Digital Graphics for Print

Digital Graphics for Print

Unit aim

The aim of this unit is to give learners the knowledge and skills needed to
produce, process, control and manipulate digital graphics used for a range
of print, interactive and moving image media.

Unit introduction

The inclusion of appropriate graphics in a print, moving image or interactive
media product is often crucial to its ability to attract the right audience and
to communicate effectively the desired message. Print-based products such
as newspapers, magazines, posters, flyers, DVD and CD covers all include
graphics and illustrations that are there to grab the reader’s attention and
communicate a specific message. Interactive products such as websites,
computer games and CD ROMs will all incorporate some form of digital
graphics, and many films, videos and television programmes will include
sequences that include some form of digital graphics, particularly in the
opening titles and closing credits.

Producing and manipulating effective graphics for print and digital media
products is a skilled job that requires not only creative graphic design skills
but also practical skills and experience of using a range of image design and
manipulation software that is at the heart of most media production
processes today.

The increased use of computer hardware and image design software means
that a graphic designer working in the industry today needs to be familiar
with a number of different graphic files and formats, and have the necessary
skills and knowledge to be able to process, control and combine these files
into effective and aesthetically pleasing media texts.

Through completing this unit learners will gain a practical understanding of
the principles and conventions underlying effective digital graphic design,
and will be able to apply the skills and techniques learnt to a range of
different contexts

Learning outcomes and assessment criteria

In order to pass this unit, the evidence that the learner presents for assessment needs to demonstrate that they can meet all the learning outcomes for the unit. The assessment criteria determine the standard required to achieve the unit.

On completion of this unit a learner should:

Learning outcomes Assessment criteria

1. Understand graphic file formats and applications

1.1 describe graphic file formats and their applications with some appropriate use of
subject terminology

2. Be able to use appropriate image design and manipulation software

2.1 use appropriate image design and manipulation software working within appropriate
conventions and with some assistance

3.  Be able to produce digital graphics in response to a brief

3.1 design and produce digital graphics in response to a brief working within appropriate
conventions and with some assistance

4. Be able to reflect on own digital graphics work.

4.1 comment on own work with some appropriate use of subject terminology.

1. Understand graphic file formats and applications

File formats: range of common formats, eg raster, vector, metafiles; file extensions

Applications: vector-based applications; raster-based applications; use in different media forms (print, moving image, interactive)

2. Be able to use appropriate image design and manipulation software

Workspace: work area; toolbox; status bar; file information; tool option bar; palette well; window control; floating palettes

Tools and features: palettes (colour, layers, objects, brushes, history,actions, size, resolution); tools (marquee, lasso, magic wand, magnetic lasso, selecting, cropping, clone tool); layers (transforming layers,copying and saving layers, arranging layers, opacity and blending modes, layer effects); manipulation (feathering edges, filters, brightness

and contrast, hue and saturation, masks, paths, textures, effects); save;undo

3. Be able to produce digital graphics in response to a brief

Develop ideas: establish concept; select format; length and nature of content; consideration of audience usage; layout design; input and manipulation of images; selection of style and tone; consideration of limitations and advantages of format; deadlines; schedule. Production of graphics: selection of file formats; conversion to

appropriate formats; embedding and encoding of required elements;

testing and troubleshooting; uploading; exporting and outputting to file

formats.

4. Be able to reflect on own digital graphics work

Effectiveness: extent to which brief has been realised; use of appropriate methods and techniques; skill level evidenced; level of professionalism achieved; what final version communicates; processes undertaken;

problem solving; skill development; areas for improvement 

Sources of information: self-evaluation; documentation, eg notes,sketches, production logs; comments from others, eg audience, peers,tutors, client

Production process: pre-production, eg planning, preparation;production, eg time management, project management, monitoring work in progress, technical competencies, creative ability, own work,teamwork.

Finished product: compared with original intentions; appropriateness to audience; technical qualities; aesthetic qualities; content; style

Assignment 1 – Investigating Graphic File Formats and Applications.

Learners are given a brief from a design magazine to write an article on the

main graphic file formats and applications that are used in the production of

media products.

