Fundamentals of Advertising Design

Advertising is all around us, all the time. Whether we are travelling, watching television or simply browsing various websites & apps on your Smartphone, ads are everywhere. Simply put, advertising is the action of calling something to the attention of public, at the right time, in the right place. However, there are certain dos & don’ts when it comes to designing for advertising. Let’s look at some basic principles that every ad designer should know.

Grab people’s attention 

Ads should grab attention. No one has the time to stop & pay attention. So your ad has to force them to stop & give it a second look.

Be clever & creative

Attract people & make them take notice. Represent the brand in a positive way. A clever ad represents a clever company.

Don’t make them think (too much)

You need to get the message across in a clever way, but it shouldn’t make people think too much. A person should know what the ad is saying as soon as they look at it.

Colours that pop but make sense

Colours should work with the feeling of the brand & environment in which the ad is being placed. For a ‘fun’ brand, use a collaboration of bright colours. If the ad is more serious, use simpler colour schemes. Appeal to the target audience through colour, but don’t make the colours distracting.

Stand out & be memorable

Your ad should be unique, memorable and completely different than anyone else. Be original. People should be able to tell the company’s tone by looking at an ad.

Show not tell

Try using a visual way of representing a concept instead of text.

Use humour; use metaphor

Humour is a useful technique for attracting people to an ad. Metaphors can be a great way to add humour.

You can learn all about advertising concepts & design, and build a successful advertising career though the right training from a reputed institute.