05-899 C: Understanding the Creative Process    Spring 2012
HCI Institute, Carnegie Mellon University    Prof. Dow

Students will create web banner advertisements for Design for America according to a design brief (see below). In this brief warm-up project, students will become more familiar with 1) manipulating visual elements to create an effect, 2) designing for an intended audience, 3) engaging the modern Web and data analytics, and 4) conducting a critique process. Each student's final ad design will be posted on Google AdSense as part of a real ad campaign intended to direct visitors to the DFA site.

You have been hired to design a graphic advertisement for Design for America, an award-winning nationwide network of interdisciplinary student teams and community members using design to address national challenges in education, health, and environment. Design for America teaches human centered design to young adults and collaborating community partners through extra-curricular, university based, student led design studios.

Design for America (DFA) would like an advertisement that embodies the theme and general aesthetic of the organization. In particular, client wants to increase DFA's fanbase, exemplified by more Facebook likes and Twitter followers. Also, they are looking to encourage college students to start a local DFA studio on their campus. The organization seeks to establish and support 50 DFA studios in the next five years to activate communities throughout the country to create local and social impact.

Keep in mind the following goals:
a) Increase traffic to the Design for America website.
b) Reach out to the target audience: college students interested in starting a DFA studio at their school.
c) Impress the clients from Design for America, who will rate your ads.
d) Create tasteful, creative, professional, visually appealing ads that conveys a clear message about the organization.

Other rules:
a) You may download and use graphics, images, text etc. as you see fit.
b) You may not use another company's logo, copyrighted images, profanity, obscenity or nudity.
c) No need to include the URL on the ad. Clicking the ad will direct the user to the site.

Web banner ads. Develop three preliminary designs for an in-class critique and a final design that will be launched as part of a real ad campaign. Banner ads should conform to a 728x90 pixel horizontally-oriented image format and can be created in any graphic editing tool. Ads should include color, text, and images appropriate for an online campaign. Students must send the instructor a link to a ZIP file (name it P1_yourlastname.zip) with the final digital banner ad, three or more preliminary designs, and all process materials (such as sketches).

jan 17 Project 1 assigned
jan 19 Bring three web banner designs for in-class critique (bring paper printouts)
jan 24 Final crit. Send a Web link to the final deliverable to Prof. Dow by 9AM.

This is an individual assignment.

Criteria	Guiding questions	Check -	Check	Check +
Final design effectiveness (40%)	Did you create a high-quality banner ads? Did you meet the goals specified above? Did you follow the rules?	Ad design is cliche, lacks visual appeal, and does not address the design brief.	Ad design demonstrates a strong effort to fulfill the design brief.	Excellent work. Ad design is tasteful, creative, professional, visually appealing ads that conveys a clear message about the organization.
Participation in critiques (20%)	Did you provide fellow students with constructive insights about their designs? Did you listen and incorporate feedback into your own design?	Student did not actively participate in the in-class critique session or made superficial comments.	Student made a concerted effort to provide constructive feedback.	Student provided critiques that were insightful, sensitive, useful, and generative.
Commitment to design process (20%)	Do you create diverse preliminary designs? Did you follow an iterative appraoch?	Student did not create rough designs.	Student created intermediate design alternatives and used feedback to inform their final design.	Student sketched alternatives on paper, implemented three diverse preliminary designs, and let feedback guide their final design.
Input from external sources (20%)	Does your ad design appeal to the intended audience? Do the clients think your ad represents their organization?	Ads received very few clicks and poor ratings from the DFA clients.	Ads had an average click-through rate and average client ratings.	Ads ranked very high in click-through rates and client ratings.