What are all the aspects of a badges graphical look do you need to consider?

Search the web for existing badges... look at their design, shape, colour scheme, embedded text (if it is there). Can you guess the audience of earners from the look of the badge?

Review the badges and badge systems from the following sources; be prepared to write a blog post about how these badge systems are organized and the graphical design of the badges within the system.

• http://www.4squarebadges.com/foursquare-badge-list/
• https://www.khanacademy.org/badges
• https://badges.webmaker.org/
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Barnstars
• choose a badge system developed from task 6 of this challenge
• another badge system you may find

Read over this outstanding post from Jess Klien - "design feedback for badge systems" and seek out similar posts that describe badge design from a graphical look. If you can't find an existing post, write one yourself. When designing a badge system, what graphical elements do you need to consider? How important is it to consider the profile of the learner who will be earning a badge?

To complete this task contribute the following two posts to the task discussion;

1. Write a blog post or task discussion item describing what you found when exploring the different badge systems listed above. Compare and contrast the different badge systems. If you write a blog post be sure to provide the link to the post in the task discussion thread.
2. Find a link (URL) to an online resource that describes the making of a digital badge. This link could also point toward a resource describing how to use a graphics editing program to create a badge or an element of a badge (like creating curved text in GIMP).
3. Extra Task (optional): on a piece of paper with coloring pencils, crayons or pens draw a whole bunch of different badges. have fun with this, write brief descriptions next to each badge.