While researching Design best practices for eLearning in attempt to develop a style guide for my company I came across these two documents. I think some they have some useful information and I thought I share.
One of them is attached and the other is at this link
That's what it's intended for, when different people are working on different modules for the same company which happens in mine. A design style guide can help standardize the look and feel of the courses. It can serve as a good reference too if a developer has a question about fonts or font sizes or similar objects.
I appreciate all of the resources you have shared. I support a smaller company and am the lone designer, training, OD etc My background is not in elearning design and until 9 months ago I had never created a single eLearning course. Since I don't have co-workers to lean on, I rely on gleaning as much as I can from you guys. Looking forward to the day when I can start giving back!
As an independent contractor now, I create newly designed style guides for each project. Sometimes the client formally requests it while most of the time I just create it for my own benefit. If you've ever revisited a project several months later, a style guide can be your best friend at that time.
As a former corporate cubicle dweller, it was standard and a requirement. As Jerson mentioned, there are many teams in the workplace that all work on the same project where a style guide keeps everyone on the same page.
Additional benefits are for QA purposes. I don't have the luxury of hiring a third-party to QA my projects, but on the occasion I do I pass the style guide to them as a reference. Have you ever felt really proud of a project you completed to learn one of the edits coming back to you is a text box not in the same font? A style guide helps in the QA process as sort of a checklist to ensure not only the right fonts/sizes are used, but also any global colors or image locations are properly in place.
Also, wish to reiterate what Kevin said, "...Additional benefits are for QA purposes...A style guide helps in the QA process as sort of a checklist to ensure not only the right fonts/sizes are used, but also any global colors or image locations are properly in place...."
I've always created this type of guide, even when working alone. Before submitting deliverables, esp. the final one, I go through my checklist. Even better if someone at the client end can do a double check from the list (I also don't have the luxury if hiring someone to do this).
For correct answer feedback, use “Correct” or a conversational equivalent when the learner answers correctly, followed by a brief paraphrase of the correct answer and explanation why it’s correct. The idea is to reinforce the correct choice and the rationale. Example: “Right on! The whippersnapple goes on first, then the hummersnoogle.” If the correct choice involved a subtle or crucial point, point out the factors that make this the correct choice.
These links are great! I am currently working on an e-learning style guide for my organization and these will help get me started off in the right direction. Many thanks!
The more I study elearning style guides (that exist on the internet) the more concerned I get! So many put design in a corner to be sold with the rest of the antiquities. The look and feel are often of bad powerpoint, and not intuitive design for modern devices. To bridge the gap between elearning, user interface and our users, we need to be designing with interfaces that our users know (Apple, Android, Responsive websites, flat ui, etc).
I have often found Google's Material Design to be a starting point for pure aesthetics that my users (regardless of age) are familar with:
Does Storyline have the ability to create built in style guides? For example I want to create a style called "Section Divider" and this text would be especially formatted for anytime I need to create a section divider and it would retain the same text size, color, and positioning.
Hi Anna, You could certainly do that using slide masters! Just add another layout to your slide masters, call it Section Divider and apply your formatting.
I couldn't agree more. I started with a new company that creates e-learning in the style of multi-click PowerPoints. I have over 100 courses in my business line and they want EVERY course to have the same initial page - same image, same colors - only the course title is different.
While I agree that navigation and branding elements be consistent, I do not support the idea of putting the same style stamp on everything. If I were the learner, I would immediately check out. The LMS administrator oversees the elearning projects, but does not create any courses, nor have any design background.
I need some help on how I can move this company into the present.
18 Replies
Thank you for sharing Jerson, I really like these. I think these would be good especially if you have more than one person working on a project.
However, I could also see these being very limiting from a design standpoint if too many restrictions are established.
Great examples, Jerson.
Here are a few from my bookmarks:
Elearning style guide
Best practices for creating elearning
Elearning methodologies
@David
Thanks for the links, will save those for later.
@Tim
That's what it's intended for, when different people are working on different modules for the same company which happens in mine. A design style guide can help standardize the look and feel of the courses. It can serve as a good reference too if a developer has a question about fonts or font sizes or similar objects.
