Embed MicroLearning
I was approached by Embed who were in need of a 5-minute, template microlearning which they could send out to potential clients. This was to act as a ‘hero’ example, highlighting the quality of the work they produce and was to be used as a marketing piece.
The client requested this be created in Articulate Rise, as this is the software they use internally and would allow them the ability to edit the microlearning if needs be.
They provided the example topic of ‘Digital Communication’ and I was given a rough outline for content. However, my skillset was needed as a learning designer to bring this content to life, add interactivity and build it out within the authoring tool. It was also key that this microlearning was impactful visually, therefore my skillset as a graphic designer was required too.
PROJECT DETAILS
Role: ELearning Developer, Instructional Designer.
Brief: creation of a microlearning course marketing purposes.
Date: January 2025.
Duration: 1 week.
TOOLS
Articulate Rise.
Affinity Designer.
SKILLS
ELearning development.
Graphic design.
Instructional design.
My response to the brief
The turnaround for this project was quick as the main focus was on the graphic design and functionality of this course over the content itself. The content was intended to be ‘filler’, so whilst consideration had to be given to the learning design and interactivity, the content was very concise therefore was a very small part of this project. My main focus and challenge was taking Embed’s branding and really translating this throughout the Rise build, in a way that was accessible, didn’t hinder the functionality and maintained visual impact across device views.
Interactivity
I kept interactivity simple, the client requested one Storyline block, therefore I made the most of the elevated functionality Storyline can bring and created an interactive decision tree. This would not have been possible with Rise’s interactivity, therefore I felt it was the best use of the Storyline block. Aside from this, I opted for variety of Rise blocks - highlighting visuals using labelled graphics and harnessing question blocks and flashcards for short knowledge checks. The course had to be accessible, therefore I was careful to only use blocks that meet accessibility standards, this meant being slightly more creative in how I presented the content.
Graphic design
This course had to feel instantly recognisable as linking to Embed, therefore it was important when designing each block, consideration was given to brand colours, the logo and style of imagery in alignment with their brand guidelines.
I wanted to use the teardrop shape and curvy shapes throughout the Rise course to avoid a blocky, segregated feel. The teardrop shape was perfect for housing images and I continued this influence throughout the build by adding wavy dividers and using these shapes to hold icons too. As accessibility was important, I kept the bright orange as an accent colour only, using it for flashcards and markers, this helped break up the green and yellow hues.
To ensure the graphics translated well across devices, I continually checked the responsive view, making adjustments where graphics were either cut off, or didn’t look as good outside of traditional desktop view. Whilst this was a fairly straightforward build, the only challenge which arose was around the font. Within their brand guidelines the client had two fonts, one for headings and the other body text. The heading text did not translate well in Rise, whilst in a larger size it was okay, but Rise automatically applied this to smaller elements like flashcards, rendering it difficult to read. I flagged this with the client and it was agreed best to use the body text font for all elements to maintain readability.