• Home
  • Free Resources
    • Storyboard Depot
    • Instructional Design Programs
    • Best Stock Photo Sites
    • PowerPoint Grids
    • eLearning Examples
    • Glossary of Online Learning Terms
    • Graphic Editing Tools
    • Icon Collections
  • My Books
  • About
  • Book Store
  • ON-DEMAND COURSES

The eLearning Coach

For designing effective learning experiences

  • Podcasts
  • LXD
  • eLearning Design
    • Audience
    • Instructional Design
    • Learning Objectives
    • Storyboarding
    • Tests
    • User Interface
  • eLearning 2.0
  • Cognition
  • Multimedia
    • Audio
    • Graphics
    • Video
  • Reviews
    • Book Reviews
    • Software Reviews
  • At Work
You are here: Home / eLearning Design / Using Illustrated Characters In eLearning

Using Illustrated Characters In eLearning

by Connie Malamed

Tweet52
Pin15
Share24
Share22
113 Shares

female-characterWe now have many choices for the types of characters we use in eLearning and other types of training, such as photos, realistic illustrations and simple or cartoonish illustrations. There are advantages and disadvantages of using a particular type. When you are sensitive to the audience, the context, the performance goals and the organization’s persona, it is often obvious which style to choose.

Benefits of Illustrated Characters

When characters are engaging, they may help learners feel emotionally connected to the content. Also, characters and the stories built around them make learning more appealing, because our brains are wired for stories. Characters can also be interwoven into  games and challenges. Jeff demonstrated a course with a detective theme in which learners search for clues and enter secret codes to complete the course.

Other Uses for Characters

If you find that your audience enjoys certain characters, get more mileage out of them by re-using them in job aids and for information dissemination, such as featuring them on a related website. For example, characters used in a new hire orientation course can also point out important policies on the company Intranet or provide tips to new employees.

Another idea Jeff presented is to use eLearning characters in an internal marketing campaign to announce the release of a new course. When presented as part of a challenge or as a teaser for a story, these characters may create buzz and improve motivation.

Advantages of Building the Profile

elearning-charactersYou can probably imagine the benefits of building out your characters ahead of time. First, you can rely on the profiles as you script the course, freeing some mental space for writing the story rather than having to remember the details about the people or creatures in your courses.

Second, developing a character profile ensures you will use characters in a consistent way throughout a story or scenario. It’s important that a character experiences consistent challenges and has a consistent personality. If you’re working with a team, it’s a good way to keep things straight among the writers.

Third, if you juggle multiple projects, a character chart can help you hit the ground running when you return to the storyboard or script. And finally, you can build a collection of characters that recur in course sequels or to re-use with different clients and audiences. It will become your personal character portfolio. They may even become your best friends.

What to Add to the Character Chart

According to the chart, you can add demographic information, how the character speaks and gestures, the character’s appearance and style of dress, and his or her work relationships and wider network. Unlike the charts that fiction authors use, the chart also provides a space for adding the Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs) that the character will be able to present.

photographerTypes of Characters

Every story needs a protagonist. This is the central character who is faced with a conflict that must be resolved. The antagonist, on the other hand, presents the challenges that the protagonist must overcome. Depending on how you develop your story, a central character may be all that is needed.

Some characters that Jeff has used in eLearning include:

  • Novice who asks lots of questions and the all-knowing mentor
  • Detective who must report back to supervisor (Jeff used a Mission Impossible theme for this)
  • Superhero with a smart sidekick who solves problems but the superhero gets the glory
  • Robot or machine (if you must use text-to-speech software)

Some additional character ideas that might spur your imagination:

  • Person who lacks confidence and gains it through increased knowledge
  • Hero who sacrifices in order to gain something (perhaps a super power)
  • Weak character who continually makes the same sorts of mistakes
  • Absent-minded scientist or professor who needs reminders
  • Evil twin who wreaks havoc
  • Science fiction characters who have super intelligence
  • Difficult boss or coworkers

office-characterWhere to Purchase Characters

You can draw or photograph your own characters or purchase royalty free stock eLearning characters from the sites listed below.

  • eLearning Art: Collection of photo and illustrated cutout characters for a variety of careers.
  • The eLearning Brothers: Collection of photo and illustrated cutout characters.

Resources:

  • Character Chart for eLearning by Jeff Goldman
  • Stock Characters List in Wikipedia
  • How to Write Compelling Stories
  • Why You Need Scenario-based eLearning
  • Creating a Comic Style for Learning
  • Why You Need to Use Storytelling for eLearning

How do you use characters in eLearning? Comment below.


Get The eLearning Coach delivered to your Inbox every few weeks, with ideas, articles, freebies and resources.

Comments

  1. Connie Malamed says

    November 14, 2020 at 1:18 pm

    Hi Chris,
    I have not seen much or any research on this type of preference, though there is some regarding perception and processing, which I will mention shortly. I checked some of the academic literature but did not do an exhaustive search. I think you have the right idea that audience preference and organizational culture are key. There are some other factors I would take into account: content (whether it is easy to stage a photo shoot in the environment you want, whether the characters need to be in a particular uniform or wearing gear); budget (cost of actors versus an illustrator); volatility (how likely is it that the images will need to be replaced? If the pictures will need updating, is it more likely you can use the same actor or is it more likely to get similar illustrations in the same style?); inclusion (which approach will ensure that the photos or images will reflect your audience?) and technology (will one type of image be perceived more easily when viewed through AR? How small will the image be?).As to scanning illustrations versus photos, illustrations are typically scanned and processed more quickly because there is less detail and fewer visual cues. I’m not sure if this matters to your instruction. And finally! The best way to tell what will work for your audience is to try out both approaches with a sampling of diverse audience members. Get their opinions. Good luck on your project!
    Connie

  2. Chris Davis says

    November 12, 2020 at 9:05 am

    Hi Connie,
    I am working on a new employee onboarding project using Augmented Reality (AR). When the AR experience is activated we have the option of using an actor or animated character. This article raises some strong production points in favor of using illustrated/animated characters. Do you or your readers share reasons why/ when it is better to use an actor (besides audience preference and company culture)? I realize these are good reasons to use an actor, versus character, but was wondering what the other pros/cons might be.
    Thank you!

  3. Connie Malamed says

    November 12, 2013 at 7:31 am

    Excellent suggestion. I like the backstory idea too. Thanks, Jerson.

  4. Jerson says

    November 11, 2013 at 3:04 pm

    When I design my characters, I usually have a backstory for them already in mind. I create a mini profile before I even put pencil to paper. This actually helps me design characters that have a more unique look.

    I like the character chart. The only thing I would add is an area for a picture of the character and somewhere to place some background information that can sum up the character’s background.

  5. Connie Malamed says

    November 6, 2013 at 12:39 pm

    Thanks for the kind words, Gina!
    Connie

  6. Gina says

    November 6, 2013 at 12:06 pm

    I can always count on you for great ideas and insights into thought leaders in our industry. Thanks for all you do, Connie!

Trackbacks

  1. 11 Vector Character Illustration Styles for E-Learning - Pedro Cuencas - Content Specialist Pedro Cuencas – Content Specialist says:
    February 20, 2017 at 5:57 pm

    […] of characters such as usage and profile building, although if you’re interested, check out this great article from the E-Learning Coach. Instead, I wanted to look at some illustration styles to reference. […]

  2. Using Characters in E-learning-ELH Challenge 18 – RS Design says:
    February 10, 2017 at 9:25 pm

    […] When characters are engaging, they may help learners feel emotionally connected to the content. Also…  (Connie Malamed) […]

  3. Using Characters In eLearning | http-www-slides... says:
    November 18, 2013 at 4:11 pm

    […] Characters can add a creative boost to your repertoire of eLearning treatments.Post from: The eLearning Coach Using Characters In eLearning  […]

  4. Using Characters In eLearning: The eLearning Co... says:
    November 8, 2013 at 9:01 am

    […] If you're not using characters in eLearning, your audience is missing out. Get inspired and learn how to use a character chart.  […]

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Writing for Instructional Design

Subscribe to my newsletter AND get my eBook, Writing for Instructional Design.

Get the latest articles, resources and freebies once a month plus my free eBook, Writing for Instructional Design.

The Learning Guild

Learn ID at University of San Diego

u of san diego id program

CSUN Instructional Design Program

CSUN Instructional Design Program

Fullerton Instructional Design Program

Fullerton Instructional Design Program

University of Denver

university of denver id program

ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS ABOUT A CAREER IN ID

answers to 5 key questions about a career in instructional design

BREAKING INTO ID NOW AVAILABLE AS AN EBOOK (PDF)

You can now buy the email course as an eBook to get all the lessons at once and for future reference. Price: $12.50 US.

eBook Cover
Click the image to buy the book.

SITE MENU

Home
Resources
My Books
About
Book Store
Membership Community

TOPIC MENU

Podcasts
LXD
eLearning Design
eLearning 2.0
Cognition
Multimedia (Graphics & Audio)
Reviews
At Work

RESOURCES

Storyboard Depot
Instructional Design Programs
Best Stock Images
PowerPoint Grids
eLearning Examples
Glossary of Online Learning
Graphic Editing Tools
Icon Collections

© Copyright 2021 Connie Malamed · All Rights Reserved