Digital learning imagery and media standards
Media is used to orient, explain, demonstrate and humanise learning — never merely to fill space. Remove the asset mentally: if the learning is unchanged and it contributes no useful context, omit it.
Image taxonomy
| Type | Purpose | Typical use | Avoid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hero / opener | Establish place, tone and major transition. | Course covers, section openers. | Embedded titles, edge-critical subjects. |
| Context image | Ground an explanation in a real environment. | Split cards, image-and-text. | Generic stock unrelated to content. |
| Scenario image | Support a consistent decision-maker perspective. | Scenario stages, evidence reveals. | Changing characters or style mid-scenario. |
| Evidence / object | Show a document, device, location or artefact. | Forms, emails, policy documents. | Tiny text or inaccessible detail. |
| Diagram / model | Explain relationships, processes or systems. | Frameworks, pathways, comparisons. | Dense infographic posters. |
| Interface screenshot | Show a specific digital action or state. | Software guidance, labelled graphics. | Whole-screen captures with unreadable text. |
Photography and editorial direction
Contemporary Australian schools, workplaces and professional-learning contexts. Natural or soft directional light. Authentic professional behaviour, restrained expression. Clear subject hierarchy with room for responsive crop. Stable locations, subject scale and treatment throughout a scenario.
Sensitive subject and child-safety imagery
- Students are usually shown from behind, in silhouette, partially obscured or out of focus.
- No distress performance — avoid visible fear, injury, crying, confrontation.
- Prefer the principal, teacher or decision-maker viewpoint.
- Avoid students entirely in the most sensitive legal, abuse or consequence sections.
- Sensitive assets require explicit learning-design and stakeholder review before release.
Dimensions, ratios and safe areas
| Canvas | Primary use | Format |
|---|---|---|
| 1920 × 1080 (16:9) | Course covers, heroes, full-width photography, video | JPEG/WebP; MP4 for video |
| 1600 × 1000 (8:5) | Diagrams, labelled graphics, carousels | PNG for diagrams; JPEG for photography |
| 1200 × 900 (4:3) | Image-and-text, split components | JPEG |
| 1200 × 800 (3:2) | Cards, galleries, timelines | JPEG, consistent crop across a set |
| 1200 × 1200 (1:1) | Profiles, flashcards, quiz options | JPEG or transparent PNG |
Video and audio
1920×1080 preferred (1280×720 acceptable where bandwidth requires it). Concise segments, clear chaptering, minimal decorative transitions. Accurate synchronised captions always; a transcript where it supports access, search, review or reuse.
Accessibility
| Media type | Minimum requirement |
|---|---|
| Informative photograph | Alt text communicates instructional purpose, not every visible detail. |
| Decorative image | Marked decorative or empty alt text where supported. |
| Complex diagram | Concise alt summary plus adjacent written explanation or accessible table. |
| Video | Accurate captions; transcript where appropriate. |
File formats
| Format | Best for | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| JPEG | Photography, natural scenes, gradients | Logos, screenshots, transparency |
| PNG | Screenshots, diagrams, flat graphics, transparency | Large photographs |
| SVG | Logos, icons, simple vector diagrams | Complex photographic content |
| MP4 / H.264 | Broadly compatible video delivery | Unnecessarily high bitrates |
Naming pattern: project-topic-purpose-variant-ratio-v01.ext. No live photography library has been supplied to this site yet — see Resources for the placeholder status of media templates.