Monday, August 24, 2009

A Strong LMS Logo, Key to Successful E-Learning Courseware

By Fred Armstrong

Are you preparing your learning content ready for migration to a learning management system? If so, you're probably making an overwhelming number of choices. Beyond all those choices about the content itself--what to include and how to do so--there are decisions regarding navigational, format, and others. And beyond those basic ones there are the finer choices related to design and style. Part of this more subtle element is the brilliant design of your e-learning course logo.

First, a disclaimer: compared to many other e-learning course choices, a logo is really quite unimportant. Your content itself needs to be unique, strong and effective in order to survive and thrive. However, it's also true that no one says "Don't judge a book by its cover" for nothing. The reality is we all do it; we make quick, visually-based judgments all the time. We do it when we decide about everything from soap to dinner to cars, to even more important choices involving education and romantic partners. Considering this, it must also be acknowledged that a smart and memorable logo can distinguish your courseware from others. It can pique the interest of potential users, and stick with them in the future.

So what types of logos work the best? Keep in mind this rule: your logo acts as the visual illustration that represents your e-learning course. Essentially, it will embody your learning content. But it will also, after some time, facilitate viewer recognition of (and trust in) your product.

Logos can come in all kinds of forms, including a simple name or logotype, or a sign, icon or emblem. The latter are also known as ideograms. Ideograms may be recognizable on their own, such as Wendy or the Mercedes-Benz symbol. It isn't necessary to see any letters to understand what brand is being symbolized.

Another choice you have is to hire a graphic designer to design your courseware logo, or add your own personal touch by coming up with one yourself. After all, it's your e-learning course, based on your expertise and subject knowledge. Furthermore, designing a logo isn't all that hard and doesn't require an expert. Anyone can do it.

Just how do you go about designing an interesting and unique courseware logo? Brainstorm relentlessly. Don't be afraid to use up lots of paper writing out your ideas by hand. Doing it the old-fashioned way is key; large design firms use this strategy, sketching out everything by hand before even thinking of using a computer. Sketching is just the most effective and simplest way to quickly create and imagine a logo.

Now that you have a simple but unique logo in front of you, it's time to test it out. Be adventurous. Experiment with your design, adding new colors, mixing up shades and tones, and adding and subtracting images. Test your logo in various situations, inserting text in different positions to find out where it looks best. Test different font sizes and styles.

Throughout it all, keep your users in mind. Create a logo with a bold and unique e-learning course logo design whose integrity and innovation suits that of the learning management system course itself.

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