Learners will:

• receive assignment overview

• research and investigate the main graphic file formats and applications

used in the production of media products

• write the article

• receive assessment

Assignment 2 – Skill Development.

Learners are given a brief from a prospective employer to produce a portfolio

of work that showcases the development of skills in using image design and

manipulation software.

Learners will:

• receive assignment overview

• develop software skills through the design and production of a range of digital graphics, experimenting with a range of different tools and features

• collate final portfolio

• receive assessment feedback and have further opportunities to address

grading criteria.

Assignment 3 – Design and Produce Digital Graphics.

Learners are given a series of briefs from a media production company to

design and produce digital graphics for inclusion in a range of their products.

Learners will:

• receive assignment overview

• design and produce a series of digital graphics in a range of file formats

• collate final portfolio

• receive assessment feedback and have further opportunities to address

grading criteria.

Assignment 4 – Review of Own Work.

Learners are given a brief from the media production company to write a

report that reviews and evaluates the work undertaken for them, with

consideration of the production processes undertaken, the finished products

and their effectiveness.

Learners will:

• receive assignment overview

• gather relevant material and feedback and evaluate the work undertaken

• write the report

• receive assessment feedback and have further opportunities to address

grading criteria.

Assessment

Evidence for assessment

As is the case for many of the other practical-based units, learners should

be developing and building a portfolio of their work throughout the duration

of the unit. This portfolio should contain evidence of all the required

understanding and skills detailed in the grading criteria.

Evidence for the achievement of learning outcomes 2 and 3 might include

examples of the learner’s completed work together with examples of ‘work

in progress’ and the various planning, preparation and developmental

stages undertaken. Screenshots and printouts can provide explicit evidence

of learner achievement.

Evidence for the achievement of learning outcomes 1 and 4 might be

submitted as a report, essay or presentation, or in some other appropriate

form such as a suitable audio, moving image or interactive medium.

Presentations must be recorded for the purposes of internal and external

verification.

If learners have worked in groups on a particular brief or project, then

individual learners must clearly document their own contribution to the

group project and identify the different roles they undertook at each of the

production stages.

To achieve the unit learners must achieve all the criteria. For each of the

criteria learners must present evidence that addresses each italicized subheading

of the content for the learning outcome.

1.1: learners will describe accurately the main file formats and applications

used in digital graphics work. All aspects of the descriptions will be accurate

and relevant and will be substantially — though not necessarily absolutely —

complete. For example, the description should include both vector and

raster file formats and applications. However, these descriptions will lack

detail and relation to illustrative examples.

2.1 and 3.1: learners will have used appropriate image design and

manipulation software, employing relevant tools and features to produce

and refine their designs. The digital graphics presented will not fully realise

what was intended, but will show that they have been produced with some

sense of purpose and the deliberate application of some relevant techniques

and conventions. Learners will need to keep all associated supporting work,

which should show the different stages of progress and development. In

terms of the imaginative qualities of their work, learners will not move

beyond the conventional, but the conventions applied will be appropriate to

the form or genre within which they are working. Learners may require

frequent assistance and support throughout the production process, though

they will take note of and make use of this help when it is given. If they are

in frequent need of such help but fail to make positive use of it, they should

not be considered for a pass for this unit.

4.1: learners will consider their own work in such a way that they move

beyond merely describing it. They will make evaluative comments upon

what they have done but these comments will be assertions that are not

supported by evidence or exemplification.

1.1 and 4.1: evidence will show a basic understanding of technical

terminology but learners will generally be unsure about this vocabulary and

will make fairly frequent mistakes when they do use it.

Social Media Statistics

Whether you’re creating a social media marketing strategy, designing a campaign, or making a business case for using a particular platform, you need to start in the same place: research.

The basis of any successful social activity is understanding the platforms, who uses them, and how.

That’s why we’ve compiled this list of social media statistics to show what sets each platform—and its users—apart. Whatever idea you’re cooking up, we’ve got the stats to help you plan.

The statistics in this post are organized by network and sorted into two categories: users and usage; and businesses, brands, and marketing.

Facebook statistics

Facebook is still No. 1. Despite what you may have heard, everyone uses Facebook. Everyone. And they use it a lot. And because everyone uses Facebook, it’s a big deal for brands.

