Understand the media you are designing for.

We comprehend information differently depending on the format we experience it in. You don’t engage with a billboard the same way you do a website. Working as a visual communicator, it’s important to understand how the viewer interacts with the design and how they gather and process information. Can you identify the environmental factors that might prevent the message from getting through? How about the amount of time the consumer has to see the message and comprehend what its saying? If you understand how the consumer interacts with each type of design format, you can target your message to suit and create more effective messages.

No matter what the media, there is a process you'll follow from idea through to finished design. Mastering the process is what makes a successful designer. Below is a basic breakdown of some of our industry’s most established design formats and points to consider when designing for each.

Logo and Visual Identity

A logo visually identifies a company or product via the use of a mark, flag, symbol or signature. A logo does not sell the company directly nor rarely does it describe a business. A logo derives meaning from the quality of the thing it symbolizes, and does not explain. (1)

For a moment, think of logos like people. We prefer to be called by our names – Tony, Sarah, Tim – rather than by some confusing and forgettable description such as “the blonde guy who wears pink”. In this same way, a logo should not literally describe what the business does but rather, identify the business in a way that is recognizable and memorable to the viewer. From a consumer’s perspective, it’s important to note that only after a logo becomes familiar does it function the way it is intended much alike how we much must learn people’s names to identify them.

The logo identifies a business or product in its simplest form. (1.1) It is a symbol. Every aspect of the mark alludes to what the company is about, what the company does and what the company means to the intended audience. It isn’t a literal interpretation, but a suggestion. Each of these subtle suggestions ad up to equate to visual voice coming through loud and clear to the audience.

When it comes to the designing a logo and executing a visual identity system, keep in mind: consistency is key for you are building a personality. People can’t relate to a business, product or service, but they can relate to personalities and design elements (font, color, texture, voice, etc.) used to represent them. You can thank advertising executive Leo Burnett for this mindset. The consumer becomes familiar with the consistent use of elements, becomes comfortable and trusts the brand. If you choose to represent the company or product in a very sleek fashion in one design, then aggressive and punk in the next, your brand will present as though it has multiple personalities. The consumer won’t have a chance to get comfortable for they won’t know what personality is going to be present next.

Print Advertisement

Advertising design is taking a concept or idea and translating it into an advertisement. An advertisement or “ad” is a specific message constructed to inform, persuade, promote, provoke or motivate people on behalf of a brand or a group. (1.2)

Keep your message short, sweet and to the point. Contemporary ad design is more visually driven than copy driven. The visuals spark the initial interest and drive the message. Today, most consumers don’t like to read a ton of copy in ads. I’m willing to bet I can list on one hand the scenarios where consumers take the time to read through a lot of ad copy:

• They’re sitting in the waiting room of a doctor’s office.

• They’re waiting for the bus or train.

• They’re looking for a particular product, a new camera for example.

• They’re using the rest room.

The consumer/print ad relationship is a fickle, short-lived one. In most cases, the consumer flips through the magazine or newspaper, scans and stops at points that grab their attention, emotionally connects with the message (hopefully), comprehends the message and quickly moves onto the next ad. Print ads are found everywhere and we’re inundated with them at an overwhelming rate. Remember, if you can get a reaction (good or bad) from your audience, they are more likely to be persuaded to act.

Establish visual hierarchy. OK, this goes for every single one of design formats I’m discussing in this blog post. Wikipedia.org defines visual hierarchy as the order in which the human eye perceives what it sees. Visual hierarchy is a group of visual elements arranged according to emphasis. (2) How you organize and prioritize the elements in your design conveys valuable information to the viewer about how important they are. Visual hierarchy helps the viewer comprehend, reinforces your message, and guides your target audience through your story. Establishing hierarchy in design is simply organizing objects (type, imagery, etc) into different levels of relative significance. Visual hierarchy creates organization and prioritization through the use and placement of visual elements.

Properly established visual hierarchies create focal points in your design, communicate additional meaning through convention and repetition, highlight actions you want your visitors to take and establish patterns of movement and flow. (3) Try asking yourself this simple question: what do I want the viewer to see first, second, third etc.? Placing the elements in the composition according to the predetermined numbered list is a simple but effective way to start establishing visual hierarchy. 

Direct Mail and Newsletter

Dictionary.com defines direct mail as advertising sent directly to prospective customers via the mail.

