Visual Hierarchy
What is Visual Hierarchy?
Visual Hierarchy plays a pivotal role in eLearning and instructional design (ID) by guiding learners’ attention to key information. It involves organizing elements in a way that reflects their importance, ensuring the most critical information stands out. By employing this visual design principle effectively, designers can create more engaging and effective learning experiences.
How Visual Hierarchy Helps with Visual Communication
Now, imagine you’re telling a story with your eLearning content. It helps to ensure that our story is told clearly and effectively. It directs learners to the most critical information first, just like a storybook highlights the main characters and key events. This helps learners quickly understand what they need to focus on, making the learning process smoother and more effective. In a world where attention is hard to keep, visual hierarchy ensures your content catches and keeps the learner’s attention, leading them through the learning journey in an intuitive and engaging way.
Best Application Practices to eLearning Slides
When designing eLearning slides, think of it as organizing a party. You want your guests (learners) to know where the fun (key information) is. Start by making the most important information the biggest and boldest. Use colors to create mood and draw attention. Space out elements to give each piece its spotlight.
Here are 3 tips to add this visual design principle into your next learning solultion:
- Prioritize Content: Determine what learners need to know first and structure content accordingly.
- Use Contrast and Size: Make important elements larger and more colorful to draw attention.
- Incorporate White Space: Use space strategically to reduce cognitive load and improve comprehension.
Remember, less is more. Too much decoration can distract from the party’s main attraction!
Best Application Practices for PowerPoint Presentation Slides
PowerPoint slides in (Virtual) Instructor Led Training (V)ILT sessions are like billboards on a highway. They need to be clear, concise, and attention-grabbing. Use large, readable fonts and high-contrast colors. Focus on one main idea per slide. Use images and icons to explain complex ideas simply. Remember, your slide is the backdrop; you, or the presenter/facilitator is the star of the show!
Design Tools
Several tools can assist in creating a strong visuals:
- Design Software: Programs like Adobe Illustrator and Canva offer features to manipulate visual elements easily.
- eLearning Authoring Tools: Storyline 360 and Adobe Captivate allow for the integration of visual hierarchy principles directly into course design.
- Canva: Like a digital art studio, it’s great for creating visually appealing designs with ease.
- Adobe Spark: Offers a variety of themes and layouts to help structure your content beautifully.
- Venngage: Perfect for infographics, turning data into easy-to-understand visual stories.
- ColorZilla: A browser tool that helps you choose the best color schemes.
- FontPair: Helps in selecting complementary fonts that make your text pop!
The Role of Effective Visuals in eLearning Design
In eLearning design, visual hierarchy ensures that learning materials are not only accessible but also engaging. By organizing information logically and aesthetically, designers can facilitate a smoother learning journey, making it easier for learners to absorb and retain information.
Scenario: A Success Story in eLearning
Task: Taylor, an ID needs to revise an eLearning course about a complex topic with dense and heavy content.
Challenge: The existing module is text-heavy and lacks visual appeal, leading to low completion rates.
Solution: Taylor decided to apply these visual design principles to redesign the module. She prioritized key learning objectives and used size, contrast, and color to highlight essential information. Interactive elements were introduced to guide learners through the content logically.
Evaluation: Post-implementation, the revamped module saw a significant increase in completion rates and positive feedback from learners, indicating improved engagement and comprehension.
In Summary
Visual hierarchy is not just a design principle; it’s a powerful tool in the arsenal of eLearning and instructional design. By employing it strategically, designers can create compelling, effective learning experiences that engage and educate. Through thoughtful design and the right tools, creating visually appealing and pedagogically sound eLearning content becomes achievable, ensuring learners not only stay interested but also achieve their learning objectives.