Angel Larson Design

Tag: content-marketing

  • The Nature of Images – Modes of Pictorial Signification

    -Angel Larson

    Images Come in Different Modes

    The correct mode you should use depends on the kind of message you are creating and how you want the viewer to interpret it

    Icon

    Icons should be used when you want to literally represent the subject or idea in a way that will be descriptive and straightforward to the viewer. A photograph can be used as an icon if it exactly represents the subject matter.

    https://www.indiamart.com/proddetail/outdoor-advertisement-service-10438338773.html

    This ad uses icons in the form of the cleaning bottles. Instead of using an actual image of cleaning products, a simplified graphic reduction is used. This helps to tell the viewer what that ad is about right away and backs up the headline, “Squeaky Clean Services.” I did think that the cleaning products do remind me the most of a laundry detergent bottle, so this might confuse the message a
    little bit.

    Indexical Sign (Index)

    Indexical signs (indexes) are visual signs that point to a signified object indirectly. For example, an image of a tree with the leaves falling might be pointing to autumn.

    Nike Marketing Strategy: Ads Tactics To Build A Timeless Brand


    This ad uses imagery of an open road as a background to help point to and signify the message about what kind of people use Nike shoes. If the image only had a runner without the background it has, the meaning and emotions of the ad wouldn’t be communicated the same. The open road background signifies that Nike is, “natural,” “rugged,” and, “adventurous.” 

    Symbol

    Symbols are used when you want the information or idea to be more open-ended for the viewer to interpret. Symbols are interpreted differently depending on the cultural, social, and historical context that the viewer may or may not be aware of. Therefore, symbols must be used carefully to achieve the desired effect on the viewer.

    https://medium.com/@eprovost7509/the-effectiveness-of-advertisement-f79203834aa6


    This ad uses a large, red, graphic swoosh to symbolize the lipstick on a social, historical, and cultural level. The large red swoosh goes with the icon photograph of the lipstick container as well as a lady wearing the lipstick to add deeper meaning and significance to the ad. To me, the large red swoosh physically represents the color and texture of the lipstick but also conveys feelings of lust, love, passion, romance, boldness, and rich velvety color. This meaning is interpreted differently by the viewer and their unique experiences and knowledge of colors, shapes, and forms.

    Supersign

    Supersigns combine icons, symbols, and/or indexes to create a more layered and complex meaning.

    https://www.shutterstock.com/image-vector/instant-milk-tea-poster-ads-paper-1336297562

    This ad uses a mix of icons, indexical signs, and symbols to create enhanced meaning. A photograph icon of the teacup is used to literally show what the product is. A symbol of the shape of steam is used that has an indexical image of fields with green leaves and a sunny sky in nature to connect the idea of where the tea came from with symbols of warmth, sunniness, and nature. These different forms of image representation combine into a supersign. The literal image of the teacup juxtaposed with the symbol of the feelings they want you to associate with their tea combines to create a more complex message for the viewer to decode and experience.

  • The Elements of CopyWriting – Headlines

    While headlines may seem like only a small part when writing copy for an advertisement, the headline makes a big impact on if the viewer will go on to read the rest of the text. There are multiple different ways you can go about writing a headline and some ways will be more effective than others depending on your product or service and your audience. I have highlighted what I find to be the most effective methods when writing a headline.

    1. Use direct headlines when writing about straightforward offers and high-interest products.

    (Photo screenshotted from my Instagram. I do not own this material and am using it for informational purposes only.)

    This advertisement for loft tours in downtown Sioux Falls is very direct with its headline. “Loft Tours” is the headline, and right away you know that this is for people who are seeking to move. Having a place to live is essential for everyone, so there is no need to offer deals or display the prices because people will need to find a place to live no matter what. 

    2. Make headlines and visuals work together.

    (Photo screenshotted from my Instagram. I do not own this material and am using it for informational purposes only.)

    The headline “MUM FEST” directly relates to the chrysanthemum flower image in the ad, showing you what the ad is about even if you only read the headline. The background also shows lots of chrysanthemums and has a heavy orange color over it. It is good to show the flowers in this ad because some people may be confused by the word “mum” in the headline. Mum can also be another word for mom, so it was a good idea to show the meaning of the word visually. 

