The most efficient way to achieve consistency in the visual design of eLearning and presentation slides is to create a visual style guide. A style guide provides one graphical standard for everyone. … [Read more...]
How Visual Clarity Affects Learning
Research on Processing Fluency
How do you react when you see a very complex diagram or a screen of dense text? Are you motivated to work through it? Or do you groan and turn away if it becomes too difficult? Processing Fluency If … [Read more...]
Planning A Training Video Production
Did you ever end up on a project that required video and somehow you became the default expert? That's what happened to me early in my career. At first, it was a bit unnerving. But like any hard-core … [Read more...]
How to Unstock Stock Photos for eLearning and Slides
Most people know that stock photos for eLearning and slides are often substandard. When you need photos of people performing various jobs, stock photo collections seem flooded with images of people … [Read more...]
The Visual Design of Checklists
In a previous article, I wrote about the benefits of using checklists for performance support. But how might you design a checklist that fits your needs? Consider that the visual design of a cognitive … [Read more...]
Best Stock Music and Sound Effects For Multimedia Projects
Updated for 2020
Music A musical introduction is one of many ways to attract an audience's attention. Music also sets the mood and potentially adds a professional flair to your work. This doesn't mean music should … [Read more...]
Use Visual Cues To Enhance Learning
When you design or create an informative graphic, do you help the viewer quickly understand it? Do you purposefully direct the viewers' eyes to the elements that are most meaningful? If you don't, … [Read more...]
How To Use Icons In eLearning
Download: 40 Icon Resources Updated for 2020
I have a scandalous confession to make. I'm in love with icons. I think they are brilliant. I love the way icons distill an object or concept to its essence.If you're looking for new ways to get your … [Read more...]
Text-To-Speech Software For eLearning
Big changes are coming to the world of text-to-speech (TTS). Whereas one time the voices came off as completely robotic, AI technology is improving their sound. I highly admire and appreciate the … [Read more...]
5 Steps To A PowerPoint Redesign
PowerPoint slides are often the currency exchanged between subject matter experts and instructional designers and developers. The slides are almost guaranteed to come with a poor design. You will … [Read more...]
The Art Of Writing Great Voice Over Scripts
Remember all those essays and reports you wrote in school? They were written for a teacher to silently read. They were rarely read aloud. Fast forward to the world of work where you are responsible … [Read more...]
How to Improve Your Visual Design Skills
(for Learning Professionals)
As a learning professional, if you haven't focused on or studied visual design it may seem like a mysterious process. How can you ever improve when you don't understand what it entails? I teach visual … [Read more...]