I appreciate all of the resources you have shared. I support a smaller company and am the lone designer, training, OD etc
My background is not in elearning design and until 9 months ago I had never created a single eLearning course. Since I don't have co-workers to lean on, I rely on gleaning as much as I can from you guys. Looking forward to the day when I can start giving back! 
These are all really wonderful, thought-provoking examples. Thank you all for sharing and inspiring!
Diana
I found this really awesome article on creativebloq.com: 10 Magically Meticulous Design Style Guides
The one for Channel 4 is a work of art in itself! Very nicely designed and simple to follow (which I think is key)
These aren't specifically for e-learning but might still be worth looking at....
Great resources and discussions.
As an independent contractor now, I create newly designed style guides for each project. Sometimes the client formally requests it while most of the time I just create it for my own benefit. If you've ever revisited a project several months later, a style guide can be your best friend at that time.
As a former corporate cubicle dweller, it was standard and a requirement. As Jerson mentioned, there are many teams in the workplace that all work on the same project where a style guide keeps everyone on the same page.
Additional benefits are for QA purposes. I don't have the luxury of hiring a third-party to QA my projects, but on the occasion I do I pass the style guide to them as a reference. Have you ever felt really proud of a project you completed to learn one of the edits coming back to you is a text box not in the same font? A style guide helps in the QA process as sort of a checklist to ensure not only the right fonts/sizes are used, but also any global colors or image locations are properly in place.
Good stuff.
Tx to all for the guides. Adding to my toolbox.
Also, wish to reiterate what Kevin said, "...Additional benefits are for QA purposes...A style guide helps in the QA process as sort of a checklist to ensure not only the right fonts/sizes are used, but also any global colors or image locations are properly in place...."
I've always created this type of guide, even when working alone. Before submitting deliverables, esp. the final one, I go through my checklist. Even better if someone at the client end can do a double check from the list (I also don't have the luxury if hiring someone to do this).
Thanks!
Thank you for all of the great examples! These helped a lot!
Here's another one: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/publications/fulltext/design/cae/Training/elearning/WSDOTeLearningDesGuide.pdf
My favorite line from it:
For correct answer feedback, use “Correct” or a conversational equivalent when the learner answers correctly, followed by a brief paraphrase of the correct answer and explanation why it’s correct. The idea is to reinforce the correct choice and the rationale. Example: “Right on! The whippersnapple goes on first, then the hummersnoogle.” If the correct choice involved a subtle or crucial point, point out the factors that make this the correct choice.
These links are great! I am currently working on an e-learning style guide for my organization and these will help get me started off in the right direction. Many thanks!
The more I study elearning style guides (that exist on the internet) the more concerned I get! So many put design in a corner to be sold with the rest of the antiquities. The look and feel are often of bad powerpoint, and not intuitive design for modern devices. To bridge the gap between elearning, user interface and our users, we need to be designing with interfaces that our users know (Apple, Android, Responsive websites, flat ui, etc).
I have often found Google's Material Design to be a starting point for pure aesthetics that my users (regardless of age) are familar with:
https://www.google.com/design/spec/material-design/introduction.html
Does Storyline have the ability to create built in style guides? For example I want to create a style called "Section Divider" and this text would be especially formatted for anytime I need to create a section divider and it would retain the same text size, color, and positioning.
Hi Anna, You could certainly do that using slide masters! Just add another layout to your slide masters, call it Section Divider and apply your formatting.
Thanks David
Does anyone know of a good resource for really learning the ins and outs of slidemasters?
THANKS SOOOO MUCH Jerson!
I couldn't agree more. I started with a new company that creates e-learning in the style of multi-click PowerPoints. I have over 100 courses in my business line and they want EVERY course to have the same initial page - same image, same colors - only the course title is different.
While I agree that navigation and branding elements be consistent, I do not support the idea of putting the same style stamp on everything. If I were the learner, I would immediately check out. The LMS administrator oversees the elearning projects, but does not create any courses, nor have any design background.
I need some help on how I can move this company into the present.
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