Bringing it together

Some of the best ads are very simple, using visual elements to get across their message.

This week I have taken the fictional logo that I created and developed a half-page ad announcing their opening. Using an image that I had taken on the beach of an adorable puppy looking at someone talking, my headline is, “Did you hear?” The body copy announces that Canine Bay has opened and a few words stating what the store is. The main image of the puppy is on the right; the logo is in the lower-left corner, followed by the tagline and address.

The audience is dog owners in a coastal town looking for beach and boat accessories for their furry friends. The image is adorable and eye-catching. The message is short — lets the reader know they are open.

“A well-thought-out idea sets the framework for you create” (Landon)

Ad design should contain an image, headline, body copy, tagline, and sign-off. The headline should attract the target audience, the body copy delivers small amounts of information, and the tagline is a catchphrase used across campaigns. For this campaign, they are announcing the opening and driving traffic into the store. The sign-off is the logo and additional social media icons.

People quickly scan what they read. They have emails, magazines, social media, and billboards in their face daily. A person doesn’t have time to read everything, so you need to grab their attention. You do this with a compelling headline. David Ogilvy said, “On average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy. When you have written your headline, you have spent eighty cents out of your dollar.” So, make that eighty cents count — pull in your audience.

When creating a print ad, use a limited copy for the reader to quickly scan. Avoid telling the viewers everything about the product or service. Use the ad to drive traffic to other places such as a website or storefront. Focus on one point for the campaign that you believe will best sell the benefits of the product or service to your audience.

 

 

 

 

 

 

References:

August 2, 2017 by Mentis,George. (2 August 2017.) 11 Simple Tips to Creating An Effective Ad. Retrieved from Target Public: https://targetpublic.com/11-simple-tips-creating-effective-ad/

Landa, R. (2019). Graphic design solutions. Boston, MA: Cengage.

 

User flowchart

A user flowchart helps the designer visualize the experience a user will take to complete a task or meet a goal on a site or app. Understanding how a user will navigate a site will help you identify their needs. Flowcharts are made up of a set of basic symbols that show the decision process to the users final destination.

To begin designing a flowchart, you must first identify who the user is. This can be done though user research or designing personas. This will help define the target audience and what the needs are. Next you will need to identify the entry point by understanding how the user will access the site or app. The entry point is where the user is when they first arrive on the site/app.

There are several people that are involved in UX that will bring a product to a successful completion. These can include UI designers, information architects, programmers and developers. They all have a large part in a successful UX experience.  But getting everyone on the same page can be a battle, as each one will need different types of information in order to reach different goals within the product development. For example, a UI designers main concern is user and how they can create something that fits the user. They will focus on the user’s needs, wants and preferences. While a developer will have a different view of the product in order to understand the inner workings of the system.

Using your UX flowchart as a communication tool can be successful in helping to illustrate the product in a way everyone on the team can understand. To keep everyone on the team involved in the user flowchart, you want to stay away from the visual design and focus on how the system will react with the user’s experience within the site.

 

 

Information Architecture

Information architecture (IA) is found in websites, apps and software we download. It is the structural design of information in a shared environment as well as the organization and labeling of a website. The IA supports usability and a connection of design principles for the digital space. It takes information that is being used and applies it to activities which require complex detail.

Information architecture creates a structure for a website, app, or other project, that allows you to understand the user’s actions and where the information we want to be used lives. Information architecture involves the creation of site maps, categories, navigations, and metadata. For example when a designer puts together a top navigation to help users understand where they are on a site, they are exercising IA architecture. IA helps people to understand what they are looking at and where to find it in the real world as well as online. Practicing information architecture helps others understand the importance of site structure and content.

For some information architects, wireframes are the best way to start the process to make connections and identify how the site will work from a user’s perspective. After researching, an IA will be designed around certain screens in order to show how a user will interact with the information before them. Designers tend to think visually and will often use this visual technique to show the structure of information. Wireframes are also a valuable deliverable to share with clients, developers and visual designers as they build mockups, prototypes, and final products.