As part of my portfolio for school, I am required to conceptualize, produce, edit & deliver a self-promotional video. The first stage is the pre-production. This includes research, brainstorming, storyboarding & script writing.
Video Requirements:
2-3 minutes in length
Must include composite video or kinetic type using After Effects as well as footage captured with a video camera.
Must have professional lighting & sound quality.
HD 1080p formatted for Vimeo/Youtube & mobile
Begin with rough sketches, then refine the storyboard using more detailed drawings or photos.
Video Objectives
Promote my employable skills through video:
Photoshop
Illustrator
InDesign
Dreamweaver
After Effects
Premiere Pro
Bridge
Digital Photography
Photo Editing
Video Storyboarding, Filming, & Editing
Organization, Planning, & Coordinating
Teamwork
Management
Communicate my ideas visually through detailed sketches and planning.
Capture and edit a sequence of video clips to create a mood and message to the viewers.
Composite text, images & video in a visually appealing and professional way, using Adobe After Effects.
Brainstorming Ideas
The main idea I have for my video is to do a timeline, showing my college/job experience from when I graduated college in 2020 to finishing the Media Design Technology Program in May 2025.
I will be using my transcript as a reference for the classes I have taken and which year and semester they where in.
I think that a timeline, “Progression Over-Time,” would be a good way to show the things I have learned over the years and how I have ended up in my current position.
This video will be very visual, with moving text and the backgrounds being the focus. I do want to get some royalty free background music as well to help with the feeling and mood of my video. I do not think there is a need for any talking in the video.
I will be using my transcript of my classes as a guide for the type that will be in my video. I will also be going through old pictures of me to get a feel for what I looked like during each year so I can try and re-create the feeling of going back in time.
I plan to film at Garretson High School, the USD Community College for Sioux Falls, Southeast Technical College, and North Central International to show the places I have gotten my education and experience so far.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Designers can achieve their communication goals through different forms of imagery.
Images are symbolic and emotional in nature and can be representative of real places, people, or objects, or they can be artificially contrived and abstract. Images create a visceral connection to experiences described by written language, bringing more context and meaning to a composition.
Images can be powerful communicators on their own, but usually they are integrated with other visual elements to enhance their meaning.
Pictorial images show recognizable subjects like objects, figures, and spaces.
Empirical Pictorial Images
-depict the characteristics of objects and scenes as they are observed in space.
This type of image is usually used to help describe or explain subject matter better and to suggest that the message is grounded in real life.
Photographs are the most empirical of any type of imagery.
For example, in an ad for a photographer, you would want to use real photographs of their work. If they are a wedding photographer, showing a good photo of a wedding couple they have taken would let the viewers know that this is the type of work they do and that they know what they are doing. If you showed an illustrated version of a photo they have taken for a wedding, this would confuse the viewers and send mixed signals because the information of the ad and the photo doesn’t match up.
Stylized Pictorial Images
-recognizable to reality but add a conceptual or metaphorical overlay of meaning.
This form of imagery is really good for envisioning things that are not naturally occurring.
We can envision the world in a way that is very unnatural to us and would be impossible to do filming actual people.
For example, reality TV & animated shows. In reality TV, the scenes and imagery that are being shown are being stylized by the director to convey certain themes, context, and emotions in the viewer. The scenes are contrived and edited from real life to become a stylized version of reality. Animated shows take this to a whole new level by representing real life or fantasy in a completely stylized way. The characters of animated shows may look more or less realistic depending on the style of the show.
Reductive Pictorial Images
-represent real-life places, people, or things in a very simplified way.
This would be like graphic translations or icons where the form is very distinct and recognizable right away.
For example, there is usually always a sign on bathrooms that is either a female icon, male icon, wheelchair-accessible icon, or family icon. These are very easy to identify right away because the symbols are just pictures of people, reduced to the simplest forms.
Semiology
-the process of perception and cognition for visual understanding and describes the process of a visual signifier gathering meaning in our brains. This is also referred to as syntax to semantics and explains why different forms create and signify different visual meanings.
