{"id":156,"date":"2019-03-01T01:47:55","date_gmt":"2019-03-01T01:47:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.easyauthoring.com\/blog\/?p=156"},"modified":"2021-11-16T09:47:47","modified_gmt":"2021-11-16T04:17:47","slug":"learning-solution-design-tip-6-be-consistent-in-design","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.easyauthoring.com\/blog\/learning-solution-design-tip-6-be-consistent-in-design\/","title":{"rendered":"Learning Design Tip #6 – Be consistent in design"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

From coloured<\/g> chalk,<\/g> to whiteboards, to overhead projectors, to PowerPoint, to Prezi, to Storyline, to 360 VR \u2013 the desire for novelty (rightly fuelled by a goal of increasing engagement) in learning design has always been with us. The design options only ever increase with time as every tool tries to outdo the predecessors and competitors with what it offers. However, novelty,<\/g> and shiny new ways of presenting content can distract from the process of learning that content. The challenge for designers is to ensure that what\u2019s possible serves us, rather than rules us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Consistency can sometimes have a bad name. It may sound conservative, repetitive \u2026 boring. But it doesn\u2019t have to be, if you understand that consistency doesn\u2019t have to mean monotony. When we\u2019re continually bombarded by novelty and change, consistency can bring a sense of comfort and familiarity in an otherwise manic world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consistency in learning design is repeatable, predictable and \u2018makes sense\u2019 to participants. It is about designing so that participants feel they are in the same learning space throughout the experience. When you\u2019re encouraging people to step out of their cognitive comfort zone in order to learn, it helps if the learning environment feels reliable and familiar, creating a safe space in which to explore new content and ideas. There are some simple ways to achieve this that the team at easyA<\/g> use. Individually, they\u2019re not rocket science, but when used together, they have a big impact on the user experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learning design.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

All the elements of the learning design need to be considered together and integrated to make sure they work seamlessly for participants. For example, if the design includes an eLearning module, a workbook and a video, it should be obvious to learners how they are meant to use all of these components to learn. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using the established software engineering tradition of Design Patterns, there are conventions for how common learning designs like scenario-based learning and diagnostic training should work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Visual and UX design. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your organisation<\/g> has a brand\/style guide, be guided by this when determining the visual design of the learning experience. Considerations such as layouts (grouping, alignment, positioning), fonts, colours<\/g> (palette, contrast, white space) and formatting (list structures, indents etc) should be consistent throughout the learning experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Similarly, follow well-established user experience (UX) conventions when designing screen layouts and interactions. For example, in scenario-based learning make sure that the characters stay in the same positions on the screen (unless they\u2019re moving in the scenario!).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Writing style.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

At easyA<\/g>, we use editorial guidelines to ensure that our writing style is consistent throughout client work. We use an editorial style guide to ensure our punctuation and grammar are consistent. A consistent \u2018voice\u2019 and tone goes a long way towards helping participants feel comfortable in the learning experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Behind all these considerations is solid<\/g> educational theory. The concept of \u2018cognitive load\u2019 is an important consideration for any learning designer. Entertaining animations and interactions can be tempting, and multiple, visual design changes may appear interesting, but if they\u2019re making participants\u2019 brains work harder than they need to, they run the risk of working against your learning goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A consistent, cohesive design creates a feeling of quality and reassurance. It\u2019s not about bespoke designs for every screen or, conversely, monotonous same-ness. It\u2019s design<\/g>, not determined by the latest, shiny new tool, but by purposeful, mindful design processes that serve the learners and the learning outcomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interested in a deep dive?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n