GIFs 101: How to Use, Find, and Make Them
Aside from—you know—the ability to access any information you need in seconds, GIFs are the best thing about the internet. In this post, we’ll talk about what GIFs are, when to use them in your e-learning, where to find them, and how to create your own. You’ll learn everything you need to know about GIFs. (Except for how to pronounce it. We’re staying out of that debate!) What are GIFs? Basically, GIFs are image files that include animation. GIF stands for Graphic Interface Format. And, unlike JPEGs and PNGs, GIF files support animated images. Early GIFs were super basic. They were composed of just a couple of alternating frames, for example: In the 30 years that GIFs have been around, the art form has evolved. Now it’s super easy to find high-quality clips from TV shows and movies, quick clips of cats doing funny things, fun custom artwork, and much more! How can I use GIFs in my e-learning courses? GIFs are also great for your e-learning projects. They offer an easy way to delight your learners with some unexpected movement. And you don’t have to embed a full video or build an animation into your course. Making your learners laugh or expressing an emotion with a GIF can make your e-learning more relatable and more fun. Plus, they’re handy for demonstrating a process or system. Instead of having learners click from one slide to the next to see how a process works, you can use a GIF to give learners that helpful context. GIFs look particularly at home in Rise courses, which are web-based. Check out this example on hurricane preparedness and this one on cardiology observations to see what we mean. Where can I find GIFs? GIFs are abundant online. Some popular places to find great ones include: GIPHY, the most popular search engine for GIFs, allows you to browse for images by category or search to find exactly what you need. Educational GIFs, though it hasn’t been updated recently, has a ton of GIFs on processes, history, how-tos, and more. Imgur is a place for people to share images. A lot of these images are GIFs, and a lot of the GIFs are great. Social media sites such as Twitter are great places to find GIFs. How do I make my own GIFs? There are a couple of ways to make an animated GIF, depending on how involved you want to get. The old-school way provides you with the most control over the process. Here’s a tutorial that shows you how to put together a GIF from several static panels in Photoshop. There are also several widgets that can help you make GIFs quickly and easily. You build them from video snippets using GIPHY’s own GIF Maker App. You can create a GIF from images on GIFMaker.org. Or you can make and style your own reaction GIFs on sites like And I Was Like and GifCam. Get your GIF on! You now have all the knowledge and tools you need to find and use GIFs in your projects. If you have any other questions about when and how to use GIFs in your e-learning (or if you’re just looking for the perfect one for your project), let us know in the comments. And be sure to follow us on Twitter and come back to E-Learning Heroes regularly for more helpful advice on everything related to e-learning.How to Fill Text with an Image in PowerPoint
Have you ever seen a text with an image fill, like this one, and said to yourself, “I wish I could do that”? Well, I have some good news. If you have PowerPoint, you can! Just follow the six simple steps below. 1. Add Combine Shapes Tool to Your PowerPoint Ribbon If you haven’t already, the first thing you’ll need to do is add the Combine Shapes tool to your PowerPoint ribbon. Check out this tutorial to see how to do that. 2. Insert a Background Image The next thing you’ll need to do is find and insert the image you want to use as the fill for your text. For this kind of project, it’s best to choose an image that’s easily recognizable. 3. Insert & Format Your Text The third step is to insert your text. Once your text is inserted, you’ll need to choose a font. I recommend using a bold font so that more of the image is visible. Then, increase the size and boldness of the font as desired. Finally, position your text on the part of the image you want to appear as the fill. In this example, I’m going to move the text over a little so that no green shows through. 4. Insert a Rectangle Next, insert a rectangle that’s the same size as the image. In my case, the rectangle covers the whole slide. Then, right-click on the rectangle, select Send to Back, and choose Send Backward. Your text should now appear on top of the rectangle. 5. Combine Your Rectangle and Your Text Now select your text, followed by your rectangle, click on Merge Shapes, and select Combine. At this point, your rectangle should have taken on the color of your text, and the place where the text was should be transparent. If you try and move your text, you’ll notice that the rectangle is still independent of the image, like in the screenshot below. If you don’t like the part of the image that’s showing through, move the rectangle around until you’re satisfied with the result. If you don’t need the image and the text to be a single object, then you can stop here. If you do, then move on to step 6. 