All forms carry meaning.
The shape, size, linearity, and mass of a perceived form tell us what the form is (syntax), while our experiences and prior understanding of these characteristics create the meaning (semantics).
Interplay of forms and images also creates additional meaning beyond the base syntax of the form.
For example, round objects are usually associated with being natural because of our experience and knowledge of other round objects (sun, moon, earth, unity, cycles of nature). Square objects are usually associated with being unnatural or man-made because of our experience of other geometric shapes (architectural, artificial, intellectual, shelter, order, math).
A designer might choose to represent an idea pictorially by using photographs, illustrations, or a mix of both.
Images must provide informational clarity in a way that resonates and delivers secondary and tertiary messages, associational, and branded messages.
Images come in different modes, and the correct mode you should use depends on the kind of message you are creating and how you want the viewer to interpret it.
Icons
-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.
Symbols
-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.
Indexical signs (indexes)
-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.
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.
Copy is the text that you use in an advertisement. No matter what kind of advertisement it is, there are fundamentals to follow in order to make more interesting writing. There are lots of elements that go into writing body copy but I will only be discussing the elements that I find the most important.
1. Gets attention
(Photo screenshotted from my Instagram. I do not own this material and am using it for informational purposes only.)
This Scooters ad gets attention by featuring an offer. Immediately, the line “$1 COFFEE” is the first thing that many people will notice about the ad. As someone who enjoys coffee, this offer is very attractive, as a typical cup of brewed coffee from Scooters would be around $3-$4.
2. Focuses on the customer
(Photo screenshotted from my Instagram. I do not own this material and am using it for informational purposes only.)
This advertisement is doing a good job of being customer centric. This advertisement promises that the consumer will gain a sense of “Belonging, Purpose, and Hope” by participating in their events for young adults. It also makes sure to say, “You’re invited,” as if speaking directly to the consumer.
3. Stresses benefits
(Photo screenshotted from my Instagram. I do not own this material and am using it for informational purposes only.)
This advertisement from Audible stresses the features and benefits of this particular book. The proclaimed feature of the book is to learn “Effective Co-Parenting or Parallel Parenting with a Narcissist,” while the benefits of learning this are to “Set Boundaries, Eliminate Conflict, Protect Yourself, and Raise Emotionally Secure Children.” The feature helps you to understand what the book can mean to you and why its worth listening to.
4. Differentiates your product from the competition
(Photo screenshotted from my Instagram. I do not own this material and am using it for informational purposes only.)
This advertisement stresses that it is different from the competition because you don’t have to brush your retainer. It does not specifically mention the names of the competitors but alludes to the fact that this product is very different than what else is out there. It stresses the benefit that you will never have to brush your aligner again like you have to for many other brands that also offer a retainer.
5. Proves its case
(Photo screenshotted from my Instagram. I do not own this material and am using it for informational purposes only.)
This advertisement proves its case that you should listen to this book because it is the “#1 New York Times Bestseller.” This shows that many people already enjoy the book and have listened to it already, so you should too. People can be skeptical to try a product if no one else has tried it, because they don’t know if it’s worth their time or money, and they want someone else to take the risk if it ends up not being worth it. This ad also has a quoted review about the book from Buzzfeed, so if you like Buzzfeed and respect them, you would probably trust their opinion about the book.
6. Establishes credibility
(Photo screenshotted from my Instagram. I do not own this material and am using it for informational purposes only.)
This advertisement establishes it’s credibility by stating that “MyTrueAncestry compares your DNA to real arcaeological DNA samples: our database includes 140+ ancient civilizations and 10,000+ years of history!” This helps to prove that your results will be accurate and worth using this service to look into your ancestry.
7. Builds value
(Photo screenshotted from my Instagram. I do not own this material and am using it for informational purposes only.)
This advertisement builds value by stating that after using their laser hair removal services, you will never have to shave again. The treatments may be expensive, but the extra value is that they would save you money in the long run from not having to buy shaving razors, razor blades, or shaving cream anymore. It would also save you value in terms of time in the long run.
8. Closes with a call to action
(Photo screenshotted from my Instagram. I do not own this material and am using it for informational purposes only.)
This advertisement closes with a call to action by encouraging you, “Don’t delay again! Try it Now.” There is also a “Learn more” bar at the bottom that you can click. This encourages you to act on the ad while you are interested and requires minimal effort to learn more about the service being offered. This is essential in ads so that the consumer knows what to do easily to pursue the product or service.
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.
Interview Conducted on November 14th, 2024 by Angel Larson
The Brandon Steakhouse & Lounge is a Brandon, South Dakota restaurant. The business serves steaks, entrees, appetizers, various sides, a senior menu, a kids menu, and a full bar. The Brandon Steakhouse provides a classic old-time feel but has recently improved the floor, seating, and bathrooms. I had the privilege of sitting down with Mark Anderson, the business owner, to ask him about his experience of becoming a business owner. I wanted to learn more about what he does as the owner, how he got to be the owner of the Brandon Steakhouse, and what knowledge and skills he has learned over the years.
What made you interested in owning the Brandon Steakhouse? I started working here the month I turned 16 and stayed on through college. I learned all the ropes, and I knew that the owner, Bob, was getting old and would be passed on to somebody. I asked him if he wanted to sell the Brandon Steakhouse to me, and he said yes.
How did you go about acquiring the Brandon Steakhouse? It was mind-blowing, to be honest with you. I did a contract for deed for the first five years. There are so many licenses you have to have in this business. Every year, I have to get a new lottery and liquor license. I didn’t know about that. I was just told about it when it happened. There are many more bills involved in all seriousness than one would think.
How long have you owned the Brandon Steakhouse now? It’ll be six years in January.
What skills and knowledge did you have to learn to become a successful business owner? I didn’t go to college to be a business owner; I went for conservation science. I was still working here, and when I finished college, I returned and started working full-time. I enjoyed it, and then, at one point, the owner couldn’t do some of the bigger things that were supposed to be done, like cutting the meat, so he taught me how to do what he did. I just took over from there. I learned business skills on-site through experience.
Would you say that being the head cook and the owner of the Brandon Steakhouse has made you more invested in the business? One thing is for sure: when I bought it, I didn’t think I would be putting in the hours I was. Of course, I’m more invested. My first goal when I started was to make things as good as possible. When I bought it, we closed and renovated the whole bar the first month. Time passed, and we made more changes, like remodeling the carpet and making a handicapped bathroom. I’m always trying to improve it and want the business to succeed.
How has the food service industry changed since you started working here? During the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, it was almost impossible to get food. I was always running around trying to get what I needed. Even U.S. Foods could never get meat for me during that time, so that was a learning thing. I had to buckle down and figure things out on my own. I would succeed no matter what, so I’m still here.
Do you think that since the business was already established in the area when you got it, it helped to make it more successful than if you were just to open a completely new restaurant? The Brandon Steakhouse is a well-known place, and when it started, Brandon was a lot smaller. The population now is close to 70,000, so it carries the name. I barely do any advertising because we get a lot of local customers and word of mouth.
What forms of marketing have you used to bring awareness to Brandon Steakhouse? I’ll advertise occasionally in local publications. I considered putting up one of those signs that they have when you’re getting off at the exits on the Interstate, but there wasn’t one available. We could do more advertising if I had more people to work here. The biggest struggle is getting and training cooks.
How has the local community helped the business to thrive? 80% of our customers are from Brandon. It’s probably one of the biggest growing cities in South Dakota, so that’s also helped.
What are your goals for the future for the Brandon Steakhouse? I want to make the steakhouse as good as possible and then sell it so I can retire. I love what I do, but I’m getting older, and I would like to find someone to pass down the Steakhouse Legacy, too.
