My response to the brief

For me, it was most important to get the look and feel right of this microlearning, before proceeding. As there was going to branching across four sectors, I wanted to make sure I had a solid template in place that would speed up the process of slide creation.

Using the client’s brand guidelines, I created a look and feel document, which I had approved by the client, before proceeding into any build.

Whilst the microlearning was only to be 5-7 minutes long, it was important that the content was still well thought out and a storyboard was created. After discussions with the client, we felt the differentiation between sectors could be present through imagery, as opposed to content. Therefore, I created one storyboard to be used across all 4 branches of the microlearning.

It was important to not skip this step as the microlearning was to include narration, therefore I needed to ensure the client was 100% with the script before it was sent for recording. It can also be quite difficult and time consuming to amend content across 4 branching pathways, therefore I wanted the content to be as close to perfect as possible, before progressing into the build.

Challenges and solutions

• The first challenge was incorporating interactivity into the microlearning. With such a short amount of time, it was important to not overdo it in terms of complex interactivity. Instead of overcomplicating things with click to reveal or multiple choice questions, it was determined that it would be better to keep the interactivity focused around the ‘hero example’ that was being highlighted. This example featured a short video clip with a follow-up question. The content surrounding this was presented visually and using a mix of audio and imagery to keep the viewer engaged.

• Another challenge was the audience. It’s not often I write learning with intention of it being a promotional or marketing piece. Therefore when writing the content for the microlearning, I had to keep in mind that the end result wasn’t for the user to have gained new skills or knowledge, it was to sell them on a product or service. I was also conscious that the person viewing the microlearning would likely not have a lot of time, therefore would not want to be waiting for slides to finish, or reading lengthy content. So, content on screen was kept short, using bullet points. All slides were also unlocked, allowing the user to progress, or go back and replay slides if they wish.

  At the end of the microlearning a call to action button was also added. This enables the user to easily get in touch with CPI, if they would like to know more about the products or services on offer.

• A final challenge was ensuring the user was aware what was the example content and what was part of the microlearning. We had an introductory slide, but I also changed the design of the example content slides so that they were obviously different to the other microlearning slides. I created a window within the main slide space to make it appear as if the example content had opened in a separate window. I also added a little note at the top of this ‘window’ which read CPI microlearning example, so that it was clear to the user they were viewing the example content.