Users and usage

• Facebook has 1.65 billion monthly active users and 1.09 billion daily active users, on average.
• The platform boasts 1.51 billion mobile monthly active users and 989 million mobile daily active users, on average.
• It remains the most-used social media site among all ages, used by 64 percent of Americans 12 and up.
• It spans generations—83 percent of parents with a teen between the ages of 13 and 17 are friends with their child on Facebook.
• It isn’t just North America either. Nearly 85 percent of Facebook’s daily active users are outside of the U.S. and Canada.
• Facebook accounts for one in every six minutes spent online and one in every five minutes spent on mobile.
• Facebook is the most-used app.
• The average Facebook user has 155 friends. Women have more Facebook friends on average than men: 166 compared to 145.
• The site tallies 8 billion average daily video views.
• Facebook users rack up 100 million hours of daily video watch time.

Businesses, brands, and marketing

• A colossal 50 million businesses use Facebook Pages.
• Every month, 2.5 billion comments are made on Facebook Pages.
• Nearly one-third of Facebook users (32 percent) engage with brands regularly.
• More than 2 million advertisers regularly use Facebook to market their business.
• In September 2015, 1.5 million small and medium businesses shared videos.

Twitter statistics

The majority of Twitter users are news junkies who use the network to seek out information about what’s happening in the world. The micro-blogging platform is also a place for people to connect with brands.

Users and usage

• Twitter has 310 million monthly active users.
• Of those, 83 percent are active users on mobile.
• Every second, 6,000 Tweets are sent.
• Over 100 million GIFs were shared on Twitter in 2015.
• Of Twitter’s users, 79 percent of accounts are outside the U.S.
• A whopping 86 percent of Twitter users say they use the site for news, 81 percent of users say they keep up with the news daily, and 40 percent of Twitter users use the site to be alerted to breaking news.
• Of those who say they use Twitter for news, 70 percent say that they do so because it’s a great way to get news in real time.
• Another 36 percent of users use Twitter to pass the time and 28 percent use it to second-screen with live events.
• A surprising 53 percent of Twitter users never post any updates.

Businesses, brands, and marketing

• More than 130,000 active advertisers market on Twitter
• Twitter users are three times as likely as Facebook users to follow a brand, with 49 percent of monthly Twitter users following brands or companies.
• Twitter is a place to interact with brands: 42 percent of users learn about products and services via Twitter, 41 percent of users provide opinions about products or services on Twitter, and 19 percent of users seek customer support on Twitter.

Instagram statistics

Five years in, Instagram’s still a hot network. It’s one of the five most-used apps and it continues to grow in popularity. And it’s an up-and-coming destination for advertisers.

Users and usage

• It has more than 400 million active monthly users.
• Of its user base, 75 percent are outside the U.S.
• Users have shared more than 40 billion photos.
• Users Like 3.5 billion photos every day.
• On average, users share 80 million photos per day.
• In Piper Jaffray’s spring 2016 Taking Stock with Teens survey, 27 percent of teens ranked Instagram as the second most important social network.

Businesses, brands, and marketing

• Instagram has the highest per follower engagement rate of any of the major social networks at 2.3 percent.
• A whopping 68 percent of Instagram users engage with brands regularly.
• Instagram has 58 times more engagement per follower than Facebook.
• Engaged Instagram followers are worth more than those on Facebook, with an average order value of $65 versus $55.
• Instagram users are 2.5 times more likely to click on ads than users on other social media platforms.
• Ad recall from a sponsored post on Instagram is 2.8 times higher than Nielsen’s norms for online advertising.
• According to a November 2015 user survey, 60 percent of users say that they discover new products on the platform. That same survey found that 75 percent of users say that they’ve taken action after being inspired by a post.
• An astonishing 96 percent of U.S. fashion brands use Instagram.

Pinterest statistics

Pinterest remains one of the most fundamentally useful social networks. It’s the network of choice for planners—pinners use it to plan for holidays, travel, and special events like weddings. It’s primarily popular with female users (but men are catching on).

