CEPD · Module 2 — Visual and information design for screens

Hierarchy on one screen

One primary action, one focal graphic, CAP checklist (contrast, alignment, proximity, white space, balance, repetition), and a clear reading order.

About 18 min

Practice in the lesson player

Sorting, matching, quizzes, and the module gate stay behind a free account so scored answers are not public. The teaching notes below are the same cited curriculum.

What this lesson covers

  1. 01

    The eye needs a boss

    Information design on a learning screen is not decoration. Nielsen Norman’s visibility heuristic applies to lesson players: learners should see where they are, what matters now, and what to do next. A screen with equal-weight bullets, a stock photo, and three buttons competes with itself.

  2. 02

    One screen, one story

    Open each zone. Production maps title, focal graphic, and primary action — not decorative clutter.

    Title = outcome: States what the learner will do, not chapter number.

    Focal graphic: Instructional art — not wallpaper.

    Primary CTA: One obvious continue/check action.

  3. 03

    CAP checklist — flip each principle

    Six QC checks before you ship a screen. Fail any one → fix before Studio polish.

    Contrast — Text and critical UI meet WCAG contrast; key actions do not blend into the background.

    Alignment — Edges share a grid. Random left/right offsets look unfinished and raise scanning cost.

    Proximity — Related items sit together; unrelated items separate. Labels hug their fields.

    White space — Breathing room is instructional — not “empty.” Crowding raises extraneous load.

    Balance — Visual weight matches importance. A huge stock photo and a tiny CTA reverse the hierarchy.

    Repetition — Chrome, type scale, and button styles repeat across the course so learners learn the UI once.