• Spatial contiguity: I placed icons that represent soft skills—such as collaboration (two people discussing) and teamwork (handshake)—directly alongside the main course title. This ensures that learners immediately associate the graphics with the central theme of soft skills, rather than having to search across the design to make the connection.

• Reduced separation of meaning: Instead of decorative or unrelated images, I used visuals that clearly reinforce the instructional message. This minimizes extraneous processing and makes it easier for learners to integrate words and pictures into a meaningful whole.

• Maintaining text focus: The title and subtitle remain the central focal point, while visuals are positioned to support—not compete with—the text. This balance helps keep attention on the key message while still leveraging visuals for reinforcement.

By combining conceptually relevant images with close proximity to the text, the design applies the Contiguity Principle to improve clarity, reduce cognitive load, and strengthen learner understanding of the importance of soft skills.

I applied the contiguity principle by utilizing temporal contiguity. Since it is a static image, I used it for the flow of information. From top to bottom, I put the most important information first, the title, which supports how viewers process the content in real time.

In designing my banner, I made sure to apply the Contiguity Principle by adding photos of games to match the "gamification" title. In gamification, the educator can use any type of games, old, new, board games, team games, etc. so I tried to mix it up a little by using different types of games.

To keep it from being overwhelming with photo's and to make sure their was enough "whitespace" I deleted a few of the extra game pieces that I had added before. I wanted to make sure that it wasn't cluttered.

I also focused on "repetition" in my graphic. I kept the fonts, colors and even the transparency of all pictures the same. I believe that repetition of certain items helps with accessibility as well. You can see that my photos are all very similar in design.

I started by selecting an image of a professional at a dual-monitor workstation, representative of healthcare access roles. Soft purple and blue backgrounds set a modern, inviting atmosphere, while bold white text ensures the course name stands out at a glance. The placement of monitors, desk details, and geometric design elements was chosen for balance and realism.

For this banner, contrast and hierarchy guided my decisions. The bright white headline against a dark background immediately draws attention to the course title, emphasizing its importance. The subtitle and instructor name are lighter and smaller, following the visual hierarchy to guide viewers from the main information to supporting details.

I placed the course title, subtitle, and scheduling visuals together to help learners instantly grasp the connection between text and imagery. By grouping these related elements closely, the banner reinforces that the scheduling task shown on screen is central to the course content. This approach supports understanding and strengthens the central message.

Balance was achieved by distributing visual weight—placing the figure at the desk to the left and the text block on the right produces a stable composition. Ample white space surrounds the headline and subtitle, making them easy to read without crowding or distraction. These design choices help maintain professionalism and focus in the layout.

By applying these graphic design principles, the banner effectively spotlights the course’s title and purpose, ensures visual clarity, and connects learners with a realistic healthcare scheduling environment

• In my design, I used contrast from the graphic design principles. The background of my banner is a darker blue and black, so I chose to make my text white as well as the border around my images. Also, the images I used were also generally lighter to stand out more against the darker background.

• I also made sure to make the font I used for my title clear and easy to read instead of anything that was "fancy" looking since the background is busy. I did not want things to look confusing and jumbled. Since the font is clear, large, and clean compared to the more busy background, it does seem to do a good job of drawing the eye to the title before looking around at the rest of the banner.

• I chose to add images that were representative of the topics I would be covering in the course and the topics highlighted in the title. Specifically, I chose an image of an advisor talking with a students, students working on CS/Programming projects, and finally an image of students graduating to relate to student success! Since the images are closely positioned to the title, it is easy to make the connection between the title concepts and the images that are supposed to represent them!

I also kept the Contiguity Principle in mind. I made sure the course title, subtitle, and “Instructor: Felicia Lee” were grouped close together, right above the illustration of the students. Putting all the key info in one spot means people don’t have to look around the whole image to figure out what the course is about or who’s teaching it. It’s all right there at a glance.

I wanted the overall look to feel inviting for first-generation students, so the bright colors and clean layout make the course feel friendly and supportive instead of overwhelming.

I also considered contrast when selecting a template.  The template I selected included both an image and color choices commonly used when depicting AI and technology related topics.  The bold background color paired with the high-contrast text ensures readability and draws attention to the main message.

I applied the Contiguity Principle by grouping all the text elements close to one another and aligning them logically with the design.  I was careful in how it overlapped the design. In both versions, the course title and subtitle are placed together, reducing the learner’s need to scan across different parts of the banner.