Objective
Joining Urban Truant in 2012, I was asked to be part of the team of four who were tasked transform the RYA theory courses content in to a comprehensive e-learning platform. The flexibility of an e-learning platform would attract students from all over the world to study with Urban Truant and would allow them to complete the courses at their own speed and anywhere where there is internet connection. With many competing sailing schools teaching theory courses in the classroom, Urban Truant wanted to stand out from the crowd and become the ‘go-to’ sailing school on the South Coast of the UK.
Approach
By using my outside perspective of the sailing industry, my aim was to fully illustrate the RYA theory courses in a way which could be understood by a wider target audience who has varying levels of sailing experience. My role was also to design the UX navigation system for the e-learning platform. By taking a more fluid approach to the design, I was able to make it fully responsive enabling it to be accessed and used anywhere the students chose to study.
Key Features
Clear understandable illustrations and graphics to support course content
Animated gifs to enhance the student’s learning experience
Sailing Course Online Press Release
Urban Truant, leading provider of Royal Yachting Association (RYA) practical and theory courses, has launched a new online training platform that delivers RYA theory courses. Designed to work across tablets, phones, laptops and the home or office PC, students have the flexibility to be able to learn anywhere where they have an internet connection.
Online courses currently available:
• RYA Essential Navigation and Seamanship
• RYA Day Skipper Theory – Shorebased
• RYA Coastal / Yachtmaster – Shorebased
Each course has been carefully written to help students learn topics to the required level at their own pace. Key features of the course include interactive graphics, instructors tips to aid understanding and module tests to check learning. Students have a personal dashboard which helps them know exactly where to resume their studies and how much of the course they have left to complete.
There is fast access to an RYA instructor via phone and email at any time and for as long as the student needs it. The exam is also held online and marked by a RYA Yachtmaster instructor within 24 hours.
“Online learning is a rapidly growing market" says Russell Lake, Principal and Director of Urban Truant. “Many people who want to study do not have the time to spend five days in a training centre classroom. Online learning provides a flexible approach which enables people to fit in learning with their busy lives.”
”It has been an exciting journey to have been involved throughout the entire design process ofwww.SailingCourseOnline.co.uk. From its’ humble beginnings back in 2012, the online training platform has been designed to bring order to complexity, allowing students of all ages and abilities to learn and navigate through the course easily. Not coming from a sailing background, I became a student myself which greatly helped me with the creation of the supporting illustrations for the courses. The launch of www.SailingCourseOnline.co.uk at the 2014 Southampton Boat Show was a huge success and the website continues to grow with additional courses becoming available in the near future,” Christina Eland, Graphic Designer at Urban Truant.
