Creative Research Phase
Multiple things are needed to create an ad for a client as a graphic designer. But there are three main things that I look for and ask before making the ad.
The first question is, what message does the client want to tell in this ad? It could be a simple answer: the client wants to know that the newest car is ready to sell today or that they’re the best sushi restaurant in town! When the client answers this question, I can tell what audience they are aiming at, the tone and their environment as a business, and how I can represent that in the ad.
The second is where do they want to show this ad? This answer gives me a look at what size I am working at for its design. For me, most of my client tells me that they will publish this ad on their social media page, aka Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. This answer can vary from social media posts to printed ads for posters, brochures, or billboards.
And last but not least, what do they want on the ad? Many just ask for their logo with big letters saying SALE!. Others go specific, like adding pictures of their products, dates, locations, and many more. With this, I can put all the pieces together and start making my ad.
For Example
Let me give you an example with these questions. I asked these question to a client, and they responded that they want to promote a pancake sale that happens every Monday and wants to post it on their social media. They will provide me with their logo, hopefully in a transparent PNG, with a catchy text. I start looking around other ads to get the “pancake sale” vibe and start making my ads for them. I will usually provide two to three drafts to give variety on which the client wants to go with. After the client decided which ad they chose, I finalized it and sent it to post on their social media!