Design is a very creative field, but it also uses math, logic, and reason to aid in designing. For example, a flyer, advertisement, banner, poster, etc. will all be designed within the dimensions of a page. A common dimension for a flyer would be 8.5″ x 11″ (8.5 inches wide and 11 inches tall) This is the common size of a sheet of paper. Print advertisements and posters are more likely to be in custom sizes that require a more specialized printer.
You can also have dimensions of design in terms of pixels. Pixel sizing is used when you are creating a design that will be displayed on smartwatch, phone, tablet, TV, and computer screens.
Sizing and math is important in terms of the photos you use in your design, the font size, and the sizes of shapes. From small to large sizing there are different challenges you will face with your designs.
Designing on small dimensions means that you will have to make sure your design can still be read and noticed. You may have to have less elements in your design, because there is not as much space to work with. Larger designs mean that the elements must be much larger. You also have to take into consideration how close the viewer will be when looking at your design. If they are going to be looking at it from close up (1-2 feet away) you can get away with making the text very small. If they are going to be looking at it from a far distance and for not very long (for example a billboard on the side of the road) you will need to make the elements very large and easy to take in at a glance.
Sizing is also very important to consistency in your design. You must develop a method to the sizing of your type, shapes, and images. For example you may have a specific size to use for the main heading, sub headings, body copy, and captions within a single design that you will want to stick to.
If you want an element of your design like an image to take up 1/3, 1/4, 1/2, 2/3, or 3/4 of your design space, you can figure this out easily by taking the total length or width of your design and applying the fraction to it. For example, if a graphic you are making is 400 pixels tall and you want the image to take up 3/4 of the space, take 400 divided by 4 (100) and than multiply that number by 3 (300). So to for the image to take up 3/4 of the space vertically it would need to be 300 pixels tall.
This is how you can use a basic understanding of math to help aid you in your designs.
Interview Conducted on September 25th, 2024 by Angel Larson
Click Rain is a people-centered digital agency based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The company provides web solutions and digital marketing strategies that make a difference in any type of business. I had the pleasure of sitting down with Bailey Wood, the associate director of marketing at Click Rain, to ask her about her experiences in the marketing career field. I wanted to learn more about what she does in her position, how she got there, and what is takes to pursue a career in marketing.
Angel: How did you get into the marketing field? Bailey: I first went to school for music education. Being a musician has always been my passion, but I found out that it was just a passion and not a career. At the time I was planning my wedding, and I enjoyed the wedding planning process so much that I was wondering how I could turn it into a professional career. Jobs that deal with people planning, organization, and marketing were one of the first results. I jumped into a program at Iowa State and then discovered how complex and strategy-driven it can be. I love data, research, science, and numbers learning, but I also love to design. I dabble in arts and music and think creatively. With marketing, specifically marketing strategy, those things come together. We rely on the foundation of data, but we also think creatively. How does the message come across? How do we get the look right when we bring all those pieces together? So that’s how I landed here.
Angel:Since you’ve gotten into the marketing field from college, how has it changed? Bailey: It changes every quarter, like what platforms there are. When I first got out of college, Tik-Tok didn’t exist, X was still called Twitter, and we used Instagram differently. Facebook demographics were completely different from a younger millennial generation to now. It changes constantly, and that’s the nature of marketing. There’s also a difference in technology, so there’s a big focus on AI right now that is absolutely impacting the marketing field, and it also impacts things from a privacy perspective. Across many industries, we’re seeing an increase in consumers caring about where their data is being stored, how it’s being used, and what happens when there’s a data breach. How marketing works right now relies heavily on consumer information, so we want to track people from opening an email to clicking on a website. How we interact with that data has changed quite a bit. We have more information, but it also has gotten to the point where, when you think about how you go to purchase as a consumer, it’s not very straightforward. You might see an ad, and then you see a billboard. You might click on something on Facebook, but you don’t make a purchase. So how do we determine which one of those things was the right thing? We used tools like Google Analytics that can see those different paths, and we try to understand which were the most impactful and which of them is the right one for whatever the case is.
