Two New Things

Recently my company has undergone a rebranding, and our corporate colors and product names have changed.  Due to this we were tapped by a new source, Sales.  

They asked if we could convert their product encyclopedia, their “pitch deck”, and their other materials into 8 to 12 eye catching slides.  We agreed, before finding out we had ONE DAY to turn the project in.  Needless to say, we dug in and learned a lot about a new product and how Sales pitches that product.  

I also downloaded Camtasia last week, so this will be my attempt to see if MP4s will post on my blog.  The video features sanitized versions of the slides I developed for sales. 

Menus and Branching

The question came up, which is my “favorite menu”?  A few jumped to mind, Editor’s Toolbox and The Quest of MedQuistadora, but in the end, two projects won out for two entirely different reasons. 

The Expense Report menu is an intriguing graphic menu.  It has three main “clickable” areas, one of which is not on the image itself.  One stipulation for the project was to give the user the ability to skip ahead to any section that they had a question about, so for this we used the Outline Tab on the left.  Otherwise, the user can explore by clicking on the other two options.

In Installing the Virtual Desktop the menus are simple and text-driven.  Green navigation buttons are used throughout, and guide the user though a number of self-checks and installation instructions.  The project branches many directions, but as far as the user knows, it’s all just few clicks to completion.

Title Bars

The title bar is on every slide and takes up a decent amount of real estate; and yet, many times it gets no love or attention.   The title should be clear and legible, but that does not prohibit it from adding to your overall look.  Here are a few examples I’ve done, two art deco and two nature-themed title bars.

Red Art Deco

Gold Art Deco

Red Nature

Green Nature

Expanders – Creating a System

The Expanders - Creating the System project teaches users the methodology for creating word expansions.  The presentation is elevated by the clever use of six different Engage interactions.  This keeps the user active and thinking, rather than simply watching.  The interaction also break the material up into digestible sections, and thus avoiding information overload.

Sound interesting?  Download the ZIP, and take a closer look.

Articulate Demo

A few months ago a co-worker asked if I would create a quick demo to show off the new features of Articulate Studio '09 for our weekly meeting. While playing with the new software, I came across Screenr, a screen capture Web site hosted by Articulate.

http://www.screenr.com/

I thought I'd give it a try. Screenr is so easy to use, and in no time I was pulling off MP4 and importing them into Articulate presenter presentation. The presentation is a little rough on purpose, but if you want to see it, you can download the zip.

The HIPAA Project

With the HIPAA project I worked closely with the Legal Department.  As you might imagine, they can be a tough customer as they have a tendency to be very verbose and very adamant about how the message is to be relayed.  You will want to avoid words like ad hoc or improvisation around them.

After a few preliminary meetings, I realized that the presentation was going to be very dry and very text driven.  With this in mind, I knew I would need to break up the flow of the presentation with bright energetic images.

Five things I really like from this project are:
1.  The All-White Template – This allowed me to use colorful images without them clashing with the Presenter Template.
2.  Big images – These allowed me to create real visual interest and draw the user into the project.  Also, they helped to break up monotony of bullet-driven slides.
3.  Clustering – Clusters are the artistic bunching of small, less interesting images.  When combined they are dynamic and bring otherwise boring material to life.
4.  Do’s and Don’ts – These slides break the mold, because they don’t use bullets; a common sight in PowerPoint Presentations.
5.  Call out boxes – These draw interest to particularly weighty points.  Also, for warnings I used “pink boxes” in opposed to red text; I find this effect less jarring and more professional looking.

Let’s take a closer look:

ISC Sample Layout

When I create a layout for an Independent Study Course, I try not to be too fancy.  This can be hard after spending so much time in the design phase, but the easier it is for the user to access the information, the more successful they will be.  Bold is the only flourish I allow myself, and I will generally only use bold when increasing the font size is not an option.  Also, I am opposed to colored text, especially, the over use of red.  I prefer just to spell it out for the user:

Important: Read this.

