Creative Ad DRAFT

Project Report (Part 1)

The Project Report has two parts. The first part will be completed and turned in with your draft. This will help you think through your motivation, purpose, and reasoning behind your design. You will describe and provide your audience, message, sketches, typography information, and critique screenshot. This will be created using a Word Document and saved as a PDF for submission.

  1. Download this Project Report template (Click to open and then choose file -> Download as -> Microsoft Word (.docx)).
  2. Fill out the information requested.
  3. Save finished document as a PDF.

Draft Design

Your draft should include 100% of the project Minimum Requirements, and you should have a good start on a visually appealing design. You can find these Minimum Requirements at the bottom of this page.

  1. Open and use the Adobe program(s) required for this project.
  2. Using the information from your Project Report (Part 1: audience, message, sketches) start designing in the Adobe program.
  3. Double check to see if your draft includes 100% of the minimum requirements.
  4. Save your draft as a JPG(s) and a PDF. (NOTE: The draft is not your sketches. A PDF version of your draft, designed in the outlined Adobe program, will be submitted for critique.)

Submission

  1. Critique Post: Post your draft to the critique thread (VoiceThread). This is a PDF version of your draft created in the outlined Adobe program. This IS NOT your sketches.
  2. I-Learn: Submit the Project Report PDF and Design Draft PDF in I-Learn.

Audience

Before you start a design project you will want to determine who your audience is. This is the group of people that will be interested in your design and message. This can include age, gender, location, interests, etc. It is good to have a fairly specific audience since this will help you make design decisions like color, images, message, etc. You will describe this target audience in your Draft Report.

Message

After determining your audience, you will want to solidify your message. What is that one thing you want to communicate to your audience through your design? You will describe this message in your Draft Report.

Sketches

Any and all layouts and designs required for the final project should be planned out before you start working on the draft. To do this you will need to sketch out at least 3-4 variations for each layout or design. These sketches will be submitted as part of your Draft Report.

Typography (where applicable)

It is important to understand what type of fonts you are using. You will list out the font name and category of each font used in your draft. This will be submitted as part of your Draft Report.

Facebook Critique Initial Post

You will be submitting your draft to the class Facebook Group for critique. Once you have posted your draft you will take a screenshot of it on Facebook, and you will include it as part of your Draft Report.

Project Overview

You are asked by your employer to create a creative advertisement for a boring household or office product. You are asked to use symbolic or non-literal ideas and concepts. The ad should be appealing and convincing to the target audience.

Examples

Check out these professionally done creative ads on Pinterest: http://pin.it/s5VVI7p

Minimum Expectations

  • "BYU-Idaho Appropriate" (See syllabus)
  • Use the generator below to choose a household or office product and target audience (You are not creating a new product for this project)
  • Determine a specific brand for the chosen product
  • Use Photoshop
  • Include the company logo in the design (fair use will apply here)
  • 2+ photographs blended (don’t need to be original, but need to be legally obtained. (See course media usage requirements.)
    • illustrations and vector images cannot be used for this project
  • Symbolic visual communication (avoid literal)
  • Written content
    • Original and creative headline (must coincide with visuals)
    • Body copy (1-2 sentences)
    • Call to action (tell the viewer what you want them to do)
  • Create the same ad in the following two different sizes.
  • Generative AI: This course aims to help you gain skills in visual communication. The best way to learn visual communication is by doing. We gain so much through the act of creation, and the use of AI changes that process. Therefore, work derived from generative artificial intelligence (AI) resources without express permission from instructors is not considered the students’ original work. Simply put, do not use AI for this course. It is considered cheating and can result in failure of the course. Contact your instructor if you have any questions, especially if something is or isn’t AI. 

     

Design Expectations

You will be graded on your understanding, application, and integration of the principles of design, typography, color, and photography. This will also include evidence of original thinking and skillful use of concepts.