Designing for Learning: Tales of Triumphs and Trials in Instructional Design
- Kea McElfresh
- Mar 24, 2023
- 2 min read

During the process of analyzing the infographics and presentations created by other designers, I was surprised by how critical I was of the work produced by everyone. Not only were the ideas that the other designers came up with impressive but also the way in which those ideas were put into action was really impressive. It astonished me to find out that some of the designers had taken into account the essential characteristics of the materials that we had learned about in our textbook "Visual Design Solutions" by Connie Malamed.
Every group did an excellent job of selecting the most significant portions of the book to illustrate how well they had synthesized the information. They relied on the infographic's general aesthetic in order to convey the information accurately.
Each team of designers never ignored that the purpose of an infographic is to deliver complicated information in a style that can be easily comprehended. They instead concentrated on developing visually appealing designs that were simple to read. The groups in our class not only have great information to impart to one another, but they also arranged it in a fashion that was both aesthetically pleasing and straightforward to grasp.
I have continued to implement theory, research, and standards-based best practices for effective instruction with visual media. One of the ways I have done this is by delving further into more of the resources that are offered by Connie Malamade. I started searching for other available resources from this fantastic author, and what I found was an absolute treasure trove of useful information.
In her podcast “Do learners understand your instructional graphics?” Connie Malamed speaks with Elizabeth Boling about key topics that relate to visual design for instructions. From decoding various graphics to how people interpret those graphics are really interpreted by the audience, their conversation is a great addition to Malamed’s visual design solutions textbook resource.
There are a few ways I plan on applying the design methodology, information, research, and strategies I have discovered to my own presentations. Luckily, Malamade has created an incredible step-by-step process to ensure success.
The following is a detailed breakdown of Connie Malamed's outline of the graphic design process that was made by yours truly. With the help of this detailed guide, I will have no trouble starting and finishing the visual design process successfully. I intend to use the resources that Connie has provided in order to visually engage my audience during my own presentations that I give in my role as an instructional designer.

Being up to date with current trends and technological developments will prove to be useful, given the fluid nature of both the tools used in visual design and the designs themselves. Instructional designers will find that utilizing Connie Malamade's book and the resources it contains is the ideal pairing. Malamade's phases provide non-graphic designers with the ability to confidently cycle through the design process of education, much like instructional designers follow a method to help our audiences achieve their learning goals.
References:
Malamed, C. (2019, March 21). ELC 054: Do learners understand your instructional graphics? The eLearning Coach. https://theelearningcoach.com/podcasts/54/
https://theelearningcoach.com/category/learning/. (2021, September 6). The eLearning Coach. https://theelearningcoach.com/
Malamed, C. (2015, March 31). Visual Design Solutions: Principles and Creative Inspiration for Learning Professionals.
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