Creative Evaluation
Web-based presentations are primarily a visual experience. The basic building blocks of creative content are the same as traditional printed materials. These can be described in two distinct groups: text and visuals. This lab evaluates the use of these two elements to demonstrate their use in Web creative strategy.
Text includes words, phrases, slogans, headlines, captions, etc. Visuals include almost everything else, such as color, images, photographs, drawings, graphics, and icons. Placement of these elements, including textual elements, is also a visual discussion. Text-based logos can usually be considered a visual element, especially if the logo is used in a branding effort.
A magazine page is a good example. Most magazine pages contain a combination of text and visual elements. The editorial content is presented in text using columns on the page. The size and kind of the actual typeface, or font, used is probably targeted to the audience of the magazine. Visual elements may include photographs or other images. The amount of white space and the use of color on the page are both important visual elements. Smaller graphics may help identify the section of the magazine or add to the look and feel of the presentation in some way. Even page numbers and their appearance are considered in the creative theme of the magazine.
Newspapers use the same two elements in a variety of different ways to present information and advertising messages. Compare the front pages of your local paper with USA Today. Text and images are probably used differently in each to create a look and feel for each publication. Even if they are delivering the same information, the two publications will demonstrate two distinct creative strategies based on their respective audiences.
Richer media, including sound, video, and animation, are becoming more widespread on the Internet but are primarily used at this point to augment the initial text and graphics of a presentation. Except for sound, most multimedia elements can also be considered visual items.
A Web page, especially the home page of a Web site, uses the same two elements in the creative aspects of it presentation. Starting from a hypothetical blank page, an information presentation is built that engages the audience by appealing to its wants, needs, and desires. Utilizing a big idea or creative theme, a combination of text and visuals is used to present the communications effort.
In some situations, text plays a primary role is supporting the creative theme and targeting the audience. In others, visual imagery is the driving force behind look and feel development. In either situation, appealing to the end user is the creative strategy goal.
Exercises
Identify Text Usage in Creative Strategy
Describe the use of text on the home page of these Web sites.
www.disney.com
a) How is text used in this Web site presentation? www.gouldshawmut.com
a) How is text used in this Web site presentation? www.putnaminvestments.com
a) How is text used in this Web site presentation? www.llbean.com
a) How is text used in this Web site presentation? www.vw.com
a) How is text used in this Web site presentation? www.aarp.com
a) How is text used in this Web site presentation?
Assess Visuals in Creative Strategy
Return to these Web sites and describe the use of graphics and other visual elements on the home page of these sites.
www.disney.com
a) How are graphics utilized in this Web site presentation? www.gouldshawmut.com
a) How are graphics utilized in this Web site presentation? www.putnaminvestments.com
a) How are graphics utilized in this Web site presentation? www.llbean.com
a) How are graphics utilized in this Web site presentation? www.vw.com
a) How are graphics utilized in this Web site presentation? www.aarp.com
a) How are graphics utilized in this Web site presentation?
Exercise Answers
Answers
Describe the use of text on the home page of these Web sites.
www.disney.com
a) How is text used in this Web site presentation? Answer: Your answer will vary. The following is mine: A lot of text is used but it is secondary to images. The text is used for identification of subject matter and for navigational links to information. Text is not necessarily included for reading in a traditional sense but instead serves a functional purpose.
www.gouldshawmut.com
a) How is text used in this Web site presentation? Answer: Again, your answer will vary. Mine follows. Quite different from the previous example, this presentation is based on text. Like an informative brochure, easily read text is the primary content and is also used for navigational purposes. This helps drives the theme of the presentation, which is a dependable solution.
www.putnaminvestments.com
a) How is text used in this Web site presentation? Answer: Your answer will be in your own words. Here is mine. This is another example where text is the primary factor in the content of this presentation. Presented in a professional, concise, and straightforward manner, this text-based content drives the presentation toward its conservative and informative theme.
www.llbean.com
a) How is text used in this Web site presentation? Answer: Your answer will vary but might include aspects of mine. This Web presentation utilizes text primarily for headlines and for captions to graphics, similar to a catalog. The text is less important than the images. Text is used for navigational purposes and is present in the logo. But it is not as significant a factor in delivering the theme as visual images are.
www.vw.com
a) How is text used in this Web site presentation? Answer: Your answer will be based on your perspective. Here is mine. Text is used in this presentation in an intelligent and informative fashion to explain navigation and deliver content. It plays an equally significant part of the presentation as do visual images. The use of text is slick, like rest of the material.
www.aarp.com
a) How is text used in this Web site presentation? Answer: Yours will vary but may be similar to mine. This informative presentation is dependent on text to support the site's newsletter look, deliver its content, and provide internal navigation. The text is also especially easy to read, which is an important consideration for its audience.
Answers
Return to these Web sites and describe the use of graphics and other visual elements on the home page of these sites.
www.disney.com
a) How are graphics utilized in this Web site presentation? Answer: Your answer will be based on your interpretation of this and the other sites. Here is mine. Graphics are significant, as the whole presentation is very colorful and rich with recognizable images. This use of visual images seems quite appropriate considering the entertainment subject matter and helps support the animated fun of the creative theme.
www.gouldshawmut.com
a) How are graphics utilized in this Web site presentation? Answer: Again, your answer will vary from mine. Graphics do not play a significant role on this site except to reinforce branding activities. Limited variation in color helps support the creative theme of standardization and simplicity.
www.putnaminvestments.com
a) How are graphics utilized in this Web site presentation? Answer: The following is my answer. This site uses almost no graphics and little color. Beside very basic logos, the site content and navigation are text based, which supports the serious nature of the subject matter.
www.llbean.com
a) How are graphics utilized in this Web site presentation? Answer: Yours will vary but should include some of the following. This site utilizes visual imagery and appropriate colors to engage the audience in a similar fashion as other media. Outdoor images and seasonal color variations are prevalent, which drive the creative content of the presentation. Product images are given precedence over text explanations.
www.vw.com
a) How are graphics utilized in this Web site presentation? Answer: Again, your answers will vary from mine. Logos, product images, and targeted audience images play a major role in this presentation. Graphical elements support navigation. Speed and quickness are also incorporated into images to support the product benefits. Colors are cool.
www.aarp.com
a) How are graphics utilized in this Web site presentation? Answer: Here is my perspective. Logos and limited images to aid identification for the audiences are included in a limited fashion. Colors are patriotic.
Self-Review Questions
In order to test your progress, you should be able to answer the following questions:
| 1) | The building blocks of a Web site's creative presentation are which?
|
| 2) | Navigational aides are provided on Web sites using which?
|
| 3) | The use of color is not important in Web creative strategy.
|
| 4) | Text is sometimes used to execute the creative theme of a Web presentation.
|
| 5) | The creative theme or big idea of a Web presentation should do what?
|
EAN: 2147483647
Pages: 87
- ERP Systems Impact on Organizations
- Challenging the Unpredictable: Changeable Order Management Systems
- The Effects of an Enterprise Resource Planning System (ERP) Implementation on Job Characteristics – A Study using the Hackman and Oldham Job Characteristics Model
- Data Mining for Business Process Reengineering
- Intrinsic and Contextual Data Quality: The Effect of Media and Personal Involvement