The Ultimate Crash Course
in eLearning Visual Design
with Connie Malamed,
Founder, Mastering Instructional Design
Publisher, The eLearning Coach
Tara Dwyer
Webinar Coordinator, eLearning Learning
Connie Malamed
Founder, Mastering Instructional Design
Publisher, The eLearning Coach
February 2nd, 2023
12:30pm PST, 3:30pm EST, 7:30pm GMT

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Connie Malamed
Founder, Mastering Instructional Design
Publisher, The eLearning Coach

Connie Malamed
masteringid.com

You Already
Know A Lot
You Already
Know A Lot

TRUE
FALSE
FALSE
Fill up the slide. People need to learn!

TRUE
TRUE
In most instances, stick with one
or two fonts.
FALSE

BENEFITS OF USING GRAPHICS
Represent concepts
Show relationships
in data
Allow for comparisons
Aesthetically pleasing
and motivating
Serve as a
cognitive aid
Provide a way to
see patterns in data

ANSWER IN CHAT
What benefits do you see in
using graphics for learning?

Design versus Art
Design versus Art

DESIGN ART
Design is utilitarian An end in itself
Communicates a
specific message
Self-expression
Starts with assets Starts with a blank slate
Judged by effectiveness Judged by beauty or insight

VISUALS TEXT
GRAPHIC SPACE
VISUAL DESIGN

PRINCIPLES FOR
IMPROVING
YOUR DESIGNS
PRINCIPLES FOR
IMPROVING
YOUR DESIGNS

1
Remove
Extraneous
Information

Cognitive Load
Total amount of mental
activity imposed on
working memory in any
one instant.

WM
High Cognitive Load
We can only process small
amounts of information at one time.
Extraneous cognitive load
obstructs learning.

Avoid logo on
every slide
Avoid date on
every slide
Avoid irrelevant
graphics
Avoid busy
backgrounds
Ways to Reduce CL

Introduction
In order to design for the human mind, it’s helpful to understand how attention guides a person
to perceive and then comprehend information while learning. Outside of research circles, one
under discussed phenomenon is bottom-up and top-down processing. The theory provides an
insightful look at how the brain works and how we can apply this to learning and visual design.
It starts during perception.
Psychology 101
In your first psychology or biology class, you probably learned that perception is becoming
aware of something through the senses. The Encyclopedia of Perception defines it like this,
“Perception comprises an integration of top-down and bottom-up information, with their
relative importance determined as a function of the available sensory information, the task at
hand, the perceiver’s goals, and past experiences.” These ideas become more clear if you
look at each type of processing.
Bottom-Up Processing
Bottom-up processing refers to information coming through the senses that influences
perception. Some refer to this as stimulus-driven or data-driven perception. If you notice a
brightly colored painting before noticing a subdued one, it is probably due to bottom-up
processing. Bottom-up processing occurs early in the perceptual process without conscious
attention or effort.

SLIDES
ARE FREE

Use
Subtractive
Design
2

Subtractive Design
Removing unnecessary elements up to
the point where the design breaks.

2012 Commonwealth Fund study
üHalf of primary care physicians age 50
years or older planned to leave practice
within five years
ü30% of those age 35 to 39 plan to leave2
2015 Mayo Clinic study
ü >50% of physicians report at
least one symptom of burnout1
2014 Physicians Foundation survey
ü 50% would not recommend medicine
as a career to their children
HHI Hospital
February 2, 2023 PHYSICIAN STRESS AND BURNOUT

2012 Commonwealth Fund study
üHalf of primary care physicians age 50
years or older planned to leave practice
within five years
ü30% of those age 35 to 39 plan to leave2
2015 Mayo Clinic study
ü >50% of physicians report at
least one symptom of burnout1
2014 Physicians Foundation survey
ü 50% would not recommend medicine
as a career to their children

2012 Commonwealth Fund study
üHalf of primary care physicians age 50
years or older planned to leave practice
within five years
ü30% of those age 35 to 39 plan to leave2
2015 Mayo Clinic study
ü >50% of physicians report at
least one symptom of burnout1
2014 Physicians Foundation survey
ü 50% would not recommend medicine
as a career to their children

Of physicians report at least
one symptom of burnout
2015 Mayo Clinic Study
50%

Of physicians report
at least one symptom
of burnout
2015 Mayo Clinic Study
50%

Of physicians report at least
one symptom of burnout
2015 Mayo Clinic Study
50%

Of physicians report at least
one symptom of burnout
2015 Mayo Clinic Study
50%

3
Align
Your
Design

4Organize
Graphic
Space

Graphic Space:
Where we
manipulate images
and text to
communicate

Foreground and
Background

White Space:
the area not occupied
by visuals or text

Layout Considerations
Layout Considerations

Working in
the U.S.