Users and usage

• Pinterest has 100 million active monthly users.
• Men use Pinterest too. Pinterest increased male users in the U.S. by 74 percent in 2014 alone. Now, one-third of sign-ups are men.
• It’s a mobile-focused platform, with 75 percent of Pinterest usage taking place on phones and tablets.
• The average Pin is Repinned 11 times.
• More than one-third of Pinterest users choose Pinterest over Google search.
• Pinners are two times more likely to celebrate events and holidays.
• Planning on Pinterest begins two to four months early.
• Holidays are a big deal—45 percent of Pinners plan for holidays at least 60 days in advance, 21 percent higher than the general population.
• Pinterest is home to 1.4 billion wedding idea Pins.
• In the last year, 16 million Pinners have saved a grand total of 780 million travel Pins.
• In 2015, 3.78 billion DIY Pins were saved worldwide.
• The site serves more than 1.5 trillion recommendations annually.
• More than 14 million articles are Pinned daily.
• Compared to the average online consumer, people on Pinterest are nine times more likely to plan to get pregnant or have a child in the next six months.

Businesses, brands, and marketing

• Two-thirds of all Pins are from a business’ website.
• A whopping 75 percent of Pins saved come from businesses and two-thirds of all Pins are from a business’ website.
• At the end of 2015, 1 million businesses worldwide used Pinterest.
• In the past six months, 93 percent of Pinners shopped online.
• Pinterest is the No. 2 source of social media traffic to Shopify stores.
• A solid 65 percent of Pins lead to product sites like Etsy, Amazon, and eBay.
• People referred by Pinterest are 10 percent more likely to make a purchase on e-commerce sites than users of other social networks.
• Every day, nearly 2 million people Pin rich product Pins, which include real time pricing, availability, and information about where to buy the product.
• Pinners are 45 percent more likely to be introduced to new brands vs. people on other social platforms.
• Pinners who click through to a business website are four to five times more likely to sign up or buy something compared to those who just see the Pin.
• Pinners who repin or tap for a closeup of a Pin are 1.5 times more likely to buy something compared to those who just see the Pin.
• Pinners who are moms are 30 percent more likely than non-moms to buy products they discover on Pinterest, according to Ahalgoy.
• People who saw Promoted Pins had a 40 percent greater awareness of new products and a 50 percent higher purchase intent than Pinners who haven’t.
• An astounding 93 percent of Pinners use Pinterest to plan or make purchases.
• More than half (52 percent) of Pinners have seen something on Pinterest and made a purchase online and 72 percent of Pinners have seen something on Pinterest and made a purchase offline, according to Millward Brown.
• Pinners are two times more likely to buy products in-store after engaging with certain types of Pins.
• It’s a tool for shopper—87 percent of active Pinners use Pinterest to help them decide what to purchase, according to Millward Brown.
• Not only that, Pinners use Pinterest while they shop—45 percent of active mobile Pinners use Pinterest to look for inspiration while shopping, especially when it comes to clothing, food, and arts and crafts, according to Ahalogy, and another 64 percent of Pinners look at items they’ve Pinned while they’re at a brick and mortar store, according to Millward Brown.

Linkedin statistics

Perhaps more so than any other social network, LinkedIn’s purpose is clear. It’s a place to connect with colleagues and professional contacts. Many businesses use it for hiring. It’s also a destination for brands in the B2B sector.

Users and usage

• It has 433 million users in more than 200 countries and territories.
• Of those, there are 100 million active monthly users.
• More than 128 million users in the U.S.
• Users are signing up at a rate of more than two new members per second.
• One in every three professionals in the world is on LinkedIn.
• Among its users are 40 million students and recent college graduates.
• Military and veteran members are among the most active—LinkedIn has 2 million self-identified U.S. military and veteran members. On average, they have 14 percent more connections and 55 percent more group views than non-veteran members. They also follow companies at a rate of 46 percent higher than non-veteran members.
• Nearly half (49 percent) of key decision makers are on LinkedIn.
• Only 25 percent of users log in monthly.
• But when they do log in, they create content—more than 1 million members have published long-form posts and over 19.7 million SlideShare presentations have been uploaded.
• Users conduct 1 billions searches per day.
• They use it to connect—100,000 LinkedIn members join new groups every day.

