Visual Design Solutions: Principles and Creative Inspiration for Learning Professionals

by Connie Malamed

Enhance learners' interest and understanding with visual design for instructional and information products No matter what medium you use to deliver content, if the visual design fails, the experience falls flat. Meaningful graphics and a compelling visual design supercharge instruction, training, and presentations, but this isn't easy to accomplish. Now you can conquer your design fears and knowledge gaps with Visual Design Solutions : a resource for learning professionals seeking to raise the bar on their graphics and visual design skills. This informal and friendly book guides you through the process and principles used by professional graphic designers. It also presents creative solutions and examples that you can start using right away. Anyone who envisions, designs, or creates instructional or informational graphics will benefit from the design strategies laid out in this comprehensive resource. Written by Connie Malamed, an art educator and instructional designer, this book will help you tap into your creativity, design with intention, and produce polished work. Whereas most graphic design books focus on logos, packaging, and brochures, Visual Design Solutions focuses on eLearning, presentations, and performance support. Visual Design Solutions includes practical guidelines for making smart design choices, ways to create professional-looking products, and principles for successful graphics that facilitate learning. Ideal for instructional designers, trainers, presenters, and professors who want to advance from haphazard to intentional design, this book will help them realize their design potential. In four parts, the book provides a thorough overview of the design process and design concepts; explores space, image, and typography; and presents workable solutions for your most persistent and puzzling design problems. Get started and begin creating captivating graphics for your learners.

Genres: Design

384 pages, Paperback

First published February 2, 2015

Reviews

[Bryan Sebesta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Speaking as someone just starting out in both the worlds of instructional and graphic design, this book is something of a godsend. My job is to make trainings for an IT company, and Connie Malamed magnifacently unfolded all that I was doing wrong and right. She taught me how to make visually appealing slides and training materials without it distracting from the content; how the eye wanders around the slides or printed page, and what it expects; how colors work together; and more. I highly recommend the book, particularly as it's the only book of its' kind (that I know of) to specifically address the visual arts in the context of learning and instructional design.

It is not comprehensive, and didn't intend to be, but it will be great for reference. I learned additional things by checking certain topics out on Lynda.com, such as more on color theory and grids. I think if supplemented by additional materials, some of which Connie Malamed points out and some of which I scouted out on my own, this book is great. But without it, it's very, very good--just not great. I do wish there was extra material online, available through some kind of LMS: video tutorials, further examples of concepts illustrated. That was my only real issue with it, is the lack of multiple examples of different concepts. Had there been this extra material, especially if available online, I think this would be a 5* work.