4 tips for optimised visuals for eLearning Courses
We've arrived at a point where numerous organisations and institutions were already incorporating eLearning digital training into their onboarding, upskilling and talent retainment eLearning strategies.
As a result of the sharp pandemic-led increase in remote working has seen so far, more companies than ever before are using eLearning (or are currently implementing it) to impart necessary skills to the members of their workforce.
TheLearning LAB eLearning agency has watched this trend with great interest, seeing companies try to go at it alone when what they need is a professional agency who knows eLearning, mLearning, and current trends like the back of their hand.
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One aspect of eLearning that falls through the cracks when there's no adequate oversight is the use of engaging visuals and branding themes. It takes a trained eye and a thorough understanding of eLearning, eLearning strategy, and digital training course development to make a visually engaging course for your Learners. Of course, much more comes into play when creating an online training course: brainstorming, prototyping, testing, and so on. Read more about that here!
These serve to ensure that the Learners recognise your courses as an extension of the company's authority on subjects, and as a widening of the company's elearning culture.
You may be unsure why visuals are so important, and especially why they are so vital that we decided to produce an article solely based on their role. Let us share a few astounding facts with you to illustrate the impact of visuals on the learning process, and the effect they have on the Learner's engagement.
Stay with us for our 4-point overview of the key aspects of visuals you absolutely need to consider when designing for digital training.
4 tips for optimised visuals for eLearning Courses
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According to a study by PNAS, visual information is stored in long-term memory and retained for a longer duration than written, or verbal, information are. In other words, your infographic will stick with the Learner, your page of text... not so much. In addition to being more memorable, research also suggests that presentations that use images to get their point across are 43% more persuasive than those that do not use any visuals at all.
Now that you understand the fundamental importance of visuals and images within the eLearning process, the next question is: how do you use visuals effectively? Here at TheLearningLab, a Geneva-based eLearning agency, our specialised team has compiled a list of 4 points that will guide you into the wonderful world of making fantastic visuals for eLearning courses.
How can you optimise eLearning visuals?
1) Incorporate principles of colour theory
Have you ever wondered why most social media big leagues, such as Facebook and Twitter, use the colour blue?
The reason may well be strategic: the colour blue generally gives off an image of trustworthiness and a calming sense of comfort and familiarity, which makes for easy communication. In addition, it is also gentle on the eyes. Colour theory attempts to study and explain the impact of certain colours on the human mind, what colour contrast works best, what do colours symbolise, etc.
It is clear that if you master colour theory, you will be able to enhance your Learner UX and enable your audience to be more attentive towards the entirety of the learning material.
At TheLearningLab Geneva, we pay close attention to the UX of the content to ensure it generates the highest level of engagement. With more than 15 years of experience at our disposal, our agency knows exactly what colour combinations work best and how to use colour to boost engagement. Curious how specific types of visuals can enhance your eLearning? Have a look at our article on infographics!
What colours demand someone’s attention? What colours are easier on the eyes? What kind of emotions do certain colours trigger?
If you are able to answer all of these questions and more, you will be in a much better position to enhance the effectiveness of your digital training program. Don't underestimate the importance of colours, nor the role they play in developing a successful course, and throw yourself into some theory!
2) Be strategic with the images you choose
It is a no brainer that your eLearning course should include good images. Sadly, that is not enough. There is a lot more you need to do to make the most out of your use of images.
For example, if the images are irrelevant to the course content, or do not aid in the learning process or bettering the comprehension of the key concepts, it won’t matter how high quality they might be; they won’t further your cause.
It is essential that you carefully choose each and every image. When deciding on what to choose, the below guidelines will be of assistance - or you could call us, and we work with you directly to bring your design ideas to life!
It should be high in quality, so no grainy or fuzzy visuals
It should not be too messy or stuffed overly full of visual information
It should help viewers understand the concept or idea being taught
It should be relevant to the topic or the overall idea of the course
But the question is, where can you get images which fulfil all the above criteria? Well, it isn't as difficult as you think. You can find countless free stock images online. It is better to buy a paid subscription of a market standard stock image website, however, to give you a wide range of options. Another option is to hire a professional photographer to give you bespoke visuals that are perfect for your course.
eLearning revolves around great design. Great design revolves around colour.
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3) Use a great combination of text & visuals
Remember, back in the day, when we all had to label print-outs of diagrams in class?
Why did our teachers make us do that? Edward Rolf Tufte, an American statistician and pioneer in data visualisation, might have an answer for us. According to Tufte, pictures work best with text. Countless studies have revealed how paired text and images help improve information retention.
That is why you will be unlikely to come across an image on the internet without some accompanying text that boosts its message. The combination is powerful, and you should always remember to optimise your visuals with text.
We’ve got some tips for you on how to pair text with images for maximum effect:
The text should be directly relevant to the image, but not a literal description
It should enhance the understanding of the visual
The image should not be overemphasised, nor should the text - balance them
At TheLearningLab we identify the many facets and intricacies of your course content and company message, and present them to your Learners in a way which is both engaging and memorable. One of the methods we use is this optimised combining of text and visual elements to ensure your Learners get the very best chance to retain the knowledge we present them with!
4) Use appropriate elearning visual hierarchy
No matter what medium of visuals you use, visual hierarchy plays a crucial role. To enhance the impact of your eLearning course, it is important to incorporate a great hierarchy to improve your visuals design. Learning the principles of visual hierarchy would help you understand that the optimal placement of images, text, interactive material, videos, etc. All of this will have a considerable impact on how the viewer perceives the information.
It would be entirely unfair not to talk about the significance of font in detail while discussing visual hierarchy.
Different fonts serve different purposes, and it is important to experiment and see what works best for your employees - or consult an agency, who will be familiar with pairing subject matters and designs to appropriate audiences.
Similar to colours, the kind of font being used ignites certain emotional and intellectual reactions in humans. That, in turn, affects the viewers' attention - and their dedication to the course.
Visuals in eLearning design
You can clearly see the importance of visuals when it comes to producing the best possible eLearning experience, and at TheLearning LAB we fully understand how incorporating colour, clever pairings of media and the sheer power of images can boost Learners’ attention spans and retention of information. After all, we’re no rookies when it comes to everything digital training!
The above tips will go a long way to improving the effectiveness of your eLearning course, should you decide to go it alone. If all this seems overwhelming to you, however, then let TheLearning LAB be at your service! As you can see from what we discussed here, eLearning is as multifaceted as it is captivating, and it takes a specialist touch to design a course which isn’t a chore for Learners. Our courses engage Learners in a meaningful way, developing their skillset without running the risk of overwhelm or frustration.
With over 15 years of experience, we know precisely what visuals would work best for you. Our solutions are always UX optimised, our e-Learning Content Planning is strategic, and we don't cut corners.