Angel:What drew you to working at Click Rain? Bailey: I’m from Omaha. I moved from there about a year and a half ago. I worked remotely for Click Rain for 2 years and then decided that I loved Sioux Falls and the community. I also love working with creative people. I think the thing that drew me in also was the mantra of ours, “metrics that matter.” Sometimes in the marketing field you get a lot of fluff like “We’ll increase your followers by 100%,” but what does that really mean? How does that impact somebody’s business? How are we contributing and making a difference to an overall business? Click Rain really cares and focuses on the metrics that matter, so does it matter to you to increase followers, make sales, or increase customer loyalty? That’s what’s making a real impact on business.
Angel:Has it been easier to work at a company surrounded by the tools they have and the other people, or was it easier to be freelance? Bailey: I’ve worked in in-house marketing, and I’ve done consulting for several different businesses. I would say each comes with unique pros and cons, and it could differ by person and the stage of life you are in. As far as which ones were great for me, I felt like I was hitting a bit of a ceiling when I did 20 things okay by myself. So, what I wanted to do was to focus on an area. When I was a consultant, I would do the strategy, design the ads, write the copy, build websites, and do the tracking. I did good at some, but I’m not a trained designer. I’m not as well versed in media placement as our media team is. So, I focused on the marketing strategy because that’s where I have a competitive advantage. Having the team at Click Rain has helped me learn and grow.
Angel: How did you know when you wanted to switch positions or companies? Bailey: I think it feels like there’s something in your gut saying that you’re ready for a change. I wasn’t seeking; I was just open to possibilities. I saw a Facebook ad for Click Rain, and I read through the description of the role thinking, “Wow, that seems like that would be a great fit that would suit my strengths well.” So, I decided to throw my hat in the ring, and after my first conversations with our HR person, Carissa, who is an amazing human being, I also recognized how amazing the culture is at Click Rain. That was another important component to me, and Click Rain is very top-tier.
Angel: What is your typical workday like? Bailey: It varies a lot. I meet with clients and work through campaign strategy, where we are looking at what our goal is, how we accomplish that goal, and getting the right people and pieces in place on a timeline and budget. I spend time estimating how much things cost. I spend time working on new business initiatives, so I’m looking at if we’re trying to acquire new clients or new partnerships. I also work on department initiatives. As a leader in my department, I help to make sure that the people on my team have their proper tools, resources, and guidance. It’s usually a packed day at a fast pace, which I enjoy.
Angel: How do you manage your busy workflow? Bailey: The key is prioritizing and focusing. Knowing when something can be pushed to a later time or when it’s urgent. We have a project management system that helps us organize our work. That keeps everybody on track with due dates and file management. I also always think hard. I’m very thoughtful and make sure I’m finding the right timing and momentum. Sometimes we might need to turn the heat up on a project, and sometimes we need to turn it down. It’s an art and a science. Utilizing your team is also important. Knowing should I get other people to help with this or can I train somebody, and they can take this on. Sometimes you must let go of the reins. I’ve learned that I can’t be everywhere at once, I can’t do everything all at once, and I can’t see everything.
Angel: How can you make sure that those goals you’re making are specific, measurable, and attainable? Bailey: We use an organizational system called traction, which provides us a framework for how you can operate as a business. As part of traction, we develop an organizational vision for 2025 and how we’re going to work towards that goal. We call it a rock because it takes everyone to push a boulder up a hill. The idea is that everybody takes their part, and we’re able to move really big things. Then we develop your personal rocks. Every trimester I work with my manager and then the people that I’ve managed to come together to figure out how we can collectively contribute to our department and organization to reach those goals. We develop a due date and specific expectations for what we’re going to do to accomplish those goals.
Angel: How can we as marketers try and keep up with the advancing technology and the growing digital landscape? Bailey: We take advantage and stay up to date with several different marketing e-newsletters from companies like Spark Toro. They send a lot of information to your inbox. It’s up to you if that’s relevant or interesting. I’ve gained a lot from conferences and seminars. People love or hate conferences, but I’ve gained so much from them. Getting together with industry professionals, hearing from people who have put together thoughtful presentations, and finding other professionals in the marketing field to interact with are great resources. We do a great job here at sharing between our departments as well. Following people on LinkedIn and keeping up with news can also be helpful.
