Marketing Planning

Marketing Planning

A marketing plan is a document developed by company leaders and marketing professionals. This tool offers a guide for the marketing department to implement steps necessary to align with stated marketing objectives and strategies. Typically, companies develop a marketing plan every few years but review it periodically for adjustments or chances based on company strategy.
  

Objectives

A major purpose of the marketing plan is to set the company on a specific course in marketing. Goals of marketing generally align with broader company objectives. A new company looking to grow, for instance, often has a marketing plan that emphasizes strategies to increase customer base. A low penetration pricing strategy is a common technique in this case. Gaining marketing share, increasing customer awareness and building favorable attitudes are other common objectives. The objectives element of a marketing plan helps companies ensure all marketing investments have a target.

Budget

Marketing professionals often have to sell company leaders on the importance of allocating significant resources to the marketing budget. In a thorough marketing plan, you lay out the necessary budget and resources needed to complete the objectives stated. The plan allows you to showcase what you intend to accomplish with the budget, making it possible for executives to generally assess potential return on the investment of marketing dollars.

Accountability

Several facets of a marketing plan relate to accountability. The plan is a general commitment from company leaders and the marketing staff to take the company in a certain direction. Once strategies are outlined and tasks are developed, each task is assigned to a person or team for implementation. This specific list of assigned marketing roles allows the company to better track milestones and communicate with employees on progress in implementation.

Strategic Planning

The marketing plan is a critical document that coincides with the bigger picture company strategic plan. Having a marketing plan helps company leaders develop and monitor expectations for other functional areas. If sales growth is a marketing plan goal, for instance, company leaders may have to ramp up sales staff in stores to help generate more sales. If increased customer service is a strategy to improve retention and loyalty, the company may allocate funds to train and develop stronger customer service and support team members.

Definition

A marketing plan is a comprehensive document or blueprint that outlines a business advertising and marketing efforts for the coming year. It describes business activities involved in accomplishing specific marketing objectives within a set time frame. A marketing plan also includes a description of the current marketing position of a business, a discussion of the target market and a description of the marketing mix that a business will use to achieve their marketing goals.

A marketing plan has a formal structure, but can be used as a formal or informal document which makes it very flexible. It contains some historical data, future predictions, and methods or strategies to achieve the marketing objectives. Marketing plans start with the identification of customer needs through a market research and how the business can satisfy these needs while generating an acceptable level of return.

 This includes processes such as market situation analysis, action programs, budgets, sales forecasts, strategies and projected financial statements. A marketing plan can also be described as a technique that helps a business to decide on the best use of its resources to achieve corporate objectives. It can also contain a full analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of a company, its organization and its products.
The marketing plan shows the step or actions that will be utilized in order to achieve the plan goals. For example, a marketing plan may include a strategy to increase the business's market share by fifteen percent. The marketing plan would then outline the objectives that need to be achieved in order to reach the fifteen percent increase in the business market share.

The marketing plan can be used to describe the methods of applying a company's marketing resources to fulfill marketing objectives.Marketing planning segments the markets, identifies the market position, forecast the market size, and plans a viable market share within each market segment. Marketing planning can also be used to prepare a detailed case for introducing a new product, revamping current marketing strategies for an existing product or put together a company marketing plan to be included in the company corporate or business plan.

Outline

A marketing plan should not be based on where a company needs to be at some point in the future. These are some of the most important things that companies need when developing a marketing plan:

• Market research: Gathering and classifying data about the market the organization is currently in. Examining the market dynamics, patterns, customers, and the current sales volume for the industry as a whole.
• Competition: The marketing plan should identify the organization's competition. The plan should describe how the organization will stick out from its competition and what it will do to become a market leader.
• Market plan strategies: Developing the marketing and promotion strategies that the organization will use. Such strategies may include advertising, direct marketing, training programs, trade shows, website, etc.
• Marketing plan budget: Strategies identified in the marketing plan should be within the budget. Top managers need to revise what they hope to accomplish with the marketing plan, review their current financial situation, and then allocate funding for the marketing plan.
• Marketing goals: The marketing plan should include attainable marketing goals. For example, one goal might be to increase the current client base by 100 over a three-month period.
• Monitoring of the marketing plan results: The marketing plan should include the process of analyzing the current position of the organization. The organization needs to identify the strategies that are working and those that are not working.

