Overcoming the Visual Hurdles: Design Challenges in eLearning for Large Organizations

Large organizations leverage eLearning to train a diverse workforce spread across the globe or nationally. While eLearning offers scalability and flexibility, crafting visually engaging courses for your employee or clients presents unique design challenges.

This article explore common challenges and offers solutions to create impactful eLearning experiences.

Branding vs. Appeal: Finding the Sweet Spot

Large organizations have established brand identities with specific color palettes, fonts, and logos. Adherence to these guidelines is crucial, but there are ways to follow brand guidelines without losing creativity.

Solution:

• Infuse brand elements subtly: Use brand colors as accents or backgrounds, not overpowering elements.
• Incorporate engaging visuals: Balance brand elements with high-quality photos, illustrations, texture and infographics that resonate with the course topic and target audience.

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Global Appeal: A World of Learners

A multinational workforce demands visuals that transcend cultural barriers. Using imagery or icons with unintended meanings can create confusion or even offense.

Solution:‍

• Choose universal symbols: Use icons and graphics that are clear and have widely understood meanings. For example, use arrows to navigate.
• Employ diverse imagery: Showcase a variety of ethnicities, ages, and genders in your visuals to reflect the global audience.

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Accessibility for All: Beyond Design Aesthetics

Large organizations or not, learning content need to comply with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). This ensures eLearning is usable by individuals with disabilities. Text size, color contrast, and alternative text descriptions for images are all crucial considerations.

Solution:

• Utilize accessibility checker tools: Many design tools offer built-in accessibility checkers to ensure compliance with WCAG standards.
• Prioritize clear hierarchy and navigation: Use clear headers, concise text, and logical navigation structures to make the course easy to understand for everyone.

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Streamlining Approvals: Moving from Hurdle to Help

Large organizations often have lengthy internal approval processes for eLearning courses. This can stifle creativity and delay course deployment.

Solution:

• Develop style guides and templates: Establish clear design guidelines and pre-approved templates to streamline the approval process. Use our eLearning Lover template to speed up the approval process.
• Collaborate with stakeholders early: Involve key decision-makers early in the design phase to gather feedback and avoid last-minute revisions.

By understanding and addressing these visual design challenges, organizations can create eLearning experiences that are not only informative but also visually engaging and accessible tha global workforce. This translates to a more impactful learning experience anda more productive and knowledgeable workforce.