Angel: Are there any groups or societies for people in marketing that you would recommend? Bailey: The American Marketing Association has a lot of people involved with it. I stay really present with schools. I teach a class at Augustana right now. I’ve presented at student days, like career fairs for SDSU and USD. Sometimes it’s just great to feel like you’re staying connected with marketing professors, and up-and-coming talent is great.
Angel: How do you manage a good work-life health balance? Bailey: Click Rain has a couple of core values, and one of them is balance. Your human well-being comes first, then your family, and then work. Click Rain does a great job of ensuring that we’re not asked to work outside of normal working hours. We’re able to leave work and go home. That’s #1 of work-life balance—having a company that helps to accommodate that for you. Another thing is not taking things personally. Thinking the best, assuming the best of people, and taking breaks. I’m a person that wants to be obsessed all the time, but I have to walk away sometimes.
Angel: What tips do you have for progressing a career in the marketing field? Bailey: Try to build a community of people in business. Sometimes that’s a vulnerable thing to do. Sometimes we want to do our job and go home, but you gain so much by expanding the people that you know. I got my master’s degree fully funded because I went into an open house at Creighton and I said, “Hey, I’d like to get my MBA, and I’d like to get it for free. Who do I need to talk to about it?” I talked to the lady while she was there for about 40 minutes and gave her my pitch, and two weeks later they called me and said somebody dropped out of the program and would you like to take their spot as a graduate assistant? That would have never happened if I hadn’t put myself out there. Believe in yourself.
Angel: Do you have anything else you want to add? Bailey: If you have a spark to do something, explore it. Do it even if it’s not always super feasible. Sometimes we’ll have a little whisper that will say I’m really interested in this, or this is my dream job or role. Go and pursue it! It takes a bit of courage and vulnerability, but I think you’re so rewarded for taking those risks and doing it. You can get far by working hard and having your products as polished as possible. I try to take a step beyond, and I have seen where that pays off. There’s a lot of opportunity and a great future for marketers.
Now that you have created the content for your app or website in photoshop and created a shared library with your assets, you can bring everything into Adobe XD.
Adobe XD is used for designing, prototyping, and sharing app or website designs.
Designing
With Adobe XD, you are able to have all the different screens (pages) of your app or website all in one place.
From the sign-in page, profile, settings, home page, etc., you can have a clear view of all the content that will be on your app or website.
You are able to design the content of the pages within Adobe XD, or you can design your content in photoshop and import it into XD as layers. Designing your content in photoshop and then importing it into XD can save you time.
Adobe XD works similarly to other Adobe apps in the ways that you can utilize properties, layers, effects, and share libraries.
You will want to create a separate page for every button that is clicked in your app or website and every option that is possible to the users.
In XD you are able to gain ready made assets or look at examples of other layouts by going to file > Get UI kits. Here you can download already made examples of apps and websites in XD to help to gain icons, and ideas for text sizes, and what pages you will need.
Prototyping
What makes Adobe XD special is that you can link your pages together to see what button will lead to what outcome. For example, if you click next on an app or web page, it may lead you to a new page, a new box, or make something pop up.
You have freedom to decide where the buttons will lead to give your users options while using your app or website or create navigation.
You can also press the play button so that you can press the buttons for yourself and make sure they are having the desired effect.
Sharing
In Adobe XD you can share your website or app prototype through a link. This will allow a potential user, employer, or developer to see your idea and comment on it.
Because you are sharing a link, if you update your website or app prototype after sharing it, you can press update link and the link you sent will be updated without having to send a new link.
If you send the link in developer view, they will be able to see what assets where used on each page. (colors, font family, font sizes, shapes, images etc.)
Adobe XD is perfect for bringing your idea to life so that people can see it before it is coded, and to help make the coding process faster and easier.