6. Subtract the Image from the Text Select both the image and the rectangle, and then click on Merge Shapes and select Subtract. The image and text should now be combined in one object, like in the screenshot below. If you’re following these steps and the result doesn’t look quite right, try selecting your objects in the reverse order. Now you can go ahead and add any other text or images around it to finish off the look you’re going for. And you’re all set! Want to learn more tips and tricks for creating graphics in PowerPoint? Check out the tutorials below: Guide to Creating Illustrations in PowerPoint for People Who Don’t Know How to Draw Creating Custom Shapes in PowerPoint How I Created These Handy People Icons in PowerPoint And if you’re on the lookout for beautiful images, be sure to check out Content Library 360, the library of 10.3+ million assets that comes with an Articulate 360 subscription. Click here to start your 30-day free trial. Like this article? Subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest e-learning inspiration and insights directly in your inbox. You can also find us on LinkedIn and X (Formerly Twitter).Show Us Your Custom Navigation Menus for E-Learning #79
E-Learning Menus and Navigation #79: Challenge | Recap Intuitive navigation is an important element in e-learning design. Course designers who stick with default player menus usually don’t have to worry about user interface (UI) design since player manages the navigation. One reason rapid e-learning became so popular with instructional designers is because the tools generated the course menu, freeing IDs to design content rather than program course menus. If there’s a downside to prebuilt menus, it’s that they encourage linear, click-and-read courses. Custom navigation menus, like those often used in nonlinear courses, can permit learners to jump around the course as they choose. But moving beyond traditional menu navigation means course designers need to think more like UI designers. To jumpstart this week's challenge, I’ve rounded up some creative navigation examples your fellow community members have shared. Game Navigation Video game consoles, traditional board games, and tablet-inspired menus are excellent ways to seek inspiration. Game Center Template by Tom Washam Tabs Navigation Tabs are the most popular type of menu navigation we see in courses. They’re highly customizable and can be created using a variety of shapes and styles. If you go with a tabs menu, please cross-post in the tabs challenge. View the interaction | Download (SL2) | Download (SL360) More tabs interactions: Web Style Tabbed Interaction by Phil Mayor Storyline 2: Power Teal E-Learning Template by Tom Kuhlmann Web Inspired Tabbed Interaction by Trina Rimmer Tabz by Przemysław Hubisz Simple, Clean Design: Tabs Template by Nicole Legault 4-Step Tabs Interaction by Anand Timothy Interactive Steps Tabs by Matthew Guyan Menu Template by Nancy Woinoski 5-Step Action Interaction by Kevin Thorn Folder Tabs Interaction by David Anderson Six Tabs Interaction Layouts by Montse Anderson Icon Navigation Icons and graphics are another popular approach to course menus. When used consistently, visual buttons can remove the need for on-screen button labels. If you’re looking for tips on building your own icons, check out last week’s icon e-learning challenge. Flat Design Portfolio by Paul Alders More icon-based examples: Icon-Based Navigation by Tom Kuhlmann iPhone Tabs Timeline Interaction by Montse Anderson Tabs Interaction: Meet the Team by Montse Anderson Animated Menus This mobile-inspired menu includes bookmarking features to indicate completed lessons and a collapsible menu to free up slide space. Storyline 2: Animated Menu by Jeff Kortenbosch More examples of mobile-inspired menus: Inviting Navigation Design by Jackie Van Nice Appetizing Digital Magazine by Kristin Anthony Map Navigation Similar to the icon-based navigation, map themes are a creative alternative to text-based menus. Nicola shared a branching example based on a village illustration. Learning Village Branching Navigation More examples of map navigation: Create Your Own Quest by Jackie Van Nice Challenge of the Week This week, your challenge is to: create a custom menu example for an e-learning course share your favorite UI design tip for building custom navigation menus You can design any kind of menu navigation you like. The focus this week is more on navigation ideas and concepts. Don’t worry about putting together a highly polished menu or interaction. Resources Here are some tutorials and articles that will help you create your challenge demo. The Ultimate Guide to Buttons in Storyline 2 6 Creative Navigation Examples More Than a Dozen Ways to Navigate an E-Learning Course Last Week’s Challenge: E-Learning Challenge Recap #78: Challenge | Recap Wishing you an easy-to-navigate week, E-Learning Heroes! New to E-Learning Challenges? The weekly 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.Using Glassmorphism Designs in E-Learning Course Development #310
