Design Strategies For LMS Success: All The Secrets You Need To Know

Source: https://elearningindustry.com/buying-guide-responsive-lms-features-look-for

What is a learning management system useful for?

This one question has a versatile answer. Whether it is basic education or complex IT training, the learning management system has a multifaceted usage that makes it an indispensable technology for almost every industry.

Good design is one of the most important characteristics of every indispensable technology, or software. No matter how great the features are, if they are not designed well, there is no point in integrating that technology within the mainframe of the organization. And considering the widespread use of learning tech throughout industries, it goes without saying that good design is going to be crucial when it comes to integrating such technology within the system.

So, for those out there who are thinking about starting the process of LMS website design- how are you going to make the design ‘Good’? What strategies do you have in mind to improve the design and therefore the usability of the software? What kind of LMS web design approach will ensure success for your endeavors?

Let’s check out some crucial strategies to make your LMS venture successful. 

Ensuring LMS Success Strategically

For successful LMS website design, designers need to follow a blend of common and unique design approaches. Here we are going to discuss a combination of both unique and common design strategy that is sure to make the LMS venture successful.

• A Data-Based Approach For Better Understanding

We are drowning in the proverbial tsunami of data. According to research, in 2020 every person will generate 1.7 megabytes of data every second. The rapid data generation will take total yearly data-volume from 59 zettabytes in 2020 to 149 zettabytes in 2024.

Source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/871513/worldwide-data-created/

Needless to say, this massive amount of data can be used in any way possible. And one of those many applications is LMS design research. With the right data-based approach you will be able to unlock understanding of the system and how it needs to work.

A user-based approach helps the designers to create an LMS UI design that fulfills user requirements. Proper data analysis can give an insight into how another LMS is failing to fulfill user demands and step in to provide added values as well as problem-solving solutions.

Then comes market-based data research. This research will help one to understand the market standards, how to best conduct the LMS design and development process as well as the best practices that need to be followed. A data-based approach will help make the design strategy easier to follow.

• Empathy Maps And User Persona: Too Important To Skip Over

Empathy maps and user persona creation are often considered to be extra steps that can easily be skipped over. But they are an integral part of a good design strategy and not just some extra steps.

A user persona is a fictional representation of the ideal user of the LMS. In fact, this is the step from where the LMS website design process needs to start. It includes determining the needs, goals, and the problems users might be having when trying to use the system.

Then there is empathy mapping. This process gives the designers a more in-depth knowledge of what the users think, feel, understand, and say about the system, leading to improved LMS UI design strategy.

Source: https://www.nngroup.com/articles/empathy-mapping/#:~:text=Definition%3A%20An%20empathy%20map%20is,2)%20aid%20in%20decision%20making.

Through the application of empathy maps, one can collect data from the users directly, which is a lot more accurate than datasets. The possibility of dataset-corruption is the reason why experienced web design companies across major cities like New York utilize user persona and empathy mapping in design. This direct data collection method is the best possible way for the designers to understand the user requirements and create LMS UX design to fit those requirements.

• More Than Dazzling Design: A Focus On Usability

There is more than one thing the designers need to pay attention to throughout the design process, and usability happens to be one of those major factors.

The usability is based on how easily a product can be used to complete a particular task. The ease and efficiency of the entire learning system can make or break the success of the platform.

And that’s why besides the dazzling LMS design elements; usability needs to be the primary focus during design. Based on the research and data already collected, designers should focus on creating a hierarchy of actions making it easy to use. Clarity of navigation is crucial when it comes to the increasing usability of a platform. So make sure that all the elements of LMS UI design are in the right order and works properly to navigate the users through the software.

Additionally, there are many tools and plugins that can make the platform easy to use. Features such as social media log in, integrated payment gateway can be used with the intent to remove friction from the LMS UX design. So, when creating a design strategy, don’t forget to include the usability factor.

• Interaction Is The Key That’ll Save The Software

At the end of the day, it is still important to remember that LMS is essentially an education-focused platform. Whether it is being used for healthcare or manufacturing, the purpose of LMS is to train and educate employees. And when it comes to training, the importance of interaction always comes first.

A passive approach towards training is only going to go so far in engaging the users and clients. To get users excited, the designers and developers have to come up with strategies that make the LMS interface design much more interactive and exciting to use.

Integrate features such as interactive comments, q&a sessions, video chatting, and discussion forums when you create an LMS website. These interactive features are aimed at giving the training platform more classroom effect than making it feel like one on one session. The interactive features will make the entire process more enjoyable for users.

• New Technology: Make The Platform Stand Out

There are numerous LMS platforms out there for the clients to choose from. In such a scenario, where the market is so competitive, how can one design a learning management system that stands out in the competitive market?

When you create LMS from scratch, you can include new technologies within the system to make it stand apart in the market. Here are some advanced technologies that can help the platform to stand apart in the market-

Artificial Intelligence

AI integration on a modern LMS platform will benefit both the users and the business. The intelligence displayed by the system can help the users on the platform to recognize their problem areas, focus on exercises that are going to help them to overcome issues they are having with training on the platform. AI learning assistants on the platform can create a better curriculum for the users based on their individual needs. 

AR/VR

To make the learning exercises more interactive, LMS developers can focus on integrating augmented reality and virtual reality on the platform. The immersive tech changes the passive learning module to an interesting and interactive one, helping students and trainees to actively participate during the training process. For industries such as healthcare and manufacturing industry, the immersive training with AR/VR tech is going to be extremely beneficial. 

It is crucial to include discussion on new technologies and how they can be a part of the platform when creating an LMS design strategy. The unique application of new technology can help the LMS platform to stand out in the crowd.

• Choose A Mobile Approach

There is no doubt that smart devices are dominating the world right now. In fact, according to the statistics, by 2023, there will be 16.8 billion mobile devices in the world.

Source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/245501/multiple-mobile-device-ownership-worldwide/

With that kind of rise in the smartphone market, it makes sense to choose a mobile-focused LMS design strategy from the very beginning. People are mostly using their smartphones to use various online sites, such as shopping and delivery services. So it makes sense to imagine that majority of the users will use smartphones to access the LMS platform. And that’s why creating a smartphone focused LMS interface design that provides similar value and services like the desktop platform needs to be a major consideration.

• Keep Accessibility In Mind

The accessibility on a platform depends on whether users and clients from all walks of life are able to use the platform smoothly. There are various reasons that render a well designed LMS platform unworkable to many users out there. Paying attention to these accessibility issues and resolving them needs to be part of the LMS website design strategy.

Whether it is adding multiple language options for the users to choose from, or adding audio and subtitles to the video lessons, designers should analyze the user data and make accessibility decisions based on that. Giving users an equal chance of utilizing the platform will strengthen the LMS UX design as well as improve the chances of success in the market.

Wrapping Up:

Proper Design Strategy Is The Secret To LMS Success

A robust development is necessary to make the platform successful as well as robust design. Even now there is a serious lack of well designed LMS platforms that can encourage industries to adopt this technology. So before jumping into development, ensure that the LMS design strategy is strong enough to generate real success for the platform.