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.
Is a courseware logo really important, you might wonder? True, a logo is somewhat like a book cover; ultimately, it doesn’t mean too much. And of course, in order to prosper in a competitive e-learning market, your courseware absolutely must be robust and well developed, interactive, and based on your own expertise and experience. On the other hand, let’s face it: phrases like “Don’t judge a book by its cover” don’t exist for no reason. The truth is that we do make fast, visually-cued judgments all the time. These little judgments aid tremendously in our decision-making process. This goes for everything from what shampoo or cereal to buy to more critical decisions like a romantic partner, or, well, education. A unique and visually appealing logo may help someone decide between your courseware and another.
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.
Your logo can take any form you like. It may be simply an image, in the form of an icon or sign (ideograms) or it could also be a simple word (logotype). Ideograms can be often be recognized alone, like the Nike swish–you know the swish refers to without seeing the word Nike. You may also choose a mix of these two kinds of logos.
Even though you could hire a graphic designer to design your e-learning course logo, why not add a more personal touch and design your very own? After all, it’s your learning system based on your professional expertise. And anyway, it’s not difficult to design a logo. And sometimes it can be fun.
The first step in creating a unique and interesting e-learning courseware logo is to brainstorm. Use up lots of paper, and sketch and write out everything by hand. Large design firms use this system, sketching everything out by hand before even referring to a computer. Sketching is the best way to quickly visualize, imagine and produce your courseware logo.
Once you have your simple and aesthetically pleasing logo design, it’s time to play with it. Try many different things. Experiment with different shades and colors. Try different combinations. Put your logo in many situations, adding text in different positions to find out where it looks best. Try out different fonts and sizes.
No matter how you do it, strive to design an e-learning logo whose structure and uniqueness best suits your learning management system course.
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