Glassmorphism Design in E-Learning #310: Challenge | Recap It's a new year, and that means new design trends. In a recent challenge, we looked using the 2021 Pantone Color of the Year in e-learning design. If you haven't checked out the examples, stop what you're doing and check them out. The color of the year is a big deal because it will influence design, fashion, home interior, and consumer product trends in the upcoming year. 2021 E-Learning Design Trends This week, we're looking at how course creators can use the frosted glass effect, known as glassmorphism, in their e-learning designs. Glassmorphism is a design concept that’s been around for a while. Variations of the effect have been used in iOS 7 and Mac OS Big Sur. The effect is created by layering gradient or blurred backgrounds and semi-transparent shapes and panels. Here's an example: Courses Dashboard by Rudi Hartono Applying Glassmorphism Effects to E-Learning Templates If you’re looking for a place to start, try working with an existing course or template you’ve already built. This way, your content is already in place, and you’re free to focus on the design elements. Here’s a quick before and after for the Serenity template. To create the blurred background effect, I started in PowerPoint and went to Format Picture > Artistic Effects > Blur. Depending on the image you use, you might need to apply another round of blur to the image. To apply a second blur effect, save your image as a picture. Saving the image flattens the blur effect. Insert the blurred image back into PowerPoint and repeat the process. I think the effect turned out pretty well, but I would still like to play with different layouts and panels before considering this a final design concept. Challenge of the Week This week, your challenge is to share an example demonstrating how glassmorphism can be used in e-learning. Your example can be interactive or a screenshot. We want to see how this design trend can be used in course design. Resources Here are some good examples of glassmorphism to give you an idea how the design effect is being used in UI design. Glassmorphism designs and examples on Dribbble Frosted glass examples on Dribbble Glassmorphism in user interfaces 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 dive into this week’s challenge, check out the interactive aircraft safety cards your fellow community members shared over the past week: Interactive Passenger Safety Cards #309: 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.What to Include in an E-Learning Style Guide
An e-learning style guide is a great way to make sure your projects have a consistent look and feel. It allows you to identify best practices and set standards for how your organization develops courses. While some people might think a style guide limits creative freedom, there are many good reasons to put one in place. An e-learning style guide: ensures a polished and professional output serves as a quick reference tool saves time—meaning less time wasted reviewing and editing design choices expands on a company’s general brand guide, which often doesn’t take e-learning needs into consideration A style guide is especially helpful for organizations with multiple e-learning developers because it ensures consistency across projects. Ready to create an e-learning style guide, but not sure what exactly to include to make it useful? Below are a few must-haves you’ll want to consider. Logos The logo is an essential visual piece of any brand. Your style guide should explain where and when to use the logo. You might also outline the acceptable size, placement, and color variations for the logo, as well as examples of correct and incorrect use. Fonts Most organizations have a few fonts they prefer to use that have already been approved or reflect their corporate personality. Your style guide should outline which fonts to use, what size they should be, and when to use them. For example, you might use a bold 44 pt heading font for lesson titles and a regular 28 pt font for the body text on your slides. Tone or Voice Every company has a unique way of conveying their brand message to their audience. Whether that’s direct and serious or fun and playful, their tone or voice should come through in the course text. Study their website or other company materials to help you define how they communicate. Then share a few example paragraphs or specific copy that mirror a similar tone in your style guide. Writing Tips This could include rules for how to name courses, modules, lessons, assessments, activities, etc. You might also want to specify how to capitalize and punctuate lists and whether to use numbers as numerals or spelled out in full. Colors How a color appears may vary from one monitor to the next, so it’s important to provide actual hex values for your color palette. Specify whether your company allows various tints or shades of the colors and where specific colors are required. Visual Elements Images or illustrations can be a huge reflection of a brand. Consider including guidelines about the format, size, and types of graphics designers should use. Provide example images or illustrations that reflect the company’s brand. Buttons If the company has a standard look for buttons, include it in the style guide, along with tips on when to use each button. Templates Templates are a great way to speed up workflow. If you’ve created any templates—such as layouts, interactions, or quizzes—let people know where to find them in your style guide. If you want the courses to look on-brand regardless of content, create a player template that contains the company logo, custom colors, and specific menu settings that should be consistently applied. Audio Narration If your courses use audio narration, consider addressing that in your style guide. Include things like when to use narration, if a particular intro