Designing Visually Engaging Online Learning Interfaces for Higher Education Students

Abstract

Interface design involves arranging elements that enable communication between users and systems, while visual design determines how this layout is presented aesthetically. A well-crafted visual design organizes information such as text, images, diagrams, and tables into a clear and engaging format could enhances user perception. The aesthetics of an interface can strongly influence users’ first impressions, attention, satisfaction, and overall communication effectiveness. This study focuses on online learning interfaces in asynchronous environments, where instructors do not deliver materials face-to-face but rely on the platform to engage students. Without direct interaction, learners must stay engaged through an intuitive and visually appealing interface that encourages active participation and sustained learning. Therefore, it is crucial to design online learning applications that are not only functional but also engaging, as increased engagement can enhance learning outcomes and reduce student dropout rates. The objectives of this research are to identify interface design elements suitable for online learning platforms and to rank these the online learning interfaces based on students’ preferences. A quantitative survey was conducted among students at higher education institutions, who acted as respondents. Online learning interfaces were designed based on identified design elements and were classified into three categories: Home Page, Title Page, and Note Page. Each category included five (5) design alternatives. Findings reveal that students prefer a combination of text, images, and videos for the Home and Note Pages, while a mix of text and images is favoured for the Title Page. These results provide practical guidelines for developing engaging online learning interfaces.