Dictionary.com defines a newsletter as a written report, usually issued periodically, prepared by or for a group or institution, as a business firm, charitable organization, or government agency, to present information to employees, contributors, stockholders, or the like and often to the press and public.

The main benefit: you know exactly who your target audience is! Direct mail is alluring because in many cases its effectiveness can be measured directly. The message is addressed directly to the consumer and the consumer responds directly to the sender of that message. For example, if a marketer sends out one thousand solicitations by mail, and five hundred customers respond to the promotion, the marketer can say with confidence that the direct mail campaign led directly to the responses. Measurement of other media is often indirect, since there is no direct response from a consumer. When communicating indirectly, you put a message out into the universe and hope it gets through without really knowing if it did or not.

Some aspects of direct mail/newsletters consumers may like:

• You can address the message directly to them! Yes, use their actual name!

• The message is focused on a subject of interest to them.

• They get a chance to interact with the design in their own, personal space.

• Direct mail is not a quick view medium. They have an opportunity to read through the materials at their own pace, put the piece aside and come back to it later if they wish.

Some downsides to this design format:

• Direct mail is only as good as your mailing list. If a person is on your list that has no interest in the subject, chances are the message will be immediately dismissed.

• People typically dislike it. It is unwanted and mistrusted.

• Creating an economical and effective direct mail piece that doesn’t look like “junk mail” is a challenge.

Brochure

Dictionary.com defines a brochure as a pamphlet or booklet, especially one containing summarized or introductory information or advertising.

The consumer picks up a brochure because they’re interested in learning something about your business, product or service. In most cases, you’re working with an exorbitant amount of body copy when it comes to brochure design. The consumer expects this delving into the brochure and is open to reading through more content as opposed to a print ad. That being said, it’s your responsibility to format the layout to ensure it doesn’t present as such. 

Some brochure design pointers to engage the consumer: (4)

• Ask yourself: What's the purpose of the brochure? Determine why the consumer should choose your business, product or service over your competition and continually promote this throughout the brochure. Keep the message focused on what you want to achieve and on what the consumer picked up the brochure for in the first place.

• The cover design works like a print ad. Does it get the reader's attention? Sorry, a simple logo isn't even going to come close to accomplishing this goal. So what should go there? How about effective use of type and image? A beckoning question or statement, an appeal to the consumer’s emotions, needs or wants is a good start!

• Avoid over-used typefaces.

• Avoid using decorative typefaces too many times throughout the design.

• Keep body copy point size to 8-10 points or below (nothing below 8 points or the text will present like legal text often found at the bottom of ads). This font size should be larger if your target audience skews more mature.

• Don’t use more than three type faces in the design.

• Generally don’t use more than one text alignment.

• Use headlines that command attention.

• Use Upper and lower case. We rely on ascenders and descenders to identify letterforms when reading copy. ALL CAPS does not work well in large amounts of text.

• Use boldface type sparingly to emphasize key points.

• Reverse text can be challenging to read in large amounts.

• Increase the leading (space between text lines) and character spacing to improve readability.

• Leave adequate margins on all four sides of your piece.

Transit

Businessdictionary.com defines transit advertising design as advertising that appears on the inside and outside of public transport vehicles, in waiting areas, and at stations and terminals.

Where do you place promotion materials when you want to reach everybody? Transit advertising is an excellent medium for reaching an audience of all ages, backgrounds and incomes. You are not just addressing riders with these “moving billboards.” You’re reaching families and professionals in their vehicles, students shopping or on campus and tourists finding their way around town. (5) Many design media reach only specific market segments. Transit advertising reaches the entire market (up to 90% of the adult population). (6) Transit advertisements are visible at all hours of the day equating to your message being seen by more people, more often than with any other type of design promotion. It reaches people all day... every day.

You have a captive audience for your consumer can’t escape! The consumer waits for the bus, rides on the subway or waits for their plane. There isn’t too much to do except view the designs strategically placed in front of them. Indoor transit designs don’t necessarily need the immediate communicative visual punch of a print ad. The viewer has an extended amount of time to view the message, ponder it and view it again. These inside signs are different than billboards in that they can contain much more information, can be filled with large amounts of copy and can be extremely layered and ornate in their visual presentation. Again, this is because the viewer has the time to figure out the message. This scenario doesn’t necessarily hold true for exterior transit designs affixed to the sides of cars or busses, these would suit more of an outdoor design approach which we will discuss next.