or outro is used, or if your courses use a specific person for narration versus text-to-speech. Quizzes & Feedback Quizzes are often part of courses, whether they’re brief knowledge checks at the end of a section or a final quiz at the end of the course. Your style guide should tell your developers when to use quizzes, whether there is a maximum number of quiz attempts allowed, and whether there’s a standard minimum passing score. It should also include information on how feedback is provided, or whether it’s provided at all. Miscellaneous Depending on your organization and your projects, you might include other items in your style guide—for example, tips for navigation flow or instructions for naming variables. Consider adding anything to the style guide that’s displayed or used across multiple courses. Additional Tips Remember, an e-learning style guide is a great way to give your projects a consistent look and feel. Here are a few more things to keep in mind. Don’t be too strict. Remember to allow some flexibility for creativity and originality. Show examples of what to do and what not to do. Examples are always helpful! Consider using your course creation apps to train your team on the finished style guide. Resources Looking for other resources to help you build your e-learning style guide? Check out these articles: How to Create a Branded Storyline 360 Prototype How to Brand Your Rise 360 Course Create a Cohesive Look with These 5 Storyline 360 Visual Design Pointers 3 Ideas for Balancing Branding Guidelines with E-Learning Design What do you like to include in your e-learning style guides? Please share your ideas in a comment below. Follow us on Twitter and come back to E-Learning Heroes regularly for more helpful advice on everything related to e-learning. If you have any questions, please share them in the comments.Using Google Doodles to Inspire E-Learning Activities #404
Using Doodles to Inspire E-Learning Design #404: Challenge | Recap Google Doodles are decorative changes made to the Google logo to celebrate a wide range of historical events and achievements. Doodles are a lot like e-learning courses. They can be static, illustrated, animated, gamified, or interactive. Doodles are a playful way to teach history, culture, and science. For course designers, they’re a great way to practice e-learning. And that’s what this week’s challenge is all about! Challenge of the Week This week, your challenge is to create an example using Google Doodles as your source of inspiration. Your entry can be illustrated, animated, or interactive. Here are a few ideas to help you get started: Use as a starting point: Pick one or more Doodle elements, such as colors, themes, or illustrations, and use them in your own design. Create your own Doodle: Pick an event or holiday and design your own Google Doodle based on it. Make a static Doodle interactive: Use a static Doodle as a starting point and make it interactive. Recreate a Doodle animation: Practice animation by recreating one or more Doodle animations. 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. Using Accordion Interactions in E-Learning RECAP #403: 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. Next Week’s Challenge & Webinar I'm hosting a webinar next week on using audio in Storyline 360. I'll reference this week's challenge in the session and share your examples in the session. Next week's challenge (2/17/23): Using Interactive Audio in E-Learning #405. Topics can include soundboards, language learning, podcast interviews, narrated slideshows, and more. Upcoming webinar (2/14/23): Using Audio in Storyline 360 Got an idea for a challenge? Are you interested in doing a webinar showcasing how you made one or more challenge demos? Or do you have some comments for your humble challenge host? Use this anonymous form to share your feedback: https://bit.ly/ElearningChallengeForm.Blurred Backgrounds in E-Learning Course Design #366
Blurred Backgrounds Effects in E-Learning #366: Challenge | Recap Challenge of the Week This week, your challenge is to share an e-learning slide, demo, or design comp that features blurred backgrounds. Try to include before-and-after examples to show how your background graphics transformed your original slides. Bonus: Share your backgrounds as a separate asset or download. We'll post a blurred backgrounds round-up to share your bundles of blurred goodness in a few weeks. 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 or #ElearningChallenge so your tweeps can track your e-learning coolness. 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. Last Week’s Challenge: Before you dive into this week's challenge, take some time to check out the interactive video examples your fellow challengers shared over the past week: Interactive Video in E-Learning #365: Challenge | RecapUsing Subtle Background Patterns & Textures in E-Learning #402