    3. Draw the reader into your body copy.

    (Photo screenshotted from my Instagram. I do not own this material and am using it for informational purposes only.)

    The headline, “Manage your social media workflow with Canva,” offers you a solution to managing workflow and prompts you to read the other text of the ad to see what they mean by this. I was personally interested in what they meant with this headline, which prompted me to read the other text, “Design, plan, and schedule your social posts, all in one place. Simplify your workflow with Canvas Teams. Try it free.” 

    4. Appeal to your audience’s self-interest.

    (Photo screenshotted from my Instagram. I do not own this material and am using it for informational purposes only.)

    This headline, “Open doors to your wealth’s full potential,” or even just, “Wealth’s full potential,” appeals to the audience’s self-interest by promising the reader a way to reach their full financial potential. This is appealing to many people, as most people are trying to find more ways to make more money to get the things they want, be financially secure, and invest for the future. 

    5. Speak directly to your audience.

    (Photo screenshotted from my Instagram. I do not own this material and am using it for informational purposes only.)

    The headline, “Get back into dance with a supportive community,” is speaking directly to an audience of people who are interested in trying dance classes for the first time or for those who used to be in dance classes when they were younger but stopped going. This headline makes it so that the people who are not interested will not read any more than the headline and will move on from the ad, while the target audience that this ad is meant for will stay and read the rest of the add to find out more details.

    6. Deliver a meaningful message.

    (Photo screenshotted from my Instagram. I do not own this material and am using it for informational purposes only.)

    The headline, “The anti-stuck-in-bed program,” sums up what this app is about and who it is made for. You will remember this app for what the headline offers. If the headline speaks to you, you may want to try this app and see if it really lives up to what the headline promises. Even if you do not check out the app right away, you may one day discover that this is something you want help with, and “The anti-stuck-in-bed program” headline might stick with you. In that case, you could look up the headline, and it should take you right to this app.

    7. Get your audience’s attention.

    (Photo screenshotted from my Instagram. I do not own this material and am using it for informational purposes only.)

    This headline, “What will baby actually need?” gets the audience’s attention by asking them a question that they may have trouble answering. If you are expecting a baby, you may be considering this question already. Especially if you are a first-time parent, you may not know what your baby will need, and require help and assurance to make sure you are fully prepared. There are also things that people say you will need but end up being a waste of money, so for parents who want to save money, this is an even more important parent.

    8. Use appropriate appeals.

    (Photo screenshotted from my Instagram. I do not own this material and am using it for informational purposes only.)

    This headline, “Treat yourself,” uses proper appeals by showing the product in a very pleasing way. You could go with an image of someone eating the ice cream or something completely unrelated, but by showing the ice cream shakes in extreme detail in a very appealing manner, you are playing on people’s appeal for sweets or sugar by making the product look as appetizing as possible. The headline encourages the viewer to give into their sweet tooth and get someone very sugary and calorie dense as a treat for yourself. 

    Other methods of making a headline more effective include:

    • Inject news into your headline.
    • Offer to teach the reader something useful.
    • Use the “reason why” approach.
    • Tell customers what you want them to do.
    • Express your sales proposition in a fresh and compelling way.
    • Use a provocative question.
    • Avoid being clever for the sake of being clever.
    • Put the headline in quotation marks.

  • What’s Involved in Marketing?

    Marketing is a term used to define how businesses go about pricing, promoting, placing, and producing their products and services to consumers.

    Marketing encompasses every aspect of a business, including brand identity, organizational culture, internal processes, financing, strategy, etc. With this in mind, it is a very vast field, and everyone working within a business or managing their business deals with one or more aspects of marketing. If you are a cashier at a store, you are on the front line of customer service. You are promoting the business with your interpersonal skills and affecting the customers’ experience buying a product. If you are a hair stylist, you are affecting the customers’ experience by the level of service you give to the customer. If you are an accountant, you are directly helping to track the expenses and incomes of the business. This guides decisions in how many products to produce, how many people to hire, and if the business can expand. 

    I am very interested in the creative aspect of marketing—how businesses can communicate a message to their target market through text, images, colors, videos, feelings, and sounds. It all comes down to communication. We are receiving hundreds of messages daily from businesses. “This product will help you do X.” “Try this product and you will feel like Y.” These messages are attempting to offer a solution to a perceived problem. No one wants a useless product that won’t do anything. We want something that will fulfill a need, help us do something better, make us feel a certain way, and solve our specific problem/problems. I think it is essential to understand the functions of marketing and how every single job in a business is a crucial piece of the whole. Especially if you want to have your own business, you may want to think about how effectively you manage these various aspects and if you need to start outsourcing jobs to other people. 

    I hope that this gave you a better insight into the marketing field and how it encompasses all areas of the business. As well as how marketing is broken down into specialties and specific functions.

  • Designing an App with Adobe XD-Part 4

    Once you have gathered and analyzed your data for your app or website, you can create user personas based on this data. User personas help you to better understand the needs / desires of your target audience. With this real world knowledge you can better design your app or website to fit their needs / desires better. This will make your app or website more appealing to those people.

    1. You will want to create 1 – 3 different personas to characterize your target audience. Your app or website may be targeted to more than one specific type of person.
    2. Use fake names for the personas.
    3. Use pictures from online, or illustrate, what you think the persona would look like. For example if your target audience is mainly 4-50 year old females, you will want to use a picture of a middle aged female for your persona.
    4. Describe the demographics of each persona.
    5. Describe the wants of each persona.
    6. Describe the needs of each persona.
    7. Describe the functions each persona would like to see.

    Creating these user personas of your target audience, based on the research you conducted will help you to back up your design ideas for your app or website. This will be a good guide for you to look back on when you are wondering what specific details of your app should be like. With personas you can base your ideas with facts and either back up your decisions you already made, or subvert your expectations. Your target audience may react in a way you didn’t expect to a certain want or need you thought that they had.

    These are personas I made for an app idea for a personal finance organizer app. I conducted an online survey with google forms and sent it out on SnapChat and Facebook. I gained 67 responses and analyzed them in excel to help me form the user personas.

    The next step after creating your user personas is to create sketches for your app or website.

  • Designing an App with Adobe XD-Part 2

    The next step to designing an app or website with Adobe XD is to conduct real world research to back up your assumptions about what your target audience wants/needs.

    Do this step after you have determined what your app or website will be called, what need / desire it will fill, who will be wanting to use it, what functions it will serve, how you will gather and / or create your content, and what other competition exists that would challenge your design.

    There are a few different ways you could go about this step. The key is to make sure that you are looking where your target audience is.

    1. Survey
      • You could create a survey to gain an idea of what your target audience wants.
      • You could create a physical or digital survey.
      • You can ask questions in the survey that are based on numbers or opinion. For example if you had 100 respondents and 50 are female you can look further into what they answered on the questions if your app or website is designed for females.
    2. Interviews
      • You could conduct in-person, phone, text, or email interviews to gain useful information about your target audience.
      • This will give you a chance to dig deeper into the wants and desires of your target audience and what they think of your ideas.
      • This option may result in people being less forthcoming though, because it is a less anonymous option.
      • The data from this option may take a long time to analyze, but it will give you a deeper understanding of someone than a survey.
    3. Focus Group
      • You could conduct a group interview where you can interview more than one person at once about a topic and gather insight to their wants/desires.
      • This may be hard to do if it is not people you already know, but you could conduct this at a public place and offer cash or free food for participating.
      • Make sure you are interviewing people who fit your target audience.
    4. Second Hand Research
      • You could look into research reports that have already been done for information.
      • Make sure that the information you use is backed up by facts, non-biased, and from a credible source.
      • If you can find raw data about it, you can form your own conclusions on the data.

    Once you have figured out what research method is the most suitable for your needs, create a list of questions that you would like answered. Make sure you include questions about demographics so you can make sure you are basing the decisions for your app or website on the wants/desire of your intended audience. Send out your survey, conduct your interviews, and collect the responses.

