with-powerpoint/

    Freebie PowerPoint download: https://tracycarroll.net/How%20to%20Create%20Cartoons%20in%20PowerPoint.pptx

    Vimeo link: https://vimeo.com/758374727
    • CydWalker_mwhc's avatar
      CydWalker_mwhc
      Community Member
      Thank you for sharing this technique! Looking forward to trying it. And Tracy, you use Vyond as a tool as well, right? May I ask what plan you use or recommend? Considering it myself.
    • JodiSansone's avatar
      JodiSansone
      Community Member
      It was really fun seeing the cartoon come to life. I liked the personality your new visual produced. I never considered tracing like that before. When you draw are you using a pen tool, mouse or touch pad? I'm thinking of trying your technique. And about how long would it take to create something like that?
      • TracyCarroll's avatar
        TracyCarroll
        Community Member
        Thanks, Jodi! It takes between 5 to 15 minutes, depending on the complexity of the underlying image (although I never pick very complex images). I use a GIANT computer monitor and a mouse to do everything. My vision is too poor to use anything smaller than a giant computer monitor to create visuals, and I never use a touch pad. I'm too mouse-centric.
    • Yvonne's avatar
      Yvonne
      Community Member
      This was a stellar example of how to create characters using PowerPoint, Tracy.
    • Yvonne's avatar
      Yvonne
      Community Member
      I admire your video production and style, Jodi. Your script/voice over had just the right amount of realness and humor that blended well with your polished presentation. :)
    • maren_west's avatar
      maren_west
      Community Member
      Hi Jodi! I like the lines that enter and exit your intro slide! Did you create those in SL or another software?
      • JodiSansone's avatar
        JodiSansone
        Community Member
        Hi Maren. That intro was done in Camtasia. My subscription gives me a library of intros and outros. That's a simple one. It would take me an hour to build that myself. :) I just changed the colors.
    • ThierryEMMANUEL's avatar
      ThierryEMMANUEL
      Community Member
      Nice presentation, Jodi. This happens often. Not all graphics are there when I start a client's project. Or, the assets are not suitable for SL. I'd rather create what I'm missing or customize a base than wait a day or two for a new asset.