Using Patterns and Textures in E-Learning #402: Challenge | Recap Challenge of the Week This week, your challenge is to show how textures or patterns can be used to create visual interest and depth in e-learning slide designs. Your example can be static or interactive but try to include two examples to show a before-after comparison. Why add textures or patterns to slide backgrounds? Since backgrounds are usually the largest slide element, they're an obvious choice for adding visual interest or personality to your slide designs. Common reasons for using textures and patterns in slide design include: Context and mood: Textures can be used to set a scene or create a mood for your design. Popular textures for establishing a context or mood are bricks, wood, paper, and fabrics. Depth: A texture or subtle pattern can add depth to flat, solid-colored slides, making them feel more realistic and tactile. Movement and pacing: Patterns can help create a dynamic feel or sense of movement in a slide design. Popular patterns include geometric shapes, stripes, and polka dots. Are there any related challenges and examples I can use for inspiration? Here are three challenges that come to mind. If I forgot any, please let me know so that I can add them. Blurred Backgrounds Effects in E-Learning #366: Challenge | Recap Video Backgrounds in E-Learning #329: Challenge | Recap E-Learning Cover Slides #377: Challenge | Recap Is there anything else I should know about using background textures and patterns? Make sure your patterns and textures support your course's overall look and feel. Since you'll likely add text over the slide backgrounds, your textures and patterns shouldn't compete with instructional elements like text, graphics, and buttons. Quick Tips for Using Textures & Patterns Resources Here are a few places where you can download free textures and patterns. If you have a favorite resource, add it in the comments below, and I'll update the list. Subtle Patterns 25 Free Subtle Patterns To Use In Your Web Design Projects 450+ Free Minimalist Subtle Patterns Share Your E-Learning Work Comments: Use the comments section below to link your published example and blog post. Forums: Start a 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 your great work 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: To help you navigate this week's challenge, check out the creative tabs interactions your fellow challengers shared over the past week: Tabs Interactions in E-Learning RECAP #401: 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. Next Week’s Challenge We’re trying to better align some of our weekly webinar training with the weekly challenges. Of course, it won’t always be possible, but the challenges are an excellent fit for our how-to training sessions. Next Friday’s challenge (2/3/23): Using Accordion Interactions in E-Learning #403. Here's a link to last year's accordion challenge. Upcoming Webinar (2/7/23): How To: Build Accordion Interactions in Storyline 360 It’s been a while since I’ve done the accordion Webinar, so your latest accordion examples will help the session feel fresh and current.Animated Masking and Cutout Effects in E-Learning Design #356
Masking and Cutout Effects in E-Learning #356: Challenge | Recap What Moves Gets Noticed Animations are effective ways to draw focus and attention to an area of your slides. Moving on-slide objects helps to create focal points, illustrate complex procedures, and help learners visualize change e-learning. Animation effects can also be used to set and control the pacing of your course. Combined with masking or cutout graphics, you can create animated effects that elevate your course designs. Take a look at the following examples. Meet the Team Animated Cards Notice how the images animate out of view? They disappear into the borders of the card instead of flying off the slide. This example is interesting because the animations appear constrained to the specific area of the profile card. View the project | Download How Does the Effect Work? The effect is created by using a cover graphic with a cutout area for transparency. The cutout can be created in just about any graphics app from Photoshop to PowerPoint. Animated Photo Collage Image Slider Here's another example that uses the same masking and animated effects. View the project | Download In this example, the cover graphic is the same size as the slide with a smaller area cutout for the larger character images. Masking effects combined with animation can help you create special effects that go beyond the defaults. And that's what this week's challenge is all about! Challenge of the Week This week, your challenge is to share an animated example that uses either a masking or cutout effect for one or more slide elements. Resources Storyline 360: Working with Layers Storyline 360: Working with Triggers Storyline 360: Adding Animations Triggering Motion Paths Based on Learners' Actions 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: To help animate your creativity, check out the ways course designers are using interactive dials for menu navigation: Using Dials for Navigation RECAP #355: 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.Using Pantone's 2024 Color of the Year in E-Learning #444
