ITN Digital Marketing
About
Like every other company during the pandemic, ITN lost its ability to network in person, which they were relying on as their only method of outreach. With me as their contact for web design, they asked if I would be able to create some new digital creatives to be used on trade websites.
At this point, I've made twelve different sets with them, spanning each of our yearly campaigns. Each had new skills to learn, along with unique hurdles, but they challenged me to create better and better designs.
Tools
Methods
Graphic Design
Image Manipulation
Typography
Motion Graphics
Iconography
Video Editing
Challenges
I started this process with the skill to do it well, but not necessarily the knowledge of what made a piece of marketing effective. So this process started with a lot of research into what good ad design meant. I eventually cobbled together a style that would work for my client's needs and started to create ideas based on the copy they had provided. Through a few revisions, we worked together to create the first creative set.
Looking back on it now, I see a lot I'd change about the finished design of that first set, but without it I wouldn't be where I am now. With twelve separate sets for this client alone, I've learned quite a bit since then, and the client has been more than willing (even encouraging) to try new things. It was during these processes that I started to include animation in the final designs, which creates the unique issue of file sizes being too large. It's such a simple thing and was so easily overlooked, but when that wrench got thrown in the gears after the design was approved by the client, it pushed me to figure out how to cut down the file size (significantly) while still keeping the overall design.
Turns out using the correct programs that are designed with this purpose in mind helps substantially, but that requires the time to learn those programs and their workflows. So once you've got all that under your belt, the success of a completed and approved design feels great.
Deliverables
Impact and Learning
This project, or "these projects" I should say since there have been many, has been a wealth of education. I've learned how to add motion to my designs, giving them greater value, but also how to make sure that your designs are still functional after their finished. Having a design that looks good means nothing if it's too big to load and no one can see it.
Through these ads, we've increased traffic to our site exponentially and seeing that value directly has shown me just how impactful a well-made and well-placed design can be to a company, especially during a time when they can't go out and meet people in person.
These projects have given me the platform to try new ideas and hone some of my existing abilities
at the same time.