Effective Graphic Design on a Flipchart [Archive]

kbenson

27-01-2009, 07:27 PM

I'm preparing for an upcoming professional development workshop. One of the topics is effective graphic design (fonts, text sizes, color choices, layout, etc.). My building has ActivClassrooms throughout so teachers are "inventing" flipcharts for their instruction. This has taken off so quickly. Many of them never had a projector in their classroom before and now they not only have not only a laptop connected to a projector but an ActivBoard as well. It is like they jumped over the PowerPoint stage (which is fine), but there is a gap in their understanding about good graphic design elements. I have found plenty of "rules of thumb" for creating visually effective PowerPoint presentations. Can anyone point me in the direction of a comparable article about flipchart design? If no such resource exists, are their rules of thumb you use?

Here are some questions I am wondering about:

Do the same rules of thumb that are recommended for business PowerPoint presentations apply in a K-12 flipchart?
Does appropriate text size and preferred font differ depending on the age of the student?
If you can interactively reveal text or graphics on the fly, how does this impact the quantity of text you can include or the number of graphics on a page?
BTW: I have a separate topic on engaging the learner through interactivity. I have found plenty on best practices pertaining to this topic with Interactive Whiteboards. My missing piece is the effective graphic design specifically for this medium. Thanks.

LisaD

28-01-2009, 12:51 AM

Do you think it would be appropriate to show some examples of flipchart pages and have them use the Activexpressions to submit their thoughts on each page. Some pages with various design choices.

Lisa

kbenson

28-01-2009, 02:22 AM

Yes definitely. That approach is inquiry based. Then, I'd still like such an article or "rules of thumb" for myself as the facilitator of the discussion.

lsmith2

31-01-2009, 04:16 PM

I don't know if this is what you are looking for, but for me I never use a font smaller than 24 pt. Otherwise it is hard for the students who may be far away to see what is on the board.

I also try to use colors that have high contrast, a light background with dark text or a dark background with light text. Always check your pages in your room on your board brfore you use them. Sometimes pages that look beautiful on your computer are difficult to see when projected.

I like to use the same background for every page in my lessons. I think it kind of ties the whole thing together with uniformity.

It is very easy to get carried away with graphics on your pages. Sometimes less is more, especially when it comes to animated clipart.

Those are just a few things that I can think of off the top of my head. Hope it helps.

LisaD

31-01-2009, 05:11 PM

I agree with all of your points, Laura!

Lisa

kbenson

01-02-2009, 06:25 PM

I agree as well. You provided a great summary. Thank you.

Nigel Pearce

01-02-2009, 06:55 PM

Another design criteria is to consider the height of your students when laying out your pages.

You may find it better to add instructional text in the top third of the page and interactive elements in the bottom two thirds.

This is something we were mindful of when designing the Activprimary interface, ensuring that the majority of the student oriented tools were not placed at the top of the whiteboard.

LisaD

01-02-2009, 07:36 PM

I have also seen many schools keep the "Essential Question" as a Header Style across all pages.

Lisa

kbenson

01-02-2009, 08:03 PM

Thanks more good ideas!

kathleen

02-02-2009, 02:36 PM

Great questions...as we share best practices

I like to have folks consider using what we know about multiple intelligences and weave components into each lesson...sound, video, movement, color, big questions...etc... Some veteran teachers begin just by typing their lesson onto a flipchart page and do not use color or images... encourage images on each page and less text with bullet points or interactive moveable text boxes...etc.

Large font sizes and color considerations are key... Consider the attached resources for visually impaired students and also for dyslexic students. The Irlen method is well known for helping students overcome reading disability with colored overlays. Please check out the attached...

For Elementary K-3 students please use Comic Sans font so the letter "a" and "g" for example look the same typed as they do in handwriting exercises...

scaulfield

02-02-2009, 03:39 PM

kbenson

02-02-2009, 03:46 PM

Wow Kathleen. I've been a technology integration teacher for ten years and this is news to me. Thank you so much for sharing. I will certainly convey this content to my teachers. [clap]

Thanks for your tips too Scott. I'm getting so much useful information out of this thread :)

gpatrenos

02-02-2009, 03:58 PM

Thank you for your comment about comic sans, it is very important to the younger students.[clap]
For older students try to use fonts and colors that tie into culture or subject,
for instance you might want to use an Art Deco font to study New York in the 1920's,
and papyrus for Ancient Egypt.;)

Westlake

02-02-2009, 08:08 PM

I will say that the #1 thing that I am working on is having more "White Space" or empty space on the flipcharts.
Sometimes we do go overboard with graphics and other things that the pages get a bit messy. Pages look so much cleaner and professional if you have more open space. Even if it means breaking up information over 3-4 pages.
And also, the empty space is vital for annotating and working space during the lesson. Pages that are totally filled up leave NO ROOM to do anything...
Hilary

alydon

02-02-2009, 10:30 PM

I think it is important to limit the number of fonts on a page
remember that the 'world' exists for things to hang in so they can be displayed when needed and not clutter the page unnecesarily
if students are going to write on the board, ensure there is space in the right parts- bottom?
remember to lock things to ensure children dont move things when they write

kbenson

02-02-2009, 11:09 PM

Thank you. I agree. The point is engagement and locking things that shouldn't move as well as leaving room for students to annotate both facilitate engagement.

