Does anyone have any good tutorials or articles on simple ways to make a course look nicer? I'm no graphic designer, and I have limited skills in that area (also limited time!), but I know I could do better. A lot of my stuff is okay instructionally, i just think it could look a lot more appealing. Just wanting some quick & dirty guidelines or best practices. Anyone?
I've gotten a lot of help from the blog posts and screenr videos. I like the tutorials on how to build a good course in this forum. There are some good tips in there.
Another good way to improve your course is to just post a sample here in the forums (or some screenshots) and ask people for feedback. There are a lot of talented people here and I can't believe the amount of free help I've gotten for all sorts of issues.
After that, it's going to be some trial and error. But I find that if you sit in front of a blank white canvas, it's pretty hard to come up with stuff off the cuff. I try to do what Tom suggests a lot and that is to look at templates or designs that I like from web pages, newspaper clippings, magazine articles, etc and see what might lend itself best to my content. There are also a few really nice templates in the Downloads section of this new forum.
I especially like his idea to mirror web pages. I often browse looking for pretty web design. I have google'd winning sites and then print screened ones I like and put them into a folder for future use.
Most courses don't look "bad" as much as they simply don't align with their learning content. That's why it's important to clarify what "look better" means to the designer and/or the customer.
Most elearning designers I talk to want simple, consistent course designs. That's where CRAP really helps. For those elearning designers looking to design more custom themes, they need to go beyond CRAP to identify the visual elements that make up the course topic to arrive at the custom theme.
If anyone has tried the process or, more importantly, thinks this process wouldn't work for their content, let us know I'd like to work out some ideas for your specific course topics.
One of the ways I learned some of what I know today is by going out to other sites and trying to mimic what they do. Templatemonster.com is a good site because they have a braod range of styles. I like to look at wordpress template sites, photoshop tutorials, Illustrator tutorials, and marketing sites.
Eventually you start to develop your own design sense.
10 Replies
I've gotten a lot of help from the blog posts and screenr videos. I like the tutorials on how to build a good course in this forum. There are some good tips in there.
Another good way to improve your course is to just post a sample here in the forums (or some screenshots) and ask people for feedback. There are a lot of talented people here and I can't believe the amount of free help I've gotten for all sorts of issues.
I'm actually struggling to. I just designed my first course and it's looking pretty ugly. Is there any good books to get?
Thanks
Scott
Here's a pretty good book that has some REALLY easy and solid basics. Not a think read either: http://www.amazon.com/Non-Designers-Design-Book-Robin-Williams/dp/0321534042/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1296623262&sr=8-1.
It's helped me quite a bit.
After that, it's going to be some trial and error. But I find that if you sit in front of a blank white canvas, it's pretty hard to come up with stuff off the cuff. I try to do what Tom suggests a lot and that is to look at templates or designs that I like from web pages, newspaper clippings, magazine articles, etc and see what might lend itself best to my content. There are also a few really nice templates in the Downloads section of this new forum.
Robert
I really like the tips handy to create new courses.
The Non-Webdesigner book will give you a leg up but just remember the term CARP
James,
We both know that "CARP" was not the acronym used
Great book.
Bruce
Tom has this great blog and collection.
http://www.articulate.com/rapid-elearning/visual-graphic-design/
I especially like his idea to mirror web pages. I often browse looking for pretty web design. I have google'd winning sites and then print screened ones I like and put them into a folder for future use.
Great discussion and topic!
I'd like to work out some ideas for your specific course topics.
Most courses don't look "bad" as much as they simply don't align with their learning content. That's why it's important to clarify what "look better" means to the designer and/or the customer.
Most elearning designers I talk to want simple, consistent course designs. That's where CRAP really helps. For those elearning designers looking to design more custom themes, they need to go beyond CRAP to identify the visual elements that make up the course topic to arrive at the custom theme.
The process I've used is simple and a lot like the process we use for identifying learning goals: https://player.vimeo.com/video/204926846
If anyone has tried the process or, more importantly, thinks this process wouldn't work for their content, let us know
I echo a lot of what's being said here.
One of the ways I learned some of what I know today is by going out to other sites and trying to mimic what they do. Templatemonster.com is a good site because they have a braod range of styles. I like to look at wordpress template sites, photoshop tutorials, Illustrator tutorials, and marketing sites.
Eventually you start to develop your own design sense.
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