233 TIPS ON GRAPHICS AND VISUAL DESIGN Join forums and other peer groups and associations. Keep searching for the latest examples out there that might inspire your next project. Keep your eyes and ears open to new applications and even new tools and features in your current software. There are some fantastic examples of gamification, branching scenarios, interactive quizzes, virtual reality, and so much more appearing all the time. I would recommend not sticking with one specific piece of eLearning design software, but experimenting with many—and not just those specific to the task. Sometimes starting off in PowerPoint can help you get your ideas out much quicker (I frequently use this for storyboarding to show to clients). And don’t be afraid to experiment; just make sure you do your user testing to get good, solid feedback. Anna-Leiza Barthorpe, British Columbia Provincial Government Every week, set aside dedicated time to curate inspiration. Use a site such as Pinterest or Flipboard to search for examples of great design across a variety of industries. Save and categorize examples by type, color, theme, or material so you can easily reference them later when you need inspiration. Theresa Decker, Samaritan’s Purse Everyone runs into a creative block now and then. After speaking with my customer and identifying their needs and design preferences, I may conduct a web search for similar products. When I find a design that might fit the task, I dissect it. What is it about the design that appeals to me? Is it the layout, color theme, font choices, artwork style? Which elements are applicable to my design task, and how can I emulate them without plagiarizing another’s work? In other words, how can I create my own design? Anita Keegan, Zeiders Enterprises Go to Disneyland! Every scene, decoration, and attraction has a lot of thought put into it and amazing detail. Props have enough context to get your mind started on a story and allow you to mentally create a narrative based on contextual clues. It’s a really fun mental exercise to daydream and helps nurture creativity. You can also translate the same energy into your design and think about the story and characters you’re creating, even if parts of it do not make it into your project. Crystal Rose, The eLearning Guild Becoming a good visual designer is very similar to becoming a good writer, musician, woodworker, programmer, or golfer. It takes years of practice and persistence while experiencing small victories and recovering from failure. Mike Beaulieu, GP Strategies I try to stimulate auditory and visual learners in my trainings, and sports have always inspired me in describing behavior. For example, if your task requires straightforward communication, using the image of an individual shooting an arrow at a target may help you drive the concept across. If your task requires a clear mind without stress, the image of a swimmer who must control breathing can also remind your trainees to breathe in and out to control stress. Though the images and context may not be 100 percent related, many employees agree that the images inspire them and add to the task at hand. Loly Lopez-Desola, LanguageLine Solutions 16 www.eLearningGuild.com