Using Branding to Build Better Online Courses
Abstract: When developing online courses, design and branding is an important component of overall design. Course branding conveys a unified design by applying a unique look and feel to the course and materials. Text (in one form or another) is the primary delivery method for instruction in the online environment. A cohesive course design makes courses easier for students to navigate, makes the course site more usable and organized, and sets the tone of the course as professional and high-quality. This presentation will describe our process and approach to course branding, provide examples of complete course designs, and offer suggestions and lessons learned for online course branding. Topics will include branding within an LMS, creating branded templates for faculty and instructional designers, and the use of icons and layouts. We will present before and after examples and discuss how content comes in from faculty and the process of organizing and developing it into the final result.