By researching markets, competition, and determining the organization's unique positioning, the organization is in a much better position to promote and sell its product or service. By establishing goals for the marketing plan, the organization can better understand whether the efforts are generating results through ongoing review and evaluation.

Purpose

One of the main purposes of developing a marketing plan is to set the company on a specific path in marketing. The marketing goals normally aligns itself to the broader company objectives. For example, a new company looking to grow their business will generally have a marketing plan that emphasizes strategies to increase their customer base.

Acquiring marketing share, increasing customer awareness, and building a favorable business image are some of the objectives that can be related to marketing planning. The marketing plan also helps layout the necessary budget and resources needed to achieve the goals stated in the marketing plan. The marketing plan shows what the company is intended to accomplish within the budget and also to make it possible for company executives to assess potential return on the investment of marketing dollars. Different aspects of the marketing plan relate to accountability. 

The marketing plan is a general responsibility from company leaders and the marketing staff to take the company in a specific direction. After the strategies are laid out and the tasks are developed, each task is assigned to a person or a team for implementation.

The assigned roles allows companies to keep track of their milestones and communicate with the teams during the implementation process. Having a marketing plan helps company leaders to develop and keep an eye on the expectations for their functional areas. For example, if a company's marketing plan goal is to increase sales growth then the company leaders may have to increase their sales staff in stores to help generate more sales.
The marketing plan offers a unique opportunity for a productive discussion between employees and leaders of an organization. It provides good communication within the company. The marketing plan also allows the marketing team to examine their past decisions and understand their results in order to better prepare for the future. It also lets the marketing team to observe and study the environment that they are operating in.

Marketing planning aims and objectives

Though it's not clear, Behind the corporate objectives, which in themselves offer the main context for the marketing plan, will lie the "corporate mission," in turn provides the context for these corporate objectives. In a sales-oriented organization, the marketing planning function designs incentive pay plans to not only motivate and reward frontline staff fairly but also to align marketing activities with corporate mission. The marketing plan basically aims to make the business provide the solution with the awareness with the expected customers.

This "corporate mission" can be thought of as a definition of what the organization is, or what it does: "Our business is ...". This definition should not be too narrow, or it will constrict the development of the organization; a too rigorous concentration on the view that "We are in the business of making meat-scales," as IBM was during the early 1900s, might have limited its subsequent development into other areas. On the other hand, it should not be too wide or it will become meaningless; "We want to make a profit" is not too helpful in developing specific plans.

Abell suggested that the definition should cover three dimensions:
"customer groups" to be served,
"customer needs" to be served, and
"technologies" to be used.
Thus, the definition of IBM's "corporate mission" in the 1940s might well have been: "We are in the business of handling accounting information [customer need] for the larger US organizations [customer group] by means of punched cards [technology]."

Perhaps the most important factor in successful marketing is the "corporate vision." Surprisingly, it is largely neglected by marketing textbooks, although not by the popular exponents of corporate strategy  — indeed, it was perhaps the main theme of the book by Peters and Waterman, in the form of their "Superordinate Goals." "In Search of Excellence" said: "Nothing drives progress like the imagination. The idea precedes the deed."
If the organization in general, and its chief executive in particular, has a strong vision of where its future lies, then there is a good chance that the organization will achieve a strong position in its markets (and attain that future).
This will be not least because its strategies will be consistent and will be supported by its staff at all levels. In this context, all of IBM's marketing activities were underpinned by its philosophy of "customer service," a vision originally promoted by the charismatic Watson dynasty. The emphasis at this stage is on obtaining a complete and accurate picture.

A "traditional" — albeit product-based — format for a "brand reference book" (or, indeed, a "marketing facts book") was suggested by Godley more than three decades ago:

1. Financial data—Facts for this section will come from management accounting, costing and finance sections.
2. Product data—From production, research and development.
3. