Effective Design
Have you ever seen an online training when there is too much text, crazy animations that make it hard to follow, and monotone narration? I'm sure we all have, and I'm sure we all rapidly clicked our way through in order to be complaint or shut it off because it wasn't helpful. The only take-away you got from it was that you never wanted to watch it again.
But have you ever seen an online training that makes you want to keep watching? Makes you forget that 1) you were required to take it or 2) that you're actually learning something. Of course you do, and I'm pretty sure you may have even told a colleague or two about it.
These thoughts have been going through my mind this week as I've been reworking a couple courses that I inherited.
One: On-screen language and transcripts should be different
Your on screen text and transcript should NEVER match exactly. Why would I want to listen and read the exact same thing while looking at images or visuals. Talk about cognitive overload.
Keep the script to the point, concise. I also use synonyms when I can. No one wants to hear the same word or phrase being used over and over. The more to the point your audio is the easier you'll learner will absorb it. Placing key details and main ideas on the screen also allows the learner to focus in on whats important.
Two: Less really is more
I'm talking about text boxes filled in, a thick boarder, and confusing placement of content. Even the misuse of portions. Here's what I'm talking about. The first slide shows what I was given, the second is what I turned it into. Both slides are made for eLearning so you can't get the full effect, but with mine the user would hover or click on the marker to identify the part of each model.
The first image doesn't make my eye move in a logical pattern; I have to work harder to understand the parts of the phone. The text boxes are distracting and the colors make it hard for me to read and comprehend.
The second option keeps it simple by using toned down colors with a pop of garnet. The numbers correspond with each part of the phone and are in a hover mode, so the learner has to interact with them.
What would you have done to represent the differences?
But have you ever seen an online training that makes you want to keep watching? Makes you forget that 1) you were required to take it or 2) that you're actually learning something. Of course you do, and I'm pretty sure you may have even told a colleague or two about it.
These thoughts have been going through my mind this week as I've been reworking a couple courses that I inherited.
So, what are two things that you can easily change so your designs make your course more effective?
One: On-screen language and transcripts should be different
Your on screen text and transcript should NEVER match exactly. Why would I want to listen and read the exact same thing while looking at images or visuals. Talk about cognitive overload.
Keep the script to the point, concise. I also use synonyms when I can. No one wants to hear the same word or phrase being used over and over. The more to the point your audio is the easier you'll learner will absorb it. Placing key details and main ideas on the screen also allows the learner to focus in on whats important.
Two: Less really is more
I'm talking about text boxes filled in, a thick boarder, and confusing placement of content. Even the misuse of portions. Here's what I'm talking about. The first slide shows what I was given, the second is what I turned it into. Both slides are made for eLearning so you can't get the full effect, but with mine the user would hover or click on the marker to identify the part of each model.
The first image doesn't make my eye move in a logical pattern; I have to work harder to understand the parts of the phone. The text boxes are distracting and the colors make it hard for me to read and comprehend.
The second option keeps it simple by using toned down colors with a pop of garnet. The numbers correspond with each part of the phone and are in a hover mode, so the learner has to interact with them.
What would you have done to represent the differences?
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