Graphic Design Fundamentals for the Non-Designer

Graphic Design Fundamentals for the Non-Designer

Presenter: Bridget K. Brown
Associate Director, Training and Communications, Global Risk Services,
RGA Reinsurance Company
Adjunct Professor, School of Engineering and Applied Science,
Washington University

You’ve been designing technical courses for a long time whereby the computer program follows your mouse with no major graphic design necessary. Or perhaps you have spent most of your career as a subject matter expert where you told instructional designers what to include and they made it look pretty.  But now you find yourself needing to create a soft skills course or PowerPoint presentation that is visually inviting. There is just one problem - you know nothing about graphic design!

That’s the position that Bridget Brown, long time technical trainer and instructional designer, found herself in when she had to design online security awareness modules for a major local company and knew little about graphic design principles. This made her have to confront the question – how do you make computer-based training modules visually inviting when they are about soft skill topics like security, safety, legal or HR compliance?

This presentation will cover graphic design basics such as:

• White space, font, color, grid layout, consistency, and how these visual design elements can work together to increase learning retention.
• When creating policy and compliance training courses, what to do with all of that text!
• If you are reviewing and not the one designing, what to look for when overseeing work.
• Helpful online resources for graphic design.

Attendees are asked to bring a sketch or print out of a design problem from a training module or PowerPoint presentation for which you are currently looking for a solution to its visual appeal. Bridget will provide time to look at the issue and help you come up with design solutions. (No laptops needed!)

If you think you are a non-designer, this session is for you!

Presenter’s Bio:
Bridget K. Brown is a former actress and writer with 14 years of Instructional Design experience.  She manages the Security Awareness and Communications program and designs Legal Compliance Training at RGA Reinsurance Company.  She is also an Adjunct Professor at the School of Engineering and Applied Science at Washington University of St. Louis where she teaches graduate students in Cyber Security and Information Management how to give great public presentations using improvisation, storytelling and graphic design

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