Self-Reflection


 * Self-Reflection **

My growing interests in the field of marketing and advertising have led me to taking this course. Near the completion of this course, I have learned a lot about marketing in the online environment. In particular, I have been intrigued by the rapidly widespread use of social media in advertising and its effectiveness on spreading the word.

The first assignment was an opportunity for me to explore and search for online ads. The process of searching for something of interest to me was quite fascinating as I ran into numerous online ads that I was seeing for the first time. As a result, I bookmarked quite a number of them just to return to later on. I discovered the common use of online ads and the variety that each presented. Having to critique an online ad was new to me, but it was enjoyable to discover the underlying goals each had and how they utilized their strategies for the overall campaign. Upon completing assignment one, I have learned of the multiple ways in incorporating social media and digital media into online ads, hence, opening up new and innovative ways in marketing online. It definitely feels different to view an online ad now because of the urge to want to discuss the design and implementation of it, and the overall effectiveness it has on you, the viewer.

Moreover, the second assignment was the designing of online ads. Having designed for traditional media in the past, this was the first time designing for online media, specifically online ads. I learned of the many requirements online ads have to adhere to, such as banner and box ad dimensions. Overall, it was an enjoyable experience as I participated in the full production of my online ads, from the photography to the use of Adobe Photoshop to put it together. This was actually my first time making a GIF using Photoshop. I feel my sense of design has strengthened because of the full understanding of my campaign goals and the overall feel my fictional brand wanted to portray. This was also an opportunity to brush up on my Photoshop skills. I learned that designing for an online media ad is very different than designing for a traditional media ad. In that, the advertising space is very limited, thus, the designer must design to capture the viewers’ attention within this restricted amount of space. However, once the viewers’ attention has been drawn into your online ad, they eventually gain access to the unlimited content you provide on your website pertaining to the company or product.