Welcome to Advertising Design's Virtual Classroom

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Individual Class Assignments and Projects

Class Project #1 The Outdoor Advertising Project:

Working to Specifications (on this page below)

Class Project #4 Creating a Color Palette

This project involves two components that must work together. We've performed our discovery session with our client. This will be a collaborative (optional) effort with the class divided into teams. See Sample from a previous class.

 

Class Project #2 The Logo Project:

To Be Determined

Using Research and visit with an actual client to Develop a Look and Feel. See and example of a previous class project, Empower Dubuque.

Class Project #5 Developing a Look and Feel

We will be working on a combination of graphic elements that will make a desired statement. See a previous class example of developing Look and Feel.

Class Project #3 Working with Contrast

Using a photograph, superimpose type, choose color, style, and position to create a visual heirarchy. See an example of a previous class project.

Class Project #6 Working on our team projects:

We are hurtling toward our final day and presentations of our team projects. Remember. each of the three creative teams must make a formal presentation of their final class projects before the rest of their class members.

 

Below are the class projects and assignments for which you will be responsible. We have many interesting projects which we will do in class, but your one big team project will require work outside of class to complete.

Class Discussion Topics Bibliography
Lecture Notes 1 Brand Marketing Class Notes 9 Effective Copy
Lecture Notes 2 Determining Look & Feel Lecture Notes 10 Brochure Design
Lecture Notes 3 Team Organization: Talent and Tasks Lecture Notes 11 The Importance of Structure
Chapter 1 Text: The Importance of Research Class Notes 12: Developing Compelling Design
Chapter 2 Text: Typography Class Notes #13 Outdoor Advertising
Chapter 3 Text: Contrast Class Notes #14 How I do it... My approaches
Chapter 4 Text: Layout Lecture Notes #15 Look & Feel - Smartwool Socks
Chapter 5 Text: Grid Systems Lecture Notes #16 Working with Color and Choosing Colors that Work Together.
Chapter 6 Text: Identity Design Log & Logotypes
Chapter 7 Text: Critique and Analysis
Class Discussion Notes #8 The Importance of Shape in Layout Class Notes Page Link

 

Introductory Class Project

Sweet Baby Ray's Barbecue Sauce: Designed to discover your CQ (Creativity Quotient) and your PSQ (PhotoShop Skills Quotient)

Our first project presentation is rapidly approaching.  Below is the graphic and specifications of the ad discussed on the Class Notes Page. As you can see, this is a real product!  Sweet Baby Ray's Gourmet Sauces' Original Barbecue Sauce. I picked this item up at the local food store. Sweet Baby Ray's Inc., is located in Schiller Park, Illinois.

The company was formed among three friends. According to the company, in 1985, Chef Larry Raymond perfected the family's recipe and entered it in the country's largest rib cookoff.  "The sauce is so fine," says the label, "the taste beat out nearly 700 entries." Within a year, Chef Larry, Sweet Baby Ray and Mike O'Brien, formed a company around this award-winning sauce. Their slogan, which is printed on the neck of the bottle, is "The Sauce is Boss."

Sweet Baby Ray has a Web site. They have several different brands within the Sweet Baby Ray Sauce Category.

The graphic below is a .jpg. You may have to copy the file to your hard drive first, however, for use in such programs as Quark and PageMaker.

sbr1.jpg (32458 bytes)We will be working in Adobe PhotoShop. You will be working in screen resolution 72 dpi.

For those of you who have not worked with PhotoShop, you will receive a crash course. We can pair you up with a more experienced member of the class if you need help.

Class Project Requirements: The Outdoor Sign

You must design an outdoor advertising sign which is 14 x 48 feet in aspect ratio. The pattern is below.

You must include the product in the layout.

You can choose any kind of theme you wish, but your board must be exemplary of the design aspects that make a good outdoor sign.

A. It must be legible. Signs on the highway are only effective if you can still read them and get the essential message while driving by at 55 miles per hour.

B. It must grab one's attention

C. It must be funny

This last part is not optional because it has been proven that humor is a great selling tool. It makes a message memorable.

format.jpg (16763 bytes)

 

Class Project #2 And example of the type of projects we will do as collaborative teams:

The Poster Layout: An exercise in Fact Finding with the Client

This logo at right is for an upcoming event for which you must design a store poster.

Before you begin the poster project, there is a long list of facts you need to know.

Fact Finding

Do I have what I need to begin assembling a layout?

1. Copy issues:

When is this event (date and time)?

Where is the event precisely

2. Production Issues:

What's the size?

When is it due?

3. Budget Issues:

What's the quantity and what kind of budget to I have to work with?

Under each of these three categories, what else do you need to know before you embark on this project?

Dividing the Class into Teams for Marketing Projects

The class is going to divide into three creative teams.

Here are the three projects, one project per team, and you will have this project for the entire course. You will be collaborating on a presentation that will be given by the team at the end of the course. About a third of your individual grade depends on how well you work in this group, your contribution, and the quality of the work.

Managing Collaboration: How to manage information and influences in the advertising design process in a collaborative setting. Students learn the duties and responsibilities of the following five key roles of the advertising team:      

  • Creative Director

  • Graphic Designer

  • Copywriter / Researcher

  • Project Manager
  • Project Financial Officer

Deliverables: See the three project specifications at the bottom of this page.

  1. You can develop one logo and look and feel, or several. It's entirely up to your team and its capabilities.  In other words, your team can develop let's say 5 good ideas for a logo, or you can go with a single "best shot." You have to consider what the best allocation of resources and time will be.
  2. Develop a treatment statement based on the above information.
  3. Develop advertising copy that will be used on the handout, advertisement and poster.  You may not want to include extended copy on the poster.