Outdoor and Poster

Formetco.com defines outdoor advertising as any form of media that carries advertising messages to consumer audiences outside the home.

Dictionary.com defines the poster as a placard or bill posted or intended for posting in a public place.

Exclamation NOT Explanation! Outdoor and Poster designs are glance mediums. What can you communicate to the viewer when they’ve got 3 seconds to see and comprehend? Not a lot, let me tell you! Designing for both mediums is a challenging communication task that requires the expression of a concept with clarity and focus. When well designed, it will entertain and intrigue consumers with arresting impact. (7)

The outdoor viewing audience is mostly mobile. People travel quickly in vehicles or walk at a brisk pace while they go through the activities of daily life. Mobility limits the potential viewing time of an outdoor or poster message to only a few seconds. Because of limited exposure time, these designs require a succinct creative approach. Both mediums work on the principle of frequency. Since messages stay in the same place for an extended period of time, people who drive by or walk past see the same message several times. Repeated exposures ensure a message is absorbed and retained over time.

Some outdoor and poster design pointers to help your message reach your consumer: (7)(8)

• Less is more, much more. Keep it brief: less than 7 words and less than 3 elements. Too many elements may confuse a viewer or make them work too hard to understand the message.

• The most effective designs focus on a single idea. Determine the most important benefit to communicate and express that to consumers.

• The design should be a quick burst of essential information. Additional messages dilute the primary benefit and reduce the impact of the message.

• Vital elements to include: a call to action, internet address, telephone number, special offer and pop-outs.

• Use Upper and lower case. Words comprised of both upper and lower characters are generally easier to read than words constructed solely of capital letters.

• Overcrowding compressed type or too many words reduces the clarity of a message.

• Excessive extreme variations between ascending/descending letter segments and serifs greatly reduces legibility.

• Ornate and sans serif typefaces can be difficult to read.

Package

Blackcoffee.com defines a package design as the structural and graphic development of a container in which product is packed, transported, presented, used and serves to support the intended brand position.

Your goal is to create a dimensional design that stimulates the consumer to make a purchase. The package is the first thing they see when walking into a store so make sure it stands out from the rest of the products on the shelf. (9)(10) The psychology behind purchase decisions is far more instinctive than rational. People only spend a few seconds in front of a store shelf and they’re faced with countless packages, images and claims. It’s impossible to process everything logically. In most cases, purchases are based on emotions not logic. (11)

A big plus about package design is its ability to break out of the expected two-dimensional world into a more dynamic three-dimensional one. Think of packaging as hands on design, literally. Your consumer isn’t only going to look at the front, they’re going to pick it up and hold the form, see it from different points of view, interact with it, be moved by how it feels and functions.

Package design is more than just glorified wrapping paper, right? Explore innovative ways to draw your consumers into your packaging solutions. Consider alternative papers (organic, synthetic, varying stocks), alternative casings (folds, shapes, varying functionality/different closures) and alternative printing techniques (inks, paints, dies, finishes) for all will help differentiate your package design from the others sitting right next to it on the shelf. (12)

Ambient

Worldwidewords.org defines ambient as almost any kind of advertising that occurs in some non-standard medium outside the home. It refers to intrusive ads in public places. The phrase was presumably coined during the peak of popularity of ambient music, a genre with electronic textures that create a mood or atmosphere.

The element of surprise! With the cost of traditional media skyrocketing and fighting for consumers’ attention, designers are seeking out new forms of promotion. When we pick up a magazine or newspaper, watch TV or a movie, we expect to see advertising. You could argue your consumers’ defenses are already up knowing promotional messages will be there. Ambient gives a message a chance to break through simply by its unexpected nature. It allows the consumer to engage one on one with the message before they’ve had the chance to tune it out. Ambient messages appear on store floors, at gas pumps, in elevators, on park benches and even pressed into the sand on beaches.

You’ve got the unexpected and the surrounding environment working for you in this type of promotion. Use our senses (sight, taste, touch, smell, hear) to draw the consumer into the event and engulf them with the message before they have a chance to dismiss it.

Website

Wikipedia.com defines website, also written Web site, web site, or simply site, as a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet address known as a Uniform Resource Locator (URL). All publicly accessible websites collectively constitute the World Wide Web.