Pantone Color of the Year 2024 #444: Challenge | Recap Welcome to PANTONE 13-1023 Peach Fuzz! Pantone announced its 2024 Color of the Year: Peach Fuzz. Pantone describes the color as: “In seeking a hue that echoes our innate yearning for closeness and connection, we chose a color radiant with warmth and modern elegance. A shade that resonates with compassion, offers a tactile embrace, and effortlessly bridges the youthful with the timeless.” What is the color of the year and why is it important? It shows what colors will be trendy in things like fashion, home decoration, and graphic design, helping set the overall style. Designers use it as a source of inspiration to guide their creative choices. Companies and brands use it to give their products a fresh and current design style. E-learning designers looking for trendy colors to use in their projects. Why do an e-learning challenge on a single color? As course designers, you often need to adhere to a company's style guide to ensure your course's look and feel align with the organization's branding requirements. Whether you love or hate it, get ready to see Peach Fuzz everywhere. It'll show up in fashion, beauty products, and even in the design of online courses. Peach Fuzz will be the most popular color in the coming year. This type of design exercise is designed to stretch you by using colors you may not like. And learning to use Peach Fuzz in e-learning is what this final challenge of 2023 is all about! Using the Pantone Color of the Year 2024 in E-Learning View the recommended color harmonies Pantone provides color harmonies for getting the most from this year's color. Here are some ways course designers can use Peach Fuzz in their e-learning projects. Color palette: Use Peach Fuzz to create a cohesive theme color for your course. This could involve using it as a background color or incorporating it into graphical elements such as tooltips, charts, diagrams, and icons. Accent color: Use as an accent color to highlight important information or to draw attention to specific areas on your slide. This could involve using the color in buttons, markers, or other interactive elements. Design element: Use color as a graphic design element to add visual interest to your course. This could involve using the color in monochromatic themes, gradients, or patterns. Color combinations: Use Peach Fuzz in combination with other colors to create a cohesive and visually unique theme. Using with Tints and Shades to Create Custom Color Palettes One of the easiest and safest ways to create a color palette is to start with a base color and use tint and shade values for the secondary colors. Tints: Tints are lighter shades of a color made by mixing it with white. They are used when you want a color to look softer and less intense. Shades: Shades are darker versions of a color made by adding black to it. They are used when you want a color to look more dramatic or elegant than its original strong color. E-learning designers can use tints and shades as a starting point for creating custom color palettes. Here's a quick example I made using one of the slide templates from the Content Library: Creating Custom Colors in PowerPoint with Tints and Shades Creating custom color palettes with tints and shades is a fantastic way to create a cohesive and visually appealing design. Here’s a quick tutorial on how you can create your own tints and shades color palette. View on YouTube | Download the PowerPoint Template 🏆 Challenge of the Week This week, your e-learning challenge is to design a template or interaction using Pantone's Peach Fuzz. You can build anything you like this week. You aim to work from a single color and show how to carry that color across your design templates. 🧰 Resources This is our 11th Pantone color challenge. To get an idea of what course designers shared in previous color challenges, check out the previous challenges: 2014: Radiant Orchid 2015: Marsala 2016: Rose Quartz-Serenity 2017: Greenery 2018: Ultra Violet 2019: Living Coral 2020: Classic Blue 2021: Illuminating 2022: Very Peri 2023: Viva Magenta ✨ Share Your E-Learning Work Comments: Use the comments section below to link your published example and blog post. Forums: Start a new 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 to your posts so your great work gets even more exposure. Social media: If you share your demos on Twitter or LinkedIn, try using #ELHChallenge so your tweeps can follow your e-learning coolness. 🙌 Last Week’s Challenge: To help you nurture and embrace this week's challenge, check out the top things course designers wish they'd known when they started their careers: 10 Things E-Learning Designers Learned RECAP #443: 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 challengesanytime 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. 📆 Next Week’s Challenge Next week's challenge (Dec 15, 2023): The 2023 challenge season is over, but I'd like your help with a couple of end-of-year roundups. Next week's challenge post will be to share your favorite challenge example of 2023. I'll compile your examples into a "Best of 2023" listicle. Make-up challenge: We need to make up challenge #426 (Barbenheimer) to keep our challenge numbering consistent. We had to remove #426, so I'm reworking the challenge to be more general. It will still follow the format of mixing two distinct design styles. I'll post more on that next week. Challenge recaps: I'm going through every challenge of 2023 to ensure your entries are captured in the recap posts. If you submitted one or more challenge demos but don't see them in the recaps, you can use this form to let me know. I'll have everything current by the end of month. Got an idea for a challenge? Are you interested in doing a webinar showcasing how you made one or more challenge demos? Or do you have some comments for your humble challenge host? Use this anonymous form to share your feedback: https://bit.ly/ElearningChallengeForm.
