Considerations for creating environmental settings

8/14/2016

I try to develop scenario-based, character-driven courses whenever possible. Consequently, I spend a lot of time thinking about where the action will be set. In fact, I allocate a large part of my development time to what I call "building the set." It's the most difficult part for me because those early decisions influence the rest of the development process. In this post, I'll provide some insight into my process.

Setting is the place and time and in which the story takes place. I choose my setting intentionally because I know they influence how the learner will experience the course.

My settings fall into three categories:

Environmental settings are used for scenario-based modules where the action takes place in an environment similar to the learner's.
Plain settings are simply titled slides with words and/or pictures on the screen. I usually use plain settings when I have actual images of the work environment (i.e. a gas station or a brewery).
Decorative is similar to plain, but I choose to either add an artistic/abstract background or some other affect. I use this when there's no specific environment or using imagary is not practical or beneficial.

In this post, I’ll focus on considerations when building an environmental setting.

There are two types of environments: a still image or a assembled image. If you can find the right still image, you can simply put it behind the action. If not, you’ll have to assemble or create it (or change your strategy). You can also begin with a still image and build onto it by adding other objects. Obviously, creating an environment is more difficult and time consuming so tread carefully.

Assembled image

Still image

Either way, here are few considerations when building or selecting environments.

Identify the number of settings
Unless all the action is taking place in one room, you’ll need multiple settings. Even if everything could happen in the same room, you may want to add a little variety. Some image libraries will have several shots of different locations in the same office, like the images below. You can take you own images too.

Setting one

Setting two - same office, different location

Use the set to display content
One reason I may customize a setting is because I plan to use parts of it to display content and I need a logical place to do it. I typically use a whiteboard, a chalkboard, a projection screen, and a desk.

I can use the whiteboard to display content within the environment. I often use this position as an establishing shot and then zoom in to close (using a fade) to display the whiteboard text.

Eventually, this trick gets old so I will sometimes show a partially transparent rectangle behind the avatar that spans the screen and display text there.

I also use desktops. I first show and establishing shot of the desk and then fade into an image of a display item (paper or tablet) on the desk.

Naturally, all of these items can’t be jammed together in the same spot – which leads to the next item....

Use multiple perspectives of the same space
You may want to use different perspectives of the same space. I start with focal point of the design and build out from there. For example, I will build out the office scene with the desk, making all my core design decision there – décor, colors, key objects. Most of the other sets will be variations of the desk setting with the same wall color and type of furniture.

Select an office type
You need to select an office type and be intentional about it. Beyond décor, the biggest consideration is single office vs. cubical farm or shared office space. I typically try to match the typical learner’s office type.

Choose a décor
The décor becomes part of the story whether you want it to or not. The style you choose, whether it be modern or rustic, it sends a message to the learners about the work environment, the people in it, and what’s happening there.