eLearningIndustry_Logo
Sign In
  • Join Newsletter
  • eBooks
  • Webinars
  • Find Top LMS Software
  • Find Top Authoring Tools
  • Find Top Content Providers
  • Advertise
  • Articles
    All Articles Publish an Article Learning Management Systems Authoring Tools Trends Design and Development Instructional Design Best Practices Free Resources
  • Directory
    Pick The Right eLearning Partner Content Providers Learning Management Systems Free LMS Consulting Review an LMS Promote Your LMS Authoring Tools Review an Authoring Tool Promote Your Authoring Tool Web Conferencing Software Project Management Software Course Marketplaces Language Providers Translation Providers Voice Actors Top eLearning Companies Registration
  • Events
    Webinars Promote Your Event All Events Conferences Congresses Events Seminars Symposiums Workshops Promoting Your Event Guide Free eBook
  • Press Releases
    Promote Your Press Release Press Releases Archive Press Release Guidelines Press Releases Guide Free eBook
  • Jobs
    Find Jobs Promote Your Job
  • Post Here

How can we help you?

Loading...
Oups. Something Has Gone Terribly Wrong. Please Try Later

Sign In

By signing in with LinkedIn, you're agreeing to create an account at elearningindustry.com and accept our terms of use and privacy policy.
Learn more about how we use LinkedIn.

How we use LinkedIn

We use LinkedIn to ensure that our users are real professionals who contribute and share reliable content.

When you sign in with LinkedIn, you are granting elearningindustry.com access to your LinkedIn account, which is used to authenticate you without you having to enter a different user name and password. We also use this access to retrieve the following information:

  • Your full name.
  • Your primary email address.

You can revoke this access at any time through your LinkedIn account.

Sign In with LinkedIn

Already have an account? Login here
  1. Home
  2. eLearning Design and Development
  3. How To Create 2D Characters In Your Online Courses
Photo of Erick Prospero
By Erick Prospero
February 1, 2019
3 minutes to read
Comments
eLearning Design and Development
editors choice badge Editors' Choice

How To Create 2D Characters In Your Online Courses

2D animation has so many benefits for eLearning. Learn how to design dynamic characters with 2D animation to increase learner engagement and retention.
how-to-create-2d-characters-in-your-online-courses
Artie Medvedev/Shutterstock.com

Tips To Creating 2D Characters In Online Courses

Engagement is critical to successful eLearning. As course creators use more video in their courses, learner engagement is at an all-time high. As eLearning professionals, it’s our duty to up the ante. While eLearning video is a step in the right direction, storytelling and strong characters bring learning to life. 2D animation, in particular, is promising for eLearning. 2D animation is simpler than 3D, and it helps your learners form close, emotional bonds with the course material.

But characters don’t appear out of thin air. The need to be created with intention, in ways that best serve the needs of your learners.

The Benefits Of 2D Characters

It’s easy to dismiss characters in your eLearning videos. Character creation is an extra step, but it’s one that reaps big rewards for your course and your learners. 2D animated characters have so many benefits for your learners. Some follow:

  1. They’re Engaging
    Humans build emotional bonds with characters. 2D animation helps you stand out and attract the interest of all learners, not just children. This motivates your learners to progress through the course and succeed.
  2. They De-Isolate Learners
    eLearning is convenient, but it can feel lonely. While self-directed learning is important, learners need a social connection to engage with course content. 2D animation helps learners feel like they’re receiving one-on-one attention, which feels less isolating.
  3. They Improve Retention
    Want learners to use what they learn? Then it’s time to use 2D animated characters.

Characters increase memory recall. Their strong personalities and storyline make learning more enjoyable, which, in turn, helps learners recall information. 2D animation helps you bridge the challenges and benefits of eLearning. You can easily provide students with human interaction while boosting retention, all thanks to character development.

How To Create 2D Characters For eLearning

If you haven’t used 2D characters in your eLearning course, now is the time to start. Follow these 5 guidelines to create characters that set your learning goals higher.

  1. Remember Your Audience
    Characters have to serve your audience’s learning objectives. Go into your 2D animation without preconceived notions for your characters. Instead, put yourself in your audience’s shoes. What type of character would your students like to see? For example, corporate learners might prefer a realistic human character, while kids might enjoy whimsical characters. If you can, try polling your students for ideas. You don’t want to create a character that doesn’t resonate with learner expectations.
  2. How Will You Use The Character?
    Before you start mocking up your characters, plan how, exactly, they fit into your eLearning course. What will the characters be doing? Will they stand relatively still, or zoom around the screen? Do they need particular clothing or props based on your script? The form of your characters has to allow a certain amount of function. It’s best to go with a simple design for your characters. This will make it easier for learners to understand the characters. It also makes it easier for you to do more dynamic poses with simple characters. Take these considerations into account before designing your character. You don’t want to build a character whose arms don’t function correctly for your script.
  3. Style And Aesthetic
    After you build a functional wireframe of your character, it’s time to apply styling. The style or aesthetic of your character is what makes them visually appealing to learners. The goal is to have a trademark style that learners immediately recognize as yours. Remember that the aesthetic does need to match the tone and content of your script. You don’t want a loony, over-the-top character if your course material is more serious.
  4. Personality
    Personality is key to the success of your 2D animation. For animated characters, much of their personality ties into their physical appearance. For example, Eeyore is gray and has sunken eyes. This is done on purpose to communicate his personality. Exaggerate certain features depending on the character’s personality. If you don’t know where to start, begin by listing adjectives or verbs that describe your character. Add features that correlate to those adjectives and verbs.
  5. Draw, Sketch, And Experiment
    Time to go to the drawing board. Remember that character creation is a process. You aren’t going to create a finalized character in your first sketch. Test different expressions and poses for the character. Focus on the character’s emotion, and how that serves your eLearning content.

The Bottom Line

2D animation is a clever way to boost learner retention and engagement. Invest in quality 2D animation for your eLearning video to see happier learners and more repeat students.

Characters In eLearning Editors' Choice eLearning Design Tips Video In eLearning Video Production Best Practices
  • Write or read Comments
Close
Subscribe to the newsletter Subscribe to the newsletter
eLearningIndustry_Logo
The best collection of eLearning articles, eLearning concepts, eLearning software, and eLearning resources.
  • Articles

    • Post Here
    • Top eLearning Authors
    • How To Publish An eLearning Article
    • How to View your Stats
    • Archive
  • Press Releases

    • Promote Your Press Release
    • Press Releases Guide eBook
    • How To Post A Press Release
    • Guidelines
    • Archive
  • Events

    • Promote Your Event
    • Promoting Your Event eBook
    • How To Post An Event
    • Archive
  • Directory

    • Get Listed
    • Top LMS Software
    • Free LMS Consulting
    • Top Authoring Tools
    • Top eLearning Content Providers
    • How to Create a Business Listing
    • How to Create a Product Listing
  • Jobs

    • Promote Your Job
    • How To Post And Manage A Job Listing
    • Job Openings
    • About
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
    • Support
    • Advertise
  • French flag ELEARNING INDUSTRY IN FRENCH
© 2011–2019 eLearning Industry.