Working
in the
United
States

Antonio is a citizen of another
country who is temporarily
working in the United States in a
cultural exchange. Which type of
visa is appropriate for his stay?
H-1B
H-2B
Q-1

5
Create a
Visual
Hierarchy

Visual Hierarchy
Controls the order in which the
viewer sees visual elements.

0
10
20
30
40
50
60
2009 2012 2015 2018
Millions
of
users
By 2018, the number of people in the US who are using mobile devices to
purchase products online will surpass the number using computers
Mobile
Computer
eCommerce is Going Mobile

0
10
20
30
40
50
60
2009 2012 2015 2018
Millions
of
users
Mobile
Computer
eCommerce is Going Mobile
By 2018, the number of people in the US who are using mobile devices to
purchase products online will surpass the number using computers

Focal Point
Most
Important

Position

Size

Color

Color and Size

Visual Cue

Numbering
2
1

How did the designer establish a
visual hierarchy on this web page?
ANSWER IN CHAT

Establish a Hierarchy
1. Position
2. Size
3. Color
4. Visual Cue
5. Numbering

Transform
Bullet Points
to Visuals
6

How to Be Happier
• Cultivate Optimism
• Exercise More
• Find Your Purpose
• Foster Friendships
Bullet List

Text in Shapes
Cultivate
Optimism
Exercise
More
Find Your
Purpose
Foster
Friendships

Styled Shapes
Exercise
More
Find Your
Purpose
Foster
Friendships
Cultivate
Optimism
HOW TO BE HAPPIER

Bullet List
Construction Work Guidelines
• Wear protective equipment appropriate for the job
• Maintain and sharpen tools on a regular schedule
• Inspect all completed work
• Document all work and submit to your supervisor

Document all work and submit to your supervisor
Inspect all completed work
Wear protective equipment appropriate for the job
Icons and Text
Maintain and sharpen tools on a regular schedule

Icons and Text
Wear protective
gear appropriate for
the job
Maintain and
sharpen tools on a
regular schedule
Inspect all
completed work
Document all work
and submit to your
supervisor

Bullet List
Leadership
• Give positive feedback
• Lead by example
• Admit mistakes and apologize

Bullets in Word Bubbles
I make sure I give
positive feedback.
I lead by example.
I admit my
mistakes.

Bullet List
Design Considerations
• White space
• Typography
• Imagery
• Color palette
• Visual hierarchy
• Grouping

Diagram
Visual
Design
White Space
T
y
p
o
g
r
a
p
h
y
Grouping
Hierarchy
Imagery
Colors

Simplify
Your Fonts
7

Typography
Designing with words and letters.

Elegant or casual?

Formal or informal?

SANS-SERIF
SERIF
SCRIPT

One Typeface
Find a typeface with a lot of styles.

Text on Backgrounds
Text on Backgrounds

Backgrounds with
a wide color
gradient may not
provide sufficient
contrast

Backgrounds with
a narrow color
gradient provide
consistent contrast

Virtual Reality provides a safe environment for
solving problems using realistic scenarios.

Virtual Reality provides a safe environment for solving
problems using realistic scenarios.

Virtual Reality provides a safe environment for solving
problems using realistic scenarios.

How can I improve?
How can I improve?

Analyze design around you
Learn the principles
Practice, practice, practice

THANK YOU
THANK YOU
Connie Malamed
masteringid.com
elearningcoach.com

/in/conniemalamed/
Founder, Mastering Instructional Design
Publisher, The eLearning Coach
Connie Malamed
masteringid.com
Tara Dwyer
Webinar Coordinator
eLearning Learning
/in/dwyertara/
elearninglearning.com
Q&A
theelearningcoach.com