  • How to Write a Research Report with a Presentation

    Research reports are essential when it comes to presenting your ideas to other people. They can help you summarize and backup your results when it comes to researching a problem or hypothesis. Great research reports must be complete, accurate, and clear to be the most effective.

    Completeness
    – Provides all the information readers need in a language they understand.
    – Only include the results that really matter.
    – Figure out what should be left out.
    – Think carefully about the reader.

    Accuracy
    – Review for accuracy (review math, confusion between percentages and percentage points, review grammar, make sure terminology is clearly defined.)

    Clarity
    – Clear and logical thinking.
    – Precision of expression.

    The report must be well organized. Clarify the purpose of the report and why you are writing it. Make an outline of the major points. Tell the reader what you are going to cover in the report. Use short paragraphs and sentences. Don’t be evasive or ambiguous.

    Research Report Outline:

    • Title Page
      • Includes the subject/title of the report; name of the organization, department, or individual for whom the report was written; the name of the organization, department, or individual submitting it; and the date. Include contact information of the person writing the report.
    • Table of Contents
      • Include headings and subheading with page references.
    • Executive Summary
      • Contains the most essential information within a single page. Who authorized the research and the specific research problems. How the data was collected, including response rate. Include only the most important results of the study in bullet points, then go over conclusions and recommendations.
    • Introduction
      • This contains background information for readers. Include the nature of the issue being studied, specific research problems being addressed by the research and define the market and name the competitors
    • Method
      • Include the research design, data collection methods, sampling procedure & analysis techniques that were used. Do not use technical jargon. Include whether it was exploratory, descriptive, or causal research. Tell the reader why the design chosen for the specific problem was the best choice. You can add separate sections for different research methods if necessary. Are the results based on primary or secondary data? How where the questionaries administered. What was the unit of analysis (individuals, families, or businesses). What was the sampling frame and its source. What was the type of sample drawn, the size of the sample, and response rate?
    • Results
      • Present the results of the study in detail Including supporting tables & figures. Address the specific research problems posed. The results must be presented with some logical structure. Omit irrelevant results. Explain what the tables and charts mean. Tables are often the better choice for presenting results. Point out limitations & possible biases.
    • Conclusions and Recommendations
      • Conclusions are based on interpretation of the results while recommendations are suggestions for appropriate future action. Include a conclusion for each problem with recommendations to follow. Make sure that the conclusions and recommendations are straightforward and can lead to a decision. Depending on the audience reading your report, you may want to leave out your recommendations and let the audience make their own.
    • Appendices
      • Appendices are too detailed, complex, or specialized for the text. Include a copy of the data, calculations, and bibliography. Include raw data of the project. This is good archival data, as this research many need to be re-used or revisited in the future. This information also helps other researchers to be able to double check your work for accuracy or re-create the research on their own.

    The Oral Presentation

    • There is usually an oral presentation of the research report that is needed to communicate your results to other. The reports should be presented in a professorial and confidence Inspiring Manner. Presentations are especially important if you are using the data to inform decision making and strategies for the future. What does the data suggest with respect to marketing actions? To deliver a professional presentation you must be organized, passionate, engaging, natural, and confident. Take time to understand your audience and practice
    • Organize Your Presentation
      • State the general purpose of the research problems being addressed.
      • Present the results of the research.
      • Back up the results with evidence.
      • Share your conclusions and recommendations.
    • Alternate Organization
      • State the general purpose of the research problems being addressed.
      • Share your conclusions and recommendations.
      • Present the results of the research.
      • Share your conclusions and recommendations.
    • It is essential to develop an effective visual aid like a PowerPoint to go with your presentation. This will help to keep your audience engaged and better able to understand the results. Make sure to keep the visuals simple so they are not too distracting. Keep to one point per slide, so you can have more slides as you talk. Highlight significant points so that the audience knows that they are important. Keep the visual aid easy to read. limit the number of colors you use and minimize distract backgrounds. Build complexity sequentially with one concept building onto another across multiple slides.

    Writing a report can seem like a lot, but there are many tips to making sure your research report is professional, clear, concise, and effective.