BTW: I'm compiling a list from this thread and when I get a chance I'm going to make it into a flipchart for professional development. I'll post it whenever it is ready.

Nigel Pearce

02-02-2009, 11:37 PM

One thing you may wish to do is to provide an instructional page describing the preferred system setup for your material.

Remember that your target audience may not have their systems set to be the same as yours and this can make a difference.

As an example, you author your flipchart to have pages sized at 1024x768 pixels and you place certain objects in the world space ready to 'reveal drag' them onto the page.
If this flipchart is subsequently opened on a system having a widescreen display, your world objects will become incorrectly visible, especially if this system has the Studio Page Scale set to Best Fit.

LisaD

02-02-2009, 11:40 PM

Page notes! I think that's a must!

Lisa

LisaD

02-02-2009, 11:49 PM

Here are a couple of flipcharts that I think have great design:
Place Value Hotel
http://www.prometheanplanet.com/server.php?show=ConResource.19659

Martin Luther King, Jr.
http://www.prometheanplanet.com/server.php?show=ConResource.287

And I would have to say that some of the newer page templates are VERY WELL designed. I just love them! Have you seen the new ones that comes with the Inspire Preview? I am certainly inspired!

Also, the new "Activpacks" and "Activlessons" have GREAT design.
While you cannot download them for free, you can preview them and get a good idea of how the pages look!
http://www.prometheanplanet.com/server.php?show=ConResource.15126
http://www.prometheanplanet.com/server.php?show=ConResource.19454

Have any of you tried these out yet? I'm not sure of the cost.

Lisa

Cindy H

03-02-2009, 12:55 AM

angiemccp

03-02-2009, 04:04 AM

I try to use 18pt all the time. I also have developed my own style with design. My class knows that if there is an asterisk by a word that a definition is provided at the bottom of the flipchart page. I make sure all flipchart pages dealing with one concept are the same color. And I totally agree, more often than not - less is more. While it is tempting to try to use all of the great Activ options, it can be counterproductive is the students focus more on the activity and less on the information to be learned. Consistency in small design methods makes a big difference. Students want to know what to expect.

kbenson

03-02-2009, 04:56 PM

The lessons on Lisa's first link are $2.00 and on the second link they are $7.50. I've purchased some of the DK ones and they're great! I haven't created anything with them yet but it will be easy to do. If I remember right the cost is for a site license...can't beat that!

Cindy

FYI: I went back to the Promethean Planet web site and the prices are for single user licenses. I don't know the cost for site licenses. I did preview them. I do like their look and feel. I agree that they are good models of effective graphic design. :-/

htemske

04-02-2009, 01:20 AM

FYI: I went back to the Promethean Planet web site and the prices are for single user licenses. I don't know the cost for site licenses. I did preview them. I do like their look and feel. I agree that they are good models of effective graphic design. :-/

You are both correct. It originally said site but has since been changed to single.

Cindy H

04-02-2009, 04:39 AM

Thanks, Heather because I could swear it said "site license". I'm glad I hadn't shared with anyone at my school yet. Still, the price is great and they are really good for making quick and interesting flipcharts.

Cindy

htemske

04-02-2009, 11:34 AM

I agree! I bought a couple as well but haven't had a chance to use them yet.

gpatrenos

04-02-2009, 07:29 PM

I've noticed a couple of members have mentioned text size but be careful not to go by size alone as different fonts will appear different sizes. I like to see how my flipcharts look from the back of the room.
I also recommend to always use a color background (very pale pastels ) for text, white is hard on the eyes.:eek:
An effective color combo is the Primary Colors - RED, YELLOW, BLUE.
Colors don't have to be pure hues, they can be toned down.
If you are using photos and want to tie in the page background use the 'color picker' and use a color from within the photo.
Just a few suggestions.:cool:

markrobinson

05-02-2009, 05:13 PM

Some ideas on how NOT to design a presentation!

http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=3e2d61891b1e4051ef75

Alison

05-02-2009, 06:49 PM

Mark, I'd never seen that video before, but so, so true!!

kevhogg

05-02-2009, 10:09 PM

If the comedian wasn't from the US I would have said that he'd just cribbed his ideas from the PPTs used to torture Literacy and Numeracy coordinators as part of their National Training experiences.

markrobinson

05-02-2009, 10:17 PM

This is a more subtle parody of the whole reductionist powerpoint style...

http://norvig.com/Gettysburg/index.htm

and some background....

http://norvig.com/lancet.html

Gotta be a Literacy lesson in that!

