Here's an example of a process I went through to build graphics in PowerPoint for an interactive scenario I built in Rise.
I discuss the iteration of this course in these two posts:
- Part 1: How I Built This Interactive Scenario in Rise
- Part 2: How I Built These Graphics in PowerPoint for this Interactive Scenario in Rise (includes a how-to tutorial)
Today, I'll walk through some of my design thinking. I'll be the first to admit I'm not a graphic designer and hope these tips help the person like me who is less skilled. If you're a talented graphics person you can skip this post. 😀
Here's an example of the demo module: Stating the Problem.
Key Visual Design Principles
I wanted to share my thinking process as I created and improved these graphics. While design is often subjective, there are a few key principles to keep in mind when creating visuals for your courses:
- Create enough white space to give the eyes a rest. White space also helps people understand what content is on the screen and how it relates to other elements.
- Make design elements visually consistent. I like how the final image works with the pill-shaped buttons. The colors also connect the different parts together.
- Experiment with color. Try removing colors from images to make them more neutral. Then add just a few colored accents to draw attention where you want it. This is an easy technique for those of us who aren't design experts and tend to make our images too busy.
I have a blog post where I share some tips on building the images in PowerPoint. I really like the image and button stack for the menu.
Tips on the Changed Visual Treatment
This is subjective, so there’s not a right or wrong. With this particular menu, I needed an image that had a 10:3 aspect ratio. In this case, the images are 1280 x 384.
The aspect ratio calculator is a good resource if you ever need to figure out an aspect ratio or the resolution of images.
The short but wide aspect ratio creates a challenging constraint with what you can show. And that’s why I played around with different ideas.
First attempt
Because of the dimensional constraints, I started with just text. But the text looked empty and uninteresting. Since these images were part of an interactive scenario, I wanted to add a bit more personality.
I added a character to the text. This creates a visual connection to the scenario. I also wanted some white space so it was easier for the eye to scan the screen. Generally, it looks good and the white space is nice as the Rise course responds to the mobile devices.
Second attempt
I tried making the character bigger, but this meant part of it had to go off screen.
I worried that a larger colored image might look too busy, so I removed the color and made the image lighter. The gray image with text over it looks good, but didn't work well on mobile screens where the tops of heads got cut off.
This second design is okay but seems unbalanced. The right side of the menu has text and a strong visual element (the button), which fills that side nicely. But the left side looks odd by comparison.
Third attempt
Sticking with the grayscale, I played around with making the character image a bit larger to fill that side of the menu. It does add some heft, but I wasn’t fond of the way the faces were cropped.
I do like it in the phone view because it fills the column and the lighter image with the darker buttons works.
Fourth attempt
In a previous post, I shared an easy graphic design tip that I call the transparent echo technique. The idea is to add the same image twice. One is muted and serves as the background and the other is a focal point.
The image felt a bit busy and the eyes were too big. It feels creepy.
So I added a color overlay that I color picked from the button. I also moved the image around and used his shirt and not the face. I like the texture that the echo creates.
You can see part of the shirt so there’s some very slight visual context and the texture adds depth which I like better than just a solid color. But the echo isn’t distracting.
The design seems blocky and the buttons are heavy. My original goal was to have white space. Now I have an image design I kind of like, but it’s just too square and heavy.
Fifth attempt
To gain white space and get rid of the blocky look, I used the pill shape of the buttons as inspiration for the header design. This connects the header and buttons visually so everything feels more cohesive.
By letting the character heads stick out of the pill shape, I created more white space. The rounded corners with characters peeking out make the design feel more natural and casual, which works well for an interactive course.
I also made the buttons slightly lighter so they don't look too heavy. They're just a bit lighter than the pill-shaped header.
Hopefully seeing my thinking in this process will help you as you build your next e-learning course.