Each team will be required to give a formal presentation as a group (you may designate one or more of your members to get up before the class.

You must have clean and colorful visuals to show the class. They can be electronic (in PowerPoint to be used on the projector) or shown on paper.

Organizing Your Team... some suggestions:

When you've assembled your groups, you must begin assessing your individual member's strengths and capabilities. Here are some suggestions:

Determine the strongest graphic design person on the team. This is a person with more than adequate PhotoShop experience, perhaps Web design expertise, and Quark Xpress knowledge. This person could also become your creative director

Now decide who the best writer is among your group. The writer may also double as the creative director.

Who will be the Project Manager or Team Leader? Determine who the most organized person is on the team who can ride herd on the rest of the members.

The Rewards:

The teams and their projects will be evaluated at the end of the course in special presentations by members of each team.

Class Project #3 Working with Texture, Line, Composition, Color, Contrast and Tension

Each class member will design an advertisement

The concept is simple:  Develop a look and feel, including a graphic and text tag line, that will be suitable for a newspaper or magazine advertisement. Specifications will be determined by the instructor

This exercise is a test of your ability to make your design work within the format of a flat ad of specific dimensions.

Whatever the assignment is, each student must design

  1. Page Layout Scheme which will contain a logo (supplied above)
  2. Develop a Slogan or Tag Line for the lead.
  3. Use texture, Line, Composition, Tension, Color, and Contrast.
  • Texture can be the background or surface that can serve as the background Texture can also be formed by a large photographic image against which type is superimposed.
  • .Line can be a border or key line.
  • Composition is the placement of images to guide the eye.
  • Tension is created by a consiensous avoidance of symmetry. Balance of objects on the layout is such that ti builds tension in the eye of the viewer.
  • Color: The ad can be color or black and white. Whatever creates the most evocative effect.
  • Contrast. Contrast must be optimized to allow the eye to focus on precisely what we want the viewer to focus upon.

Since you'll be learning about the effective application of shape, line, type, and texture, this would be a good assignment for applying those graphic design principles. Your design will be judged based on how well you apply some of these principles.

The Physical Requirements of this Project:

  1. The student must provide at least one treatment in PhotoShop format. Students can treat the assignment as a campaign or come up with no more than three distinctly different treatments or variations on a single theme (like for a campaign).
  2. First drafts can be hard copy, not necessarily prepared on computer (pencil and paper are fine), and we want to have them completed by the close of our next class.
  3. Final materials will be submitted via JPG format, the width of which must not exceed 550 pixels at 72 dpi.

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Special Group Project:

Complex project management

Here is the Responsibility Matrix for Project Managing the Multimedia University Mailer Project. It is left over from a previous class project, but I've let it remain here as an excellent example of complex project logistics. We will do similar projects in this and future classes.
Team Members Responsibility Tasks

Copywriter/Editor Team  

Image Special Effects and Manipulation Team  

Cost/Pricing Team  

 

 

 Alpha Prototype Design Team  

 

What follows is the Project Schedule Matrix

Brainstorming

  • Project Kickoff. First brainstorming session with creative team. Begin the creative process to determine look and feel and project goals and objectives. We cover as many aspects of the project as we can.
  • Research assignments are made to specific team members: images, packaging and vendors.
  • We decide that this design project will be an extensive CD-ROM package brochure combination.
  • We order samples of similar configurations from local suppliers through contacts among team members.
    •

Assignments

  • Reports from researchers on possible design configurations. We inspect samples brought to class, and evaluate them.
  • We come to consensus on a configuration, and we begin our design and production schedule, establishing milestones for deliverables among team members.
  • Among the assignments: Contact Public Relations as a source for campus picture assets, particularly images of the Clarke Atrium. Themes are discussed.

Finalize Copy and Begin Alpha Design

  • Copy First Draft is due from Writing Team.
  • Review copy with rest of design team with the goal of finalizing copy content.
  • Finalize image list and make assignments for new images as required.
  • Graphic Design team begins Alpha Prototype Design

Alpha Prototype Due

  • Alpha Prototype is due. This prototype will be used by the Cost/Pricing Team begins the process of using the AP to develop a cost estimate with designated vendors.
  • Design team evaluates Alpha Prototype, approvals are sought, and the next phase of refining the design for Beta Prototyping is begun.
  • Assignments are made among team members to correct, edit, augment and supplement contributions to the Beta Prototype project.
    •

Beta Prototype Due.

  • All final contributions to this project will be submitted at the beginning of class, and we complete the Beta Prototype for final inclusion in the design document.
  • Cost information is added to the design document.
  • Design Document completed.
    •

Team Assignments:

Team 1: To be determined

Team 2: To be determined

Team 3: To be determined

Each team must develop original copy, design comprehensives (physical manifestations of your ideas), a client pitch (presentation) that you will make before the entire class.

The Final Paper

To fulfill your learning experience, you will be required to write a paper at the conclusion of this class. This paper will gauge what you have learned by how you apply it to a series of questions that will be presented to you.

Point values based on your participation in Class:

Your contributions and the level of enthusiasm you display in class and in class discussions that cover the material in the textbooks 20 points.

Your ability to work collabortively and contribute to a team effort on behalf of your class project. This will be based on feedback I obtain from your fellow team members.. 20 points

Your quality of work on two papers that will be assigned to you in the course of your classwork There is a 15 point value on the first paper and 20 points on the second paper for a total of 35 points.

The Amount of money you have at the conclusion of the class combined with your accounting of expenses you incurred. The quality of your work in class will be compated to this amount of money and your money management skills. 20 points

The total number of points adds up to 100.

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