What's my Learning Solutions 2013 session about anyway?

There are few things more frustrating at a conference than getting excited about a session only to realize part way through that it isn't what you expected it to be.

You know how it works, you read a session description, plan to attend it, park yourself in the front of the session room, and then 5 minutes in you realize you've made a big mistake. Maybe the session description was a bit inaccurate, maybe the content is more basic or more advanced than you originally suspected, or perhaps the speaker wants to focus on a facet of the topic that just doesn't really interest you. Regardless, it's frustrating... especially if you happen to be seated somewhere where you can't escape the room discreetly.

Later this week I'm presenting a concurrent session at Learning Solutions in Orlando and the absolute last thing I want is for people to attend my session thinking it's going to be one thing and then being disappointed that it's something else. To prevent this, I thought I'd do a quick posting about what to expect if you come to my session.

What is it & when it is happening?
My session is Designing For Clarity: Graphic Design Tips for Non-Graphic Designers and it's taking place on Thursday from 10:45am-11:45am in the International North room.

What's it going to be about?
The session description is, happily enough, quite accurate.

Good design isn't just pretty: it can also do a lot to help learners understand your content quicker and feel less intimidated or frustrated with training in general. Clear design is absolutely worth spending time on, but the reality is that many of us don't have constant access to a graphic design team to help us out. That's why, even if you can barely draw a stick person, it's still valuable to have some basic design knowledge that you can use any time you have to create a document, PowerPoint deck, website, e-Learning lesson, or anything else on your own.

In my session I'm going to break down what exactly contributes to clear design. I'm also going to discuss simple tips and guidelines that even beginners can use immediately to create better designed projects.

Everything in the session will be focused on practical, use-on-Monday solutions. The content will also prepare you for continuing to learn about graphic design in the future.

Who's the right audience for this session?
First, the session is a great fit for anyone who has little to no design experience and would like to know more. Even people who don't directly design learning content themselves, but are asked to create presentations and documents for work, will get a lot out of this session.

Second, if you already work with graphic designers, this session can still give you a better understanding of what guides the design choices they make.

Finally, if you're someone who has a great understanding of design but is looking for some tips they can share with non-designer co-workers, this session might be for you as well.

What if I'm still not sure if this session is for me?
Definitely feel free to ask me more about it. Email (BiancaRWoods@gmail.com) and Twitter (@eGeeking) are great ways to reach me, but I'm also happy to chat about it if you happen to bump in to me at the conference.