Recently, a seasoned instructional designer reviewed a course I created in Rise and told me not to use the illustrated characters that were included in the Content Library. She said it just indicated to people that I didn't create my own characters and made my courses seem "stale". I was a bit caught off guard as I'm not even remotely a graphic designer, or even artistic for that matter! But, I'm always open to feedback and trying new things.
Does there happen to be a webinar or tutorial on something like this?
Obviously, those of us who use Articulate products know the characters pretty well. And I suppose some learners might recognize Articulate's illustrated characters. But that would depend on how often they've seen them in courses they've taken.
Anyway, I don't think it automatically follows that a learner who's seen a character used before would think the courses are "stale." The overall content is (or, at least, should be) more important. I certainly wouldn't judge someone negatively just because they didn't create their own characters. After all, not everyone has a graphic designer on staff and/or the budget for creating custom art.
That said, there are ways to expand the options. Sure, you could try to become an illustrator. Or just subscribe to another service, such as eLearningArt.com or eLearningBrothers.com. Their business is providing graphics, so those companies tend to add new characters (illustrated and photographic) on a regular basis. You might find that's worth the cost.
My advice: Sure, stay open to constructive feedback. But don't fret about that ID's comment. It's just one opinion.
Although i in principle do agree with the ID at hand, i also agree with Judy's comment. It is merely one opinion. Personally i do notice the characters from the library immediately... as too for example with animations made with Vyond... and in both cases i do dislike seeing them. More with Vyond animations then with the characters in the Articulate library...but as Judy says its an opinion and if your users/students have not seen much Vyond or Articulate stock assets..well then its fine. If you make a dozen scenarios weekly and all the time show the same characters...well ;-) Allthough even then it can become a gimmick ;-)
Over the years, I’ve created some tutorials on how to create custom characters, along with some free downloads. (I’m not a graphic designer, though!) I would use custom characters sparingly, if at all, because even if you choose a method that's easy, it will still take quite a bit of time if you go nuts with them!
Thanks so much for this feedback. This is really helpful and a bit of a relief, to be honest. I don't have access to a graphic designer as my company is only just venturing into more interactive eLearning. Articulate is their first eLearning authoring software!
I will definitely check out those sites you mentioned and keep your kind words in mind as I keep growing my skills!
Oh my gosh, thank you for sharing these. Your work is FANTASTIC! I love it. It was so fun to browse through your art. I will definitely spend tonight going through your tutorials.
I appreciate what you said about how much time it takes because I truly don't always have a lot of time to develop my courses.
6 Replies
Hi, Kandice,
Obviously, those of us who use Articulate products know the characters pretty well. And I suppose some learners might recognize Articulate's illustrated characters. But that would depend on how often they've seen them in courses they've taken.
Anyway, I don't think it automatically follows that a learner who's seen a character used before would think the courses are "stale." The overall content is (or, at least, should be) more important. I certainly wouldn't judge someone negatively just because they didn't create their own characters. After all, not everyone has a graphic designer on staff and/or the budget for creating custom art.
That said, there are ways to expand the options. Sure, you could try to become an illustrator. Or just subscribe to another service, such as eLearningArt.com or eLearningBrothers.com. Their business is providing graphics, so those companies tend to add new characters (illustrated and photographic) on a regular basis. You might find that's worth the cost.
My advice: Sure, stay open to constructive feedback. But don't fret about that ID's comment. It's just one opinion.
Although i in principle do agree with the ID at hand, i also agree with Judy's comment. It is merely one opinion. Personally i do notice the characters from the library immediately... as too for example with animations made with Vyond... and in both cases i do dislike seeing them. More with Vyond animations then with the characters in the Articulate library...but as Judy says its an opinion and if your users/students have not seen much Vyond or Articulate stock assets..well then its fine. If you make a dozen scenarios weekly and all the time show the same characters...well ;-) Allthough even then it can become a gimmick ;-)
Hi Kandice,
Over the years, I’ve created some tutorials on how to create custom characters, along with some free downloads. (I’m not a graphic designer, though!) I would use custom characters sparingly, if at all, because even if you choose a method that's easy, it will still take quite a bit of time if you go nuts with them!
Create Cartoons with PowerPoint: https://tracycarroll.net/annotated-video-tutorial-create-cartoons-with-powerpoint/
Free font character icons - https://tracycarroll.net/freebie-elh-165-e-learning-graphics-using-free-font-icons/
Create Common Craft Style Characters with PowerPoint shapes: https://tracycarroll.net/tutorial-create-common-craft-style-characters-with-powerpoint-shapes/
Hi Judy!
Thanks so much for this feedback. This is really helpful and a bit of a relief, to be honest. I don't have access to a graphic designer as my company is only just venturing into more interactive eLearning. Articulate is their first eLearning authoring software!
I will definitely check out those sites you mentioned and keep your kind words in mind as I keep growing my skills!
Best to you,
KK
Hi Tracy!
Oh my gosh, thank you for sharing these. Your work is FANTASTIC! I love it. It was so fun to browse through your art. I will definitely spend tonight going through your tutorials.
I appreciate what you said about how much time it takes because I truly don't always have a lot of time to develop my courses.
Thank you again!
Kandice
You're welcome, Kandice! :)