Usability and the utility, not the visual design, determine the success or failure of a web site. Since the visitor of the page is the only person who clicks the mouse and decides everything, user-centric design has become a standard approach for web design. (13) Users’ habits on the Internet aren’t that different from customers’ habits in a store. Visitors glance at each new page, scan through text, and click on the first link that catches their interest. There are large parts of the page they don’t even look at. Most users search for something interesting (or useful) and clickable; as soon as a promising candidate is found, users click. If the new page doesn’t meet users’ expectations, they’re onto the next visual stimuli and the search process continues.

Some pointers to get you thinking like a consumer visiting a web site:

• Consumers appreciate quality and credibility. If a page provides high-quality content, they’re willing to compromise the content with advertisements and the design of the site. This is the reason why poorly designed web sites with high-quality content have a lot of traffic. Content is more important than the design which supports it.

• Users don’t care to read, they prefer to scan. Analyzing a web page, users search for some fixed points that guide them through the content of the page.

• Consumers on the Web are impatient and insist on instant gratification.

• The more you ask the consumer to think about the user interface, the less intuitive the site is and the better chance they are going to leave it.

• Users don’t search for the quickest way to find the information they’re looking for, nor do they scan the site in a linear fashion, going sequentially from one site section to another one. Instead users choose the first reasonable option. As soon as they find a link that seems like it might lead to the goal, there is a very good chance it will be immediately clicked.

Some rules of web page design and layout to help your site communicate more effectively: (14)

• Your web site should be easy to read. Choose your text and background colors very carefully. You don't want to use backgrounds that obscure your text or use colors that are hard to read. Dark-colored text on a light-colored background is easier to read than light-colored text on a dark-colored background.

• Your web site should be easy to navigate. All of your hyperlinks should be clear to your visitors. Graphic images, such as buttons or tabs, should be clearly labeled and easy to read. Select the colors, backgrounds, textures, and special effects on your web graphics very carefully. It is more important that your navigational buttons and tabs be easy to read and understand than to have "flashy" effects.

• Your web page layout and design should be consistent throughout the site. In the same way any brochure, newsletter or newspaper is formatted, all graphic images and elements, typefaces, headings, and footers should remain consistent throughout your web site.

• Your web site should be quick to download. Studies have indicated that visitors quickly lose interest in a web site if the majority of a page does not download within 15 seconds. Even web sites that are marketed to high-end users need to consider download times.

eBlast

Urbandictionary.com defines eBlast as a ridiculous non-word made up by marketing people who think the term "e-mail" is inadequate to describe the explosive excitement of their mass e-mails. An eBlast is an electronic version of direct mail marketing. Promotional messages are designed and sent via email to predetermined contact lists.

Some eBlast design pointers for you:

• Consumers interact with online content differently than print and they have the power to delete your message quickly.

• Don’t inundate them with too much information.

• There’s nothing more crucial to a good eBlast than a descriptive headline. This approach not only grabs the consumers’ attention, it also helps get your eBlast past spam filters. If you use a generic title such as “Just Reduced!” it may never make it into their inbox.

• Keep a simple header image, body copy, footer, unsubscribe link format from top to bottom, this is fairly standard.

• Use a clear call to action.

• Don't use a gradient background, it just makes it much easier to cut the HTML up.

• Don't use background images in your HTML, they won't display.

• Make your eBlast more text than imagery. When you receive an HTML email in your inbox by default it won't display the images, so the user should be able to see as much of the email content without having to show the images.

• Bigger isn’t always better. When designing an eBlast it is a good idea to know what most users have their screen resolution set to.

• Design your eBlast in HTML: Since Outlook and webmail interfaces are built around HTML why use just an image? It is not only more functional but your eBlast will load faster. If you integrate HTML you have much more control over what the eBlast looks like on your recipients screen. This has become most useful since outlook and even some webmail interfaces now block images until the user chooses to see them. By using HTML your recipient will see more than just a blocked out image (which is often displayed as an X) This also helps to separate your email from spam, as many top spam filters flag emails with one large image and very little text. If you do use an image with image maps, make sure that your eBlast is centered on the page. (15)

Social Media

Socialmediadefined.com defines social media as the future of communication, a countless array of Internet based tools and platforms that increase and enhance the sharing of information. This new form of media makes the transfer of text, photos, audio, video and information in general increasingly fluid among Internet users. The result is an enormous amount of information that can be easily shared, searched, promoted, disputed and created.