Effective design = effective 'instructional design' - not just graphic design.

"Design your presentations and your meetings to take advantage of the people gathered there, not to bore them. If everyone has set their remarks in stone ahead of time (all using the same templates) then there is little room for the comments of one to build on another, or for a new idea to arise collaboratively from the meeting. Homogeneity is great for milk, but not for ideas. Use visual aids to convey visual information: photographs, charts, or diagrams. But do not use them to give the impression that the matter is solved, wrapped up in a few bullet points. "

kbenson

07-02-2009, 08:16 PM

Thank you for that wonder video clip. I plan to share it when I introduce this topic to my workshop participants. I agree that what is important is instructional design not just graphic design. I wanted to get some discussion on graphic design because I could find good information on instructional design, but not graphic design particular to flipcharts. This thread has really brought some interesting insights to the surface. I love that way each contributor has a little different advice to offer.[clap]

dkootman

09-02-2009, 12:50 AM

Great ideas! Great flp Kathleen! There was some talk about colors, so here is a list of great sites to choose your colors, including some to upload an image and have a custom color scheme chosen for you:

http://www.cssjuice.com/25-popular-color-scheme-and-palette-generators/

Also, don't forget that if you are going to share/upload your flipchart the receipient needs to have the same fonts as you. So if you have downloaded a cool, new font, you may want to mention that in the notes or choose a more common one so others will have it in their system too.

kbenson

09-02-2009, 02:00 PM

I love it. I can't wait to use the color scheme generator in my next flipchart![clap]

Schimbeck

11-02-2009, 12:20 AM

This is a great question kbenson. Sometimes we work so hard to learn all the features but don't spend anytime thinking about design.

I can echo most of the comments already posted, but I will say that the #1 thing that I am working on is having more "White Space" or empty space on the flipcharts.

Sometimes we do go overboard with graphics and other things that the pages get a bit messy. Pages look so much cleaner and professional if you have more open space. Even if it means breaking up information over 3-4 pages.

Finally, look for colors that compliment each other. If you aren't sure of a good color combo, look toward cooperate America and the logos. Most companies have spent tons of money to create logos and colors that are pleasing and work well together. So get a copy of their logo and use the color picker to get their colors.I so agree with you about pages that are over loaded with graphics and I love this whole thread. Graphic Design has all ways interested me. It one reason I just bought the DK resource packs in the shop section. They use white real well in all of their design. If anyone is interested in learning more about Graphic Design this is a great site: http://gdbasics.com/index.php Also if you like to get beyond the default fonts in your pages try out dafont.com

Mr. Schimbeck

scaulfield

12-02-2009, 06:35 PM

Thanks for the Graphic Design site.

It has some great information and activites!

Nancy Priddy

05-01-2010, 08:41 PM

I recently heard about some research that revealed that students read across the top of the page and then down the left side. Students are looking at websites layed out with text across the top and then the rest is in columns on the page and that is where they look first. As a result, your flipchart pages should have text across the top and down the left side. Put the pictures on the right side where they look last. Also, using bright colors like red, bright pink, purple and orange as the background color and black or a contrasting color for the print gets and holds the students attention and thus increases their comprehension. One teacher at a workshop I went to said that since he had started doing this that his discipline problems and non participation had decresed by 30% and that all students grades had improved. Just some things to think about.

kbenson

05-01-2010, 09:16 PM

Thank you. I plan to share this with my teachers at our next professional development workshop :)

gpatrenos

06-01-2010, 02:42 AM

The info about how students look at a page is very interesting,
I guess the web is changing the way our students view things. :eek:
However viewing a small screen as opposed to a large screen is somewhat different -
just think movies, billboards, or posters.
As an Artist ( Art Teacher :D) and trainer my most difficult task is to get teachers to think of flipchart pages as Creative Design rather than as a page of text with illustrations.
I guess what I'm trying to say is not to limit your flipchart layouts to any one way of thinking and to use your ACTIVboard to Max. [clap]

scaulfield

07-01-2010, 03:43 PM

Nancy,

Great ideas and I must say, what a GREAT first post!!! [clap][clap]

You should post a page or two that has the design that you are talking about, so we can see an example of it. Maybe we could even make a resource pack with effective design pages.

I recently heard about some research that revealed that students read across the top of the page and then down the left side. Students are looking at websites layed out with text across the top and then the rest is in columns on the page and that is where they look first. As a result, your flipchart pages should have text across the top and down the left side. Put the pictures on the right side where they look last. Also, using bright colors like red, bright pink, purple and orange as the background color and black or a contrasting color for the print gets and holds the students attention and thus increases their comprehension. One teacher at a workshop I went to said that since he had started doing this that his discipline problems and non participation had decresed by 30% and that all students grades had improved. Just some things to think about.