Tag Archives: AAD 610

Marketing, Media + Communication II: Reflection on Learning Goals

 

When I began this course I had some marketing experience for a non-profit but mostly in traditional social media methods such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. This class taught be about other marketing strategies that I hadn’t thought of in the context of a non-profit organization. The assignments encouraged me to investigate and implement strategies in a real-life context that were out of my comfort zone. I learned how to gauge an organization’s needs through looking at their social media, website, demographics, and marketing methods and come up with creative ideas that could increase their presence or provide a fun PR move. I enjoyed seeing examples of marketing schedules and projected sales from other organizations because those made me more organized and meticulous in my own marketing plan.

 

 

Marketing, Media + Communication II: Learning Goals

  1. Learn about the differences between marketing strategies and their strengths and weaknesses.
  2. Understand when to implement one marketing plan as opposed to the next.
  3. Experiment with social media sites or marketing methods outside of Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
  4. Become better at gathering information about audiences and apply that information to marketing plans.

Marketing, Media + Communication I: Reflection on Learning Objectives

1. Further my understanding of graphic design from a marketing perspective

It was great to have the opportunity to produce collateral items for a brand because I have never done that before. Most of my graphic design experience has been used for a presentation standpoint, with focus on line weights and opacities, so it was fun to use the programs for an actual design from beginning to end. I was able to think about the marketing items at multiple scales and across several platforms which was great experience.

2. Experiment with three-dimensional design techniques that can be applied to a potential logo

I never really dabbled with using three-dimensional design techniques like I wanted, but I am still pleased with my design outcome. I imagined the logo in a three-dimensional, active space while I was designing it, but I never applied three-dimensional techniques to the text.

3. Become completely comfortable with running and updating a WordPress site so that I can apply these skills to an outside project

Maintaining and updating my WordPress site was one of my favorite aspects of this class. I came in with little experience in WordPress and now I feel confident to run multiple websites and even build one in another interface, which I implemented in AAD 550 for my field guide using Weebly.

4. Learn how to create marketing materials for a webpage using pixel-sized canvases

I never got around to creating media items for my collateral, but I understand the methods of creating an artboard or canvas for a profile picture or cover photo size.

5. Explore and experiment with the best possible graphical means to apply a brand identity to an arts organization

The creation of a logo, collateral, and graphic standards for a brand was a great way to experiment with personal style and methods of representation. I wanted the brand to reflect the building in which the organization is occupied, which is very industrial, blocky, and vertical, and I feel like all of those elements were apparent in the final logo. I also wanted the brand to appear modern and fun, which I believe was represented successfully through the use of the magenta color and subtle representational elements, such as utilizing Japanese dots rather than traditional dashes to indicate margins on collateral items.

Marketing, Media + Communication I: Personal Learning Environment

AAD610_PLE

For my personal learning environment, I chose to represent my needs and methods of learning through the use of infographics. Architecture school taught me how to rigorously organize, represent, and relate diagrammatic elements to one another, and I thought this assignment would be a good opportunity to do so and also have some fun. My learning has also emphasized the use of technology and graphic tools which is why I chose to produce my PLE in a digital environment rather than an analog environment. Each infographic is color-coded to represent a learning or entertainment category. The majority are educational or design software programs such as Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, Microsoft Word, and Google Docs, or social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Assignments and projects both in my past and present rely heavily on the use of digital tools, so I wanted to divide my PLE into 3 main categories classified by method of use. I mainly utilize my MacBook, my iPhone, and the television to gather and produce information and to entertain myself. When I am working on a project or an assignment I am very much in my own head, which is why I positioned the “user” at the center of the graphic. I added a “necessities” category in very close proximity to the user because I almost always need 3 things to be productive and focus. These are caffeine, music, and headphones.

The further away from the center of the infographic, the less common the software or app is used. I also represented this through size of the infographic itself. Learning is done on my computer the most often, which is why it posses 3 tiers of related categories, while my phone possesses 2 tiers, most of which are social media or audio applications. The 2 of these methods are connected by a solid arc, indicating the overlapping use of these items. The television has mostly been used for entertainment purposes during all-nighters when I am desperate for any active source to keep me awake while working, but this is not as common anymore. I also decided to include Harry Potter under the television category because it is the best and most frequent source of entertainment if I am working on an assignment or project. These movies subliminally make me happy but I can also tune it out at the same time since I’ve seen them 100+ times.

I decided to include a stray category deemed “rewards” connected by a dashed line, indicating that this is not a direct means of learning but rather a subconscious group of thoughts. I am used to counting down the hours until I have time to sleep, eat, or drink a celebratory beer, so these items are always in the back of my mind while I am working. I am frequently so focused on a project that I mentally require myself to finish a certain portion before I make dinner, and then I can take a break while I eat. I have always worked best in spurts and segments of high, concentrated energy, followed by a period of relaxation (usually involving food), and then I go back to working intensely.

Architecture school heavily influenced my learning environment since everything is very individualistic and rigorous. I developed a need for music and headphones in order to help myself tune out any possible surrounding movement or noise while sitting in a studio or lab of 10-15 other people, and a desperate need for caffeine while working for 24+ hours at a time. My personal learning environment has evolved slightly upon changing schools and majors but is still deeply rooted in my traditions of architecture school. I would be interested to compare and contrast my personal learning environment at this moment versus after my completion of graduate school because I imagine it will be more open and inclusive of others through group work, collaboration, and varied assignment types.