Don’t forget word of mouth. Yes, you are developing messages that work to get the word out, but nothing speaks louder than a trusted friend. You are more likely to try a product or service because a friend suggests it than through any other type of graphic communication. If your best friend “likes” a website on Facebook chances are you’re more inclined to check it out yourself than if you simply see a banner ad promoting it. Your best friend becomes what I like to call a “brand ambassador.” Brand ambassadors are consumers who belong to the target audience that willingly spread the word about your brand.

Use social media to establish your brand and raise awareness in the consumers’ eyes. (16)

• You can pitch products in a more human, interactive way. Since people visit social media sites to get personal rather than be bombarded with ads, discuss your business in a fun way and engage your customers. Ask their opinions and entice them to respond back. You’ll be making a valuable connection that will help grow your number of return customers.

• Bring attention to your products. Featuring a product on a social media site is one of the fastest ways to bring attention to it. Offer a promotion along with it for your online community members and watch your sales skyrocket.

• Increase your customers’ loyalty and trust. Speaking to your customers in a personal way makes them feel like they are talking to a friend, not a company. This will build their trust in you, which will make them want to do business with you rather than your competition. It will also improve the chances of customer recommendations.

• Listen to your customer’s opinion. Social media sites are an awesome way to see what your target audience is saying about your company or your products. Take their constructive criticism and use it to enhance your product to better meet their needs.

• Strengthen customer service. Social media networks allow your company to answer your customers’ questions and concerns directly in a timely manner. This will improve customer satisfaction and also save you money on long distance customer service phone calls.

• Build your personal reputation. Social networks allow you to get your name out to the world and talk about things that matter to you. This will help you build a good online reputation.

• Showcase your talents and establish yourself as an expert. If you’re passionate about a certain subject, whether it’s work-related or a hobby, the Internet is a great place to show off your knowledge. Soon people will be coming to you for the breaking information on that topic and talking about you to friends.

• Enhance business contacts and enhance personal relationships. Through professional sites like LinkedIn, you can build your number of business contacts and enhance your reputation as an expert in your industry. You can also connect with those long-lost high school and college classmates, old colleagues and out-of-town family members.

• Share information with like-minded people. Connect with other professionals in your field to share information. Where else would you be able to connect with industry professionals across the globe to swap stories and advice?

Integrating social media (using web-based and mobile technologies) into your design solutions helps turn one-way communication into an interactive dialogue. A print ad is an example of one-way communication. Your client promotes something in the ad hoping the consumer sees it and takes action. Social media allows consumers to instantly talk back and close the conversation loop.

Let’s sum it up

I’d like to restate my initial comment at the beginning of this post: We comprehend information differently depending on the format we experience it in. When researching and developing concepts, continually look at the intended message through your consumers’ eyes. Can you anticipate how they’ll interact with your design? How will they gather and process information in the design format you’re using? What outside factors might prevent the message from getting through? I hope the above pointers will get you headed in the right direction.

I didn’t realize post was going to be this long at the onset of writing it. There was much that needed to be covered in this topic. I’m certain I didn’t call attention to all of our industry’s design formats. Forgive me if a few have fallen off the radar. It gives you a chance to add your thoughts into the mix. What other established design formats are utilized and what points should we consider when designing for them?

Blog Resources:

(1) http://www.lifeclever.com/paul-rand-thoughts-and-despair-on-logo-design/

(1.1) http://justcreativedesign.com/2010/04/06/branding-identity-logo-design-explained/

(1.2) http://www.robinlanda.com/Books_Advertising_By_Design__Content.htm

(2) http://kellysevernscurtis.com/art140/art140_visual.htm

(3) http://www.vanseodesign.com/web-design/visual-hierarchy/

(4) http://www.mcgpaper.com/howtomakbroc.html

(5) 2004 Entrepreneur.com, Inc., Publication: Entrepreneur.com

(6) http://www.gohrt.com/media/transit-advertising/

(7) http://www.sba.gov/

(8) http://www.oaaa.org/

(9) http://freeadcandy.com/2010/12/17/the-basics-of-package-design/

(10) http://abduzeedo.com/packaging-design-tips-and-inspiration

(11) http://popsop.com/42094

(12) http://www.gomediazine.com/tutorials/inspiration-tutorials/beauty-packaging-design/

(13) http://uxdesign.smashingmagazine.com/2008/01/31/10-principles-of-effective-web-design/

(14) http://www.grantasticdesigns.com/5rules.html

(15) http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090420145810AAL5PpF

(16) http://www.sitepronews.com/2011/02/13/top-14-benefits-of-social-media-marketing/