Businesses, brands, and marketing

• It’s a big deal for hiring—87 percent of recruiters use LinkedIn, according to a 2015 survey.
• Half of LinkedIn users say they’d be more likely to buy from a company they engage with on LinkedIn.
• A whopping 94 percent of B2B marketers use LinkedIn to distribute content.
• LinkedIn drives more than half of all social traffic to B2B blogs and sites.

Snapchat statistics

Snapchat’s users may skew younger, but they’re not the only ones who use the app. Increasingly, older users and brands are jumping on the bandwagon.

Users and usage

• It’s the fastest growing network
• Snapchat has over 100 million daily active users and growing.
• It’s is the second most-used social network after Facebook.
• The user base skews young—of Snapchat’s monthly U.S. users, 18 to 24-year-olds are the largest user base at 37 percent. They’re followed by 25 to 34-year-olds (26 percent) and 13 to 17-year-olds (23 percent).
• More than half of new users signing up to Snapchat are over the age of 25.
• More than 60 percent of U.S. 13 to 34-year-old smartphone users are Snapchatters.
• In Piper Jaffray’s spring 2016 Taking Stock with Teens survey, 28 percent of teens ranked Snapchat as the most important social network.
• More than 60 percent of smartphone users in the U.S. between 13 and 34 use Snapchat.
• Users watch 10 billion videos a day, up from 8 billion in February 2016.
• Users spend an average of 25 to 30 minutes on the app each day.
• Approximately 65 percent of daily active users create new content every day.
• More than 400 million Snaps are sent per day and 8,796 photos are shared on Snapchat every second.
• More than a third of Snapchat’s daily users create Stories.
• Though a more recent addition to the app, 10 million users use lenses each day.
• When asked what they like most about Snapchat, 48 percent of users cited “creating my own stories.”
• More than half (54 percent) of Snapchat users use the app daily. Another 32 percent use it two to five times per week.
• Snapchat’s vertical videos have up to nine times the completion rate compared to horizontal mobile video.

Businesses, brands, and marketing

• An impressive 58 percent of college students would be likely to purchase a brand’s product or service if they were sent a coupon on Snapchat.
• Up to eight times  U.S. 13 to 34-year-olds view Live Stories vs. TV for similar events.
• Americans have a greater brand awareness of Snapchat than Pinterest or LinkedIn.
• Cosmopolitan, one of the publishers on Snapchat Discover, averages 3 million viewers per day.

YouTube statistics

Social video is a big deal. A really big deal. And YouTube is the social web’s destination for video.

Users and usage

• Over 1 billion users.
• Almost one-third of all people on the internet are YouTube users.
• YouTube reaches more 18 to 34 and 18 to 49-year-olds than any cable network in the U.S.
• A whopping 80 percent of viewers are from outside the U.S.
• YouTube has 4 billion daily views.
• More than half of YouTube views come from mobile devices.
• The number of hours people spent watching videos on mobile is up 100 percentyear-over-year.
• The average viewing session on mobile is 40 minutes.
• Users have already watched 350,000 hours of VR video using Google Cardboard.
• More than half of Canadians (57 percent) find YouTube more engaging than TV.
• U.S. users spend an average of five hours per month in the YouTube app.

Businesses, brands, and marketing

• Nearly two-thirds of gamers (64 percent) of gamers downloaded a game after seeing an ad for it on YouTube.
• YouTube viewers who completed a TrueView ad are 23 times more likely to visit or subscribe to a brand channel, watch more by the brand, or share the brand video.

Orthographic Drawing

Orthographic Drawing

An orthographic drawing is a method that allows someone to represent a three-dimensional object on a two-dimensional piece of paper. By drawing the object for a various angles, the artist is able to show how the object looks in the real world. The process is called orthographic projection.

How To Promote Your Business on Social Media

Consumer research shows that one-time customers can become loyal brand fans as a result of interacting with a business on social media. As many as four out of five customers are more likely to choose a brand’s service or product after being exposed to them on social media. Unfortunately, as a recent survey showed, 70% of respondents feel that most brands’ presence on social media is based on a self-centered desire to increase profits rather than showing a commitment to their customers.

