Scott's 3 Stages of Using Graphics

I love working with graphics, but I went through a series of stages to get to that point. I don't know if other e-Learning developers have encountered the same thing. Unfortunately, I can't think of a clever name for my theory (based solely on my experience), so I'm going to call it Scott's Three Stages of Using Graphics. Sometimes simplicity can be catchy... or so I hope.

1. Stage 1-Shying Away from Graphics Altogether: When I first started working in an e-Learning group, I knew very little about e-Learning and tended to shy away from using graphics. I probably didn't know much about them then and thus they seemed somewhat mysterious to me. My courses at that time were mostly text with very few graphics, which were put in only at my supervisor's insistence.
2. Stage 2-Using Too Many Graphics: When I got the hang of using graphics, I used them all the time, whether or not they were contextually accurate. I filled presentations with clip art and other graphics because I thought I was making it look pretty, but all I really did was clutter it up.
3. Stage 3-Using Graphics Judiciously: Now, I've learned that graphics should be used in an appropriate context as demanded by the content. I rarely stick a graphic in a course or on a web page just to have one there. I haven't perfected this skill yet, but I'm learning more about selecting the right graphic and placing it correctly so it complements the material being taught and doesn't create cognitive overload.
   

I guess stage 4 will be the ability to create my own graphics. Hopefully my Photoshop class will help me in this regard!