E-learning course developers preparing content for migration to learning management system are typically faced with a host of choices to make. Besides the more practical concerns such as navigation and deciding which tools to employ, there are also aesthetic choices. Namely, you’ll have to make choices regarding the course’s style and design. Your courseware logo is just one element in the design–but it’s an important one.

Is a courseware logo really important, you might wonder? True, a logo is somewhat like a book cover; ultimately, it doesn’t mean too much. And of course, in order to prosper in a competitive e-learning market, your courseware absolutely must be robust and well developed, interactive, and based on your own expertise and experience. On the other hand, let’s face it: phrases like „Don’t judge a book by its cover“ don’t exist for no reason. The truth is that we do make fast, visually-cued judgments all the time. These little judgments aid tremendously in our decision-making process. This goes for everything from what shampoo or cereal to buy to more critical decisions like a romantic partner, or, well, education. A unique and visually appealing logo may help someone decide between your courseware and another.

In this way, your logo is a tiny but potent symbol of your e-learning courseware. It represents the learning content and helps facilitate customer recognition.

Logos can be a simple name or logotype or an ideograms (visual including icons, signs and emblems). Ideograms are often easily recognizable alone. For example, the McDonald’s arc is easily identifiable without the necessity to see the word „McDonald’s.“

Although some courseware developers and companies rely on pre-packaged logos, your own design might be the best solution–not to mention the most fun to come up with. Remember, it’s your content and your vision. And in any case, a logo can be very easy to design.

The first step in creating a unique and interesting e-learning courseware logo is to brainstorm. Use up lots of paper, and sketch and write out everything by hand. Large design firms use this system, sketching everything out by hand before even referring to a computer. Sketching is the best way to quickly visualize, imagine and produce your courseware logo.

Once you have your simple and aesthetically pleasing logo design, it’s time to play with it. Try many different things. Experiment with different shades and colors. Try different combinations. Put your logo in many situations, adding text in different positions to find out where it looks best. Try out different fonts and sizes.

Throughout it all, keep your users in mind. Create a logo with a bold and unique e-learning course logo design whose integrity and innovation suits that of the learning management system course itself.

Create online learning modules for logo design, Courseware and other topics on Coggno’s Learning Management System. Share your expertise now. To create a free account visit http://www.coggno.com/lms3, complete contact form to start the process.