Considerations for ways to put more of an organization’s brand into a developed course.
As a full time ID responsible for making corporate training assets, I’m consistently seeking ideas for how to incorporate the company [brand] in courses. The following are ways you might consider display an organization’s “personality” to learners.
1. Mock-ups
2. Color & Typography
3. Company PR
4. The Familiar & Recognizable
Mock-ups
- Stationary Products
- Company “Gear” and Other Recognizable Objects
- Resources in Various Company Roles
Examples:
Imagery may feature stationary such as a business card, department newsletter, or paper with letterhead.
Accessories to include items worn by people or characters in the course (desk name plate with familiar leader’s name or cap/hat with the company logo).
Tools and resources can be presented and used or referenced accordingly to learners either directly or indirectly.
A mockup might be presented within an image, like the screen of a visible device (or even an animated GIF)!
Color & Typography
- Logos
- Color Palette
- Branded Graphics
- Typography/Font
Consider what the company has identified and claimed as their branding elements, used to create a consistent look (type styles and fonts, colors, graphics, and layouts) and implement these elements in specific parts or repeat throughout the course.
When appropriate, design using the branding rules the company has in place to include things like typography hierarchy, the use of shapes or patterns, or trademarks.
Color can be used to manipulate images for example so that objects display with the company or a settle can be taken to mildly treat an image and give it a tone aligned with branding.
Company PR
- Public media
- Reports/White Papers
- Case-studies
Examples:
A course might feature to include PR material (video, product/service ads, news clips, interviews, real case studies, employee submissions) or use it as instructional content to be referenced.
Scenario-based learning might consider available feedback and data from employee surveys or behavioral trends to create authentic experiences that have proven common in a particular business area and/or job role.
Familiar & Recognizable People, Places, Objects, & Scenarios
- Common Company Standards
- Case-studies
- Setting of Company Headquarter or Other Vital Location(s)
Examples:
Watermarked media might be presented in video or a printed documents with company name or logo.
Known Policies, Procedures, or Traditions (at company or department level) or “fun facts” about the company or even general facts (or events that are more common to be relatable) that are specific to a job role. Familiar items may also include any internal lingo or references.
Instructions might include visual or audible references learners are likely to recognize (voice of a spokesperson, a headquarters building, or maybe something more abstract like a company practice or tradition).
Stock images that mimic the look of the company: the setting, the people, what the image suggests.
Conclusion
Of course not all these suggestions will be feasible or readily available, so creativity is encouraged! Mock-ups can be created with low cost and free generators online, staff might be recruited for voiceover work (can’t get more authentic than that right?), or maybe stakeholders to have professional photographers on occasions to build an exclusive media collection.
These are some great ideas of how to add company ‘flare’ to corporate training. Thanks for sharing.
Company flare, I love it!
I like a lot of what you mention in this article, but allow me to add some real practical information if you are using Captivate for eLearning assets in a company.
I am bit astonished that you don’t mention Themes? Creation of a custom company Theme is the first thing to consider when you are working for a company. It will include the colors in the Theme Color Palette, the fonts in the Theme fonts, Styles in the Object styles, logos and other information on Master slides, including user variables if necessary, setup of the Skin (Table of Contents, Playbar if used). If you are working with a team, also set up rules for ‘labeling’ objects in Captivate.
When combining with having one or more projects which can be used as External Libraries in any project for much used Assets (graphics, audio…) which are not embedded in the Theme Master slides and much used Shared Actions which can save you tons of hours to create interactions and to define variables. Maybe I will have to write out more blogs about that ‘good practice’ for companies.
Whenever I am asked to coach a training for a company I will spend lot of training time
That is a good (and quick) way to implement brand! Hopefully readers see your comment.
We use a “template” at my current place of employment but with so many issues with it, I typically avoid it, using it more as a source of inspiration! Great suggestion!
Thanks for your positive attitude, have been insulted many times because I post a comment.
Concerning Captivate themes are the way to go, but too bad only little time is spent on Themes in most training. Just use the Search function here to check who is publishing about Themes? I have a table with all blogs I wrote about that specific topic. Never use a template, use a Theme, and add some external libraries. Always part of my basic training.
Only very few will read my comments. But even if it is only you who finds a way to save time, that is already sufficient for me.
That may be my department’s issue…I don’t think it’s a true theme.
And as long as your comments intend to encourage or assist, always feel free to comment on my comment or any blog post. 🙂
Thanks 🙂
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