I’m biased. When I begin building a course I START with a picture in my head of how it will look when it’s done. I imagine the learner experience in the course the whole time I’m building it. In fact, I start with the things most instructional designers think of as “window dressing” … the “look”, key graphics, and great fonts. For me, engagement and visual learning are the foundations that the house is built on, they are not just curtains and wallpaper. Also, from a purely practical stand point, if you don’t design as you build … you’re only half done.

Here are some ideas for starting with engaging design: