ICONIC COURSE

Icons are great visual tools that can significantly enhance the design and usability of your online course. Using icons will help students quickly identify important information, navigate course content, and improve engagement. This blog post explores how to use icons in your online course effectively.

What are Icons?

Icons are symbols or pictures that are used to represent a file or application. In course design, icons can be used to support text. 

Choosing the Right Icons:

When deciding what icons to use for your course, you need to make sure you choose icons appropriate for the course content. For example, you might use a "mouse" icon to indicate links or a "video" icon to indicate video lessons. 

example of a mouse icon used to show links

Keep it Simple

Use icons that are easy to understand and clear. Avoid using abstract or complicated icons that may confuse students. You want to use icons that students can easily recognize and identify. 

Do use icons that are recognizable

Avoid using abstract icons

Use Consistent Icons

Ensure you use the same icon for the same type of content throughout your course. For example, use a "discussion" icon for all discussion forum links.

Do use same icon for same type of content

Make them Accessible

The icons you use should be accessible to all students, so include alt text descriptions for each icon. By doing so, screen readers can read the icon description to visually impaired students.

Using Icons in Course Navigation

Icons in your course navigation to help students quickly identify essential course elements. For example, use a "home" icon for the course homepage link or a "calendar" icon for the course schedule.

sample course navigation

Finding Icons to Use

The Noun Project is an excellent resource for finding high-quality icons to use in your course. It has over 3 million icons that you can choose from to find the perfect icon to represent any concept or topic. A community of designers creates the icons, and they are available in multiple file formats, making them easy to use in your course design. 

The Noun Project also offers a subscription service that provides access to additional features such as custom icon requests and royalty-free use of the icons. Using icons from The Noun Project can help enhance your course's visual appeal and organization, making it more engaging and user-friendly for your students.

When used correctly, icons can be a powerful visual tool that can enhance the design of your course. By choosing the right icons, using them consistently, and making them accessible, you will create an engaging and user-friendly course for your students.