Below is a sample layout:

Welcome Title
Welcome Message: 
Always welcome the user to training.  Let them know who to contact with questions.

Primary Subject Title
Timeline:  When you expect the user to take the training.
Duration: How much of the user’s time will training take/the maximum time allowed for training.

Curriculum:
A message regarding the overall goals and acquired skills gained by the completion of the course.

Prerequisite(s):
Anything the user must complete before beginning the training course.

Reference Materials:
All Reference materials associated with this course.  Typically these are Quick Cards, Glossaries, and/or outside vendor materials.

Instructions:
Any instructions pertaining to how to complete the Independent Study Course.  Less is more.

Syllabus:
A list of modules, practice exercises, and assessments that the user must complete to be fluent on the Primary Subject.

Module Title (there will be several of these)
Duration:  How long.
Topics: A list of the presented topics.

Important Notes:
Anything that the Instructor/Facilitator determines needs repeating to have the user successfully complete the course.  Typically, this information is an instruction.

Secondary Subject(s) Title
Secondary Subject message/instructions:
Generally, this is a link to an already existing training course.

Deployment: Independent Study Courses

Often I am tapped to provide my expertise to the development and implementation of new policies, projects, and procedures.  I think it is because of my ability to see the long view, from information gathering to completion. I find that ample time and thought are given to specific designs and messages and to what metrics to record, but at the expense of deployment methodology and sound taxonomy.  So I find my most useful role is as a deployment specialist, or in reality, the person who can envision the training from the user’s perspective.

Here is a recent Independent Study Course I put together.  It’s not flashy, but I find the users happily conform to this method much better than the other practices that have been implemented in the past.  

I have a few simple deployment rules:

1.  Deploy the information in as concise a method as possible.  

Think instructions, not lessons.  Break areas into digestible sections to which a user can return.  Promote the idea that everything they need can be found right here.  The deployment technology employed may not be the most conducive to learning, so you need to pioneer new ways to reach the user and be willing to revamp any parts that do not work.

2.  Always welcome the user.  

Most users are nervous and unfamiliar with online learning, so setting a positive tone early helps.

3.  Tell the user what they need to know to succeed and nothing more.  

I know this is near impossible, as training often has to be written before a product is released or in anticipation to other confidential changes.  However, too many distractions can lead users to remember all the things you told them to ignore.  I was pained to have to add the reference to the previous payroll system, but it was so embedded into the training materials that we decided a comment was unavoidable.

4.  Tell the user what you expect from him or her.  

These can be work-specific goals, but many times they are simple instructions.  Also, by setting time limits you encourage users to work, and not procrastinate.

5.  Do not overwhelm the user with choices. 

The Syllabus must be straight path with no deviation.  I suggest having a definitive order in which the modules of the course are to be completed.  Free or exploratory navigation is fine within a single module, but not for the course as a whole.

6.  Do not confuse the user with complicated emails or alternate training scenarios.  

In this case the Additional Training is clearly separated from the Primary Training.  Also, by including the Reference Materials as part of the course, we eliminated two emails.

7.  Anything important is worth saying more than once.  

You don’t need to explain it, just state it.

Importing PPT Slides Into Captivate Tutorial

Recently, I turned out a series of Captivate Presentations.  Each was unique, but they were all very uniform.  One of the ways to accomplish this is by incorporating PowerPoint slides.  In the tutorial below I show you two ways to do this.  Enjoy.

Quizmaker Confirmation

The remainder of November was an avalanche of work, and we had to stay ahead of it or be crushed by it.  I think I thrive under the pressure, and looking at it all now, I'm amazed by how much I/we got done.  Unfortunately, the long hours meant I did not have time to be exceptionally creative.  I can't show you much, but below is a Screenr of a non-specific copy of the Quizmaker Confirmation I made at the end.

Given the circumstances and our lack of a true LMS, I think it was the best solution.

Enjoy!