P ROJECT 4 STEPS -A DVERTISEMENT
I NTRODUCE STUDENTS TO
GOALS OF THE PROJECT:

To work with a client to produce an
advertisement.

To review and revise per client’s
specifications.

To create print versions of advertisements.
L OOK AT A DVERTISEMENTS

Share examples of print and web advertisements
and discuss the design principles and techniques
used in the following areas:

Layout

Colors and graphics

Typography

Tone
P ROJECT 4

Introduce the project, have students share
information about the client organizations, such as
the following:

Name of organization

Its mission and goals

Product or service provided by the organization and
explanation of how it works

Background and history

Why the organization wants an advertising team
P ROJECT P HASES

Discuss the project phases and ask students to
organize the planning of their tasks within the
project phases.

Define

Design

Build

Print delivery
C LIENT I NTERVIEW

In preparation for the client interview, read over
the kind of information designers need from a
client about the client’s goals and target
audience.

Worksheet: Client interview: Advertisement

Have students interview their client, take notes,
and gather information they identified as needed
when prepping for the interview.
I NTERVIEW

After the interview, have students review any
advertisements recommended by the client.
Encourage students to brainstorm design ideas as
they review advertisements.
P LAN

As students plan their advertisements, allow
them to do the following:

Sketch layout ideas

Take photographs of relevant products, people in
action, or other services related to the
advertisement

Identify any needed assets
3 C ONCEPT I DEAS

Instruct each student to create three concept
ideas for the advertisement using relevant
photographs and assets.

Instruct each student to meet with the client
to explain their designs.

During the presentation, make sure students
take notes to gather all comments.
R EVIEW
AND
R EVISE
 Instruct
students to review and revise their
advertisements according to client feedback.
 Instruct
them to resubmit one or two comps
(depending on the clients’ wishes) and
continue this cycle until the client approves a
single comp.
 Worksheet:
Review and redesign of
advertisement
G RAPHIC E LEMENTS

Allow students time to create any
graphics elements for their
advertisement in Photoshop.
WATERMARK

Explain that the first version of the
advertisement will have a watermark to
identify that it is a working draft for the client
and for later use in a focus group.

Using the “I do, we do, you do” method,
demonstrate how to use opacity and fill to
create a watermark in Photoshop and/or
InDesign and instruct students to create a
watermark on their graphics elements.

©2012 Mrs. Hartley (alt 0169)
I N D ESIGN
Using the “I do, we do, you do” method,
demonstrate how to work with text and place
objects on a page in InDesign.
 InDesign guide: How to work with text frames
 InDesign guide: How to combine graphics
frames and text frames
 InDesign guide: How to place images on a
page
 InDesign guide: How to work with graphics
frames, how to add a watermark

F INISH A D

Instruct students to export elements and
assets from Photoshop to InDesign and
allow them time to complete their
advertisement layout and copy.
F INAL

Have designers present the final
advertisement to the client, explaining his/her
design decisions.

Have students write up a paragraph or two
explaining their design decisions and what
they learned from the assignment.
T URN IN :

Rubric

Client Interview

3 different design comps(rough draft) (B&W)

Final ad with copyright and watermark (B&W)

Final ad in color (use Ogilvy ad layout—visual,
caption, headline, copy, signature)

Paragraph(s) explaining your design decisions
and what you learned.
N EW Y ORK C ITY HERE WE
COME !
Advertising Capital of the World!!