Many learners take an eLearning course because they have to, not because they want to. This is the reality for most learners. Every course developer should acknowledge their need to get in and out of the course quickly—and consume the material with as little friction as possible. Still, even the most motivated learners get frustrated with crappy courses.

Design is more pervasive than you think it is. The moment you fire up your eLearning tool and make a slide, you face issues of design whether you like it or not. And if you explore them a bit and find ways to improve a design, you become a designer yourself. You may primarily be a student, an author or a corporate executive. But you can effectively design an eLearning screen too.

The art and science of design acknowledges the habits and actions of people. Effective images, video and text take into account the reasons people do what they do to ensure the viewer gets the right information and takes and takes away the right message.

You’re neither an instructional designer nor a graphic designer. In fact, you don’t have any formal background in designing educational materials and interfaces. But you are willing to create an eLearning course on your own. Making something useful and effective can be a little bit daunting especially for first-timers. Don’t worry. Here’s an indispensable guide to the basics of creating DIY topnotch courses:

Everyone needs a little more time in their day, but since no one has invented the 27-hour day or a way to be in two places at once, we simply have to get more creative with how to use the time we have.

We know that creating learning content that's clear and concise is a no-brainer. But creating content that influences, motivates, engages and compells is not often a simple task to accomplish. The good news is you don’t have to be an expert to craft effective eLearning content. You only have to understand the basics well and execute it.

Though cardio it's good for your heart and helps your weight, it isn't the only necessary activity your body needs when exercising. Some strength training is also key to tone your muscles. And of course, stretching at the beginning is a must. The same happens in eLearning, you need more than only just text in your courses. While it is important to provide learners with facts and numbers, learners also require adequate experience in practical application and connection to facts to retain information.

The psychologist Abraham Maslow was best known for his theory of the hierarchy of needs. Entrepreneurs, managers, marketers and psychologists have all benefited from Maslow’s theory. But eLearning professionals too can benefit from his pyramid-style guide to human behavior.