A few weeks ago, I wrote about what brand promotion practices your business should avoid on social media in order to get noticed. Now that you know what not to do, the next step is posting content that helps you meet your customers’ expectations, so your business can succeed both online and offline. Here’s our spam-free checklist to help you promote your business on social media.

How to promote your business on social media without being “spammy”

❑ Use the right social network

Are you reaching your target audience on social media? If your business is on LinkedIn but your brand offers products and services for teenagers, your message is not being heard. There is a three-step process to find out more about your audience and where they live on social.

❑ Find out your current channels’ demographics

❑ Find out which channels your desired audience frequents

❑ Either switch channels, focus more efforts on the right one, or use targeted ads to reach your desired audience on the same channel

You can use analytics tools such as Facebook Insights or Twitter Analytics to get to know your social media audience demographics. If you need to target a different group, you can do look for research that tells you more about which social channels are used by different age and gender groups—we found some to help you out.

❑ Take time to set up your social media profiles

Your customers can’t get to know your business if you don’t provide them with the right information. Your profile should be a one stop shop for customers to know the basic details: it should link to your business’s official website, and have appropriate branding on the cover and profile photos (think: if your customer were to plug your business’s name in the search bar, will a recognizable brand image pop up?). The About section or bio on your profile should have a concise, clear description of your main service or product, as well as contact information.

If you think your social media presence can use a makeover, we recently published a handy guide that details all the necessary steps in setting up profiles on all major social media networks.

❑ Cross-promote on all social channels

Now that you have set up a profile, and know where your target audience lives on social media, it’s time to let them know where your brand lives. First, list all your social media profiles in a prominent spot on your website. Visitors on your page should not have to look too hard to see how they can connect with your business. If your business has a blog, make sure you add a sharing button for each social network your brand uses. Finally, include regular messaging on your channels that alerts your followers on one network about the existence of your profiles on other networks—just remember to post in moderation, you don’t want your feed to consist of self-promotion posts.

❑ Find your social voice

I recently talked about the importance of having a distinct voice consistent throughout your social channels. Whatever tone you choose to adopt—whether it’s playful, funny, no-nonsense, or educational—the earlier you decide on your voice, the better the payoff for your brand image on social media. It doesn’t mean that you need to create a superficial persona for your customers—in fact, you should try your best to match their perceptions of your business offline. You should remember to be as polite and attentive to your customers as you would be in a face-to-face conversation, because your interactions on social media can be a deciding factor in the customer’s decision to come back or choose your competitor’s services instead.

❑ Share valuable content with your audience

Don’t sacrifice the quality of your content for your social voice—whether your social media content is funny or serious, it should always be informative and useful to your customers. If a potential customer visits your page and finds nothing but self-promoting messaging, they are less likely to browse or follow your profile; research shows that promotional material is seen as spam and often ignored on social media feeds. Since this is obviously the last thing you want happening, you want to provide value to your followers with your messaging.

If your business has a blog with industry news, it’s a great way to promote both your content and show your brand’s expertise in the field. If there is useful information coming from other sources, however, don’t hesitate to share it from your customers—even if someone else authored the advice, you are still the one who pointed them in the right direction.

❑ Encourage storytelling—and tell stories in return

Invite your customers to share anecdotes or photos related to your brand on social media. Your brand receives attention even if someone included an @mention of your brand without directly addressing you (i.e. starting the Tweet with it, or asking a question, for example), so make sure to join the conversation, whatever the tone of the comment may be.

Edelman’s “brandshare” report finds that two-thirds of surveyed customers found that their interaction with brands was one-sided: for example, they were encouraged to share a personal story as part of a promotional campaign, but the business itself never engaged in storytelling on social media. The absence of personal storytelling from your brand is not only unfair to your customers, it’s also a huge missed opportunity to show off your company culture. Social media presents your customers with a chance to get to know the people behind the business: you can give them a “behind the scenes” look at how your business finds inspiration to be great at what you do. This is a great opportunity to turn your customers into brand advocates by doing what you do best—your job.