How to Build an E-Learning Template in 30 Seconds

Posted: 28 Aug 2012 12:53 AM PDT

Articulate Rapid E-Learning Blog - build an elearning template in 30 seconds

When building courses, many of you are in the role of instructional designer AND graphic designer. This can be a challenge when you don't have the graphic design skills.

An easy way to get around that is to look for places in your organization where they've hired graphic designers. Then use their work as a guide to inspire yours. This post on how to build an elearning template offers some good tips on where to look.

Once you have a source of inspiration, it's usually easy enough to mimic the screen design because they tend to be basic shapes filled with colors and gradients. For example, the image below is a screenshot of the Articulate Storyline website. I noted those areas that I could incorporate into an elearning course template.

Articulate Rapid E-Learning Blog - find inspiration for elearning template in web site design

In the following image, you can see my mocked up screen and one way I could use it for an elearning course. It's not a verbatim copy of the website, but as you look it over you'll notice many similarities and how I worked elements of the web design into my rapid elearning template.

Articulate Rapid E-Learning Blog - elearning template from web page inspiration built in PowerPoint

Building the template didn't take too long. But I still had to add all of the shapes and then figure out the gradients and shadows. That does take some time and if you're not efficient with your elearning software, it could take a while to get it all to look right.

The good news is that there's a cheater's way to create the same type of template. Here are the steps to create an elearning template in 30 seconds.

View the tutorial here.

Start with a screenshot of your inspiring website. Here's a post that shows you how to use some tools you probably already own take your screenshots.
Crop the screenshot to a clean sliver so that you pick up all of the elements of the template but none of the page's information.

Articulate Rapid E-Learning Blog - make a sliver for the elearning template and crop it in PowerPoint

Copy and paste the sliver onto your course slide.
Stretch the sliver to fit the slide. You may to do some clean-up to get rid of artifacts.

Articulate Rapid E-Learning Blog - example of the sliver and the PowerPoint elearning template

Super easy, huh? Depending on the site you use for inspiration, creating a template can be just a matter of a few seconds. It's a good start for those who have limited time or access to graphic designers. And it helps meet any of the branding requirements you may have in your organization.

Once you have a sliver, play around with different layouts. I like to scale them large and small to create different layouts. I also like to flip them to give me a different look, but one that's still consistent with the overall design.

Articulate Rapid E-Learning Blog - various layouts for the elearning template in PowerPoint

A few things to consider:

Look for clean slivers that can be stretched. Gradients that go up and down work. But gradients that go across the screen usually don't. Patterns also don't work well.
Experiment. Scale the image after you stretch it. Or use a color filter to recolor the image and you end up with something that looks different. See what happens when you flip it or turn it upside down.
Make sure you have rights to the original screenshot. If it's your company's site, that's probably OK.

This is a simple technique, but one that's quite effective if you're stretched for time and resources. If anything, it's a great way to build a quick prototype of a background or layout you want to try for your elearning course.

Tidbits:

I'm planning my schedule for next year. If you're interested in having a workshop in your area, have your local ISPI or ASTD chapter contact me.

August 30: Honolulu, HI (ASTD Hawaii). PowerPoint's No Longer a Slideshow Freak!Learn a bunch of PowerPoint tips and tricks.
September 27: Boston, MA (ADAPT). Two workshops: Rapid E-Learning (AM) & Build Interactive E-Learning (PM). Sign up now. Early bird discount ends August 15.
October 4: Seattle, WA (ASTDPS). Rapid E-Learning Workshop. Practical tips on getting the most out of the resources you have to build engaging and interactive elearning courses. Sign up before it sells out.
October 5: Seattle, WA (Ignite Your Mojo Conference). Learn the PowerPoint tips & tricks that you'd never learn from a book. Comes with all sorts of free resources, too.
October 17: Bloomington, IL (CIC-ASTD). Rapid E-Learning Design Workshop. Get practical tips for building engaging, interactive e-learning courses on a budget.
October 23: Milwaukee, WI (SEWI-ASTD). Two sessions: PowerPoint's No Longer a Slide Show Freak and Practical Approaches to Building Successful Communities.Sign up here.
October 24: Milwaukee, WI (SEWI-ASTD). Articulate Storyline: Advanced E-learning Made Simple. Sign up here.
November 14: Chicago, IL (CCASTD). Become a Rapid E-Learning Pro: Practical tips on getting the most out of the resources you have to build engaging and interactive elearning courses.
November 15: Chicago, IL (CCASTD). Getting Started with Articulate Storyline. Learn how to use Articulate Storyline to build engaging & interactive courses.
November 15: Chicago, IL (CCASTD). The Power of Rapid E-Learning. Presentation at chapter meeting.

Download your free 46-page ebook: The Insider's Guide to Becoming a Rapid E-Learning Pro

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Tuesday, August 28, 2012

How to Build an E-Learning Template in 30 Seconds

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