How To Use Custom Fonts In eLearning
There are various things to consider when you're designing an eLearning course, such as analyzing your audience and choosing the right content or multimedia. However, what often make a difference are the seemingly insignificant details. The font you choose, for example, can take the aesthetic appeal of your eLearning deliverable to a whole new level. Selecting the ideal fonts can be a daunting task though, particularly if you are trying to create a specific theme or evoke emotions within your learning audience.
Here are some handful tips that will help you to successfully integrate custom fonts into your eLearning deliverable.
- Readability always comes before visual appeal.
It may be tempting to use elegant fonts or those that are ornately designed. However, keep in mind that readability is of paramount importance. If you opt for a font that is aesthetically pleasing, but not legible, this can spell disaster for your eLearning deliverable. So, when choosing the perfect font for your eLearning course, ensure that it strikes a good balance between visual appeal and practicality. Otherwise, no matter how well written and organized your content might be, it just won't offer any real value to your online learners. If in doubt, be conservative and go with a font that may be more basic, but also more legible. - Have a clear idea of the tone you're trying to convey.
Before you dive into the font selection process, you'll want to have a clear idea of the mood and tone you're striving for. This will help you narrow down your list of possible fonts, and even choose a theme that will help you to achieve the desired affect. This will often go hand-in-hand with the learning objective or goal, given that the font should ultimately reflect the message you are trying to convey. Also, you'll want to select fonts that mesh well together. For example, even if you are trying to create a different mood on one page and a completely different mood on the next by using fonts, you'll still need to ensure that each font type blends with the overall design of the eLearning course. - Less is more when it comes to font utilization.
When utilizing custom fonts, you'll want to use no more than three or four font types throughout the eLearning course. Any more than this will make the eLearning course look chaotic or cluttered. Keep it simple and stick to your theme in order to bring a more cohesive feel to the learners’ eLearning experience. If you have more than a handful of fonts picked out, then assess each and choose the ones that complement each other rather than clash. - Custom fonts shouldn't be the star of your eLearning course.
Regardless of which fonts you select for your eLearning course, they shouldn't steal the show from the content that you've worked so hard to create. Ideally, you'll want to choose font types that are subtle, but highly effective. Also, for the body of the text, opt for fonts that are more understated, such as Sans Serif or Helvetica, as these will allow your learners to acquire the information without providing an unwanted distraction. - Draw attention to key points by using unique font types.
Try to use a different custom font for headlines and important pieces of information that the learner needs to absorb. This will help to draw their attention the core subject matter, so that they can more effectively achieve their learning goals and avoid dreaded cognitive overload. In many respects, you can guide your learners through the eLearning course by just using the proper fonts, as it enables you to direct their focus and highlight information that they should commit to their long term memory.
The Benefits of Using Custom Fonts in eLearning
There are a variety of benefits associated with using custom fonts in eLearning. Below you'll find just a few of the most convincing arguments for why you may want to integrate them into your eLearning deliverables.
- Effectively reflects your brand image.
One of the most notable advantages of using custom fonts in eLearning is that it can reflect your brand image and message, or that of your client. For example, if you are designing a training module for a Fortune 500 company that is known for its sophistication and style, you can use fonts that may be a bit avant garde or modern. - Helps to learner to emotionally connect to the content.
By using custom fonts in eLearning, you create an emotional atmosphere for your learning audience. You gain the ability to design emotionally driven courses, even if your subject matter may be dull or dry. When learner's see a particular custom font, they often experience a specific mood or feeling. This helps them to connect to the material on an entirely different level, because they feel more immersed within the learning environment that you've created. - Make any eLearning course eye-catching.
Custom fonts in eLearning give eLearning professionals the opportunity to enhance the aesthetic appeal of any eLearning course. Even eLearning courses that have minimal graphics and images, or colors can become eye-catching eLearning deliverables, thanks to carefully selected custom fonts. This is why it's so important to choose the right font types, as you want to ensure that you are creating a look and feel that is in-line with the subject matter and brand image.
Using custom fonts in eLearning can offer you the chance to create meaningful, high impact eLearning courses, regardless of the subject matter or project budget. By using these tips and tricks when adding fonts to your eLearning deliverables, you get the chance to transform them into emotionally-driven, effective, and engaging eLearning experiences.
Want to learn more about the importance of the fonts in your eLearning course? The article Do the Fonts of your eLearning Course make a good first impression? talks about the pitfalls of having the wrong font in the wrong place.
In addition, at the article Choose The Right Text For Your eLearning Course you will find 4 tips to choose the right text to make a good first impression.
Last but not least, you are more than welcome to read the article Top 10 Graphic Design Tips for eLearning Success. This article features 10 graphic design tips that each and every eLearning professional should be familiar with.
