Monday, September 7, 2009

Developing Powerful Logos for an E-Learning Courseware

. Monday, September 7, 2009
By Alicia Finley

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.

You may wonder, is a logo really necessary for an online course? It's true that in many ways a logo is just a gimmick. When it really comes down to it, it doesn't make much of a difference. Your e-learning course has to be well-developed and unique to thrive and find users. But it's also true that we don't use expressions like "Don't judge a book by its cover" for no reason at all. The reality is that we do judge based on visual cues. We make quick decisions based on these visuals when we decide on everything from cars to education to a romantic interest. Just like an interest-piquing book cover, a logo has the power to intrigue.

Think of it this way: your logo is the pure visual embodiment of your expertise and your courseware system; it symbolizes your learning content and with time, will foster customer recognition.

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.

Although some courseware developers and companies rely on pre-packaged logos, your own design might be the best solution--not to mention the most fun to come up with. Remember, it's your content and your vision. And in any case, a logo can be very easy to design.

So, how do you come up with a great logo? It won't come to you in your sleep. You have to make your hand do some work. Tirelessly brainstorm your ideas and sketch them out by hand, using up lots of paper. This is the strategy big design companies use. Their graphic designers sketch everything out by hand before even going near a computer. Sketching by hand is the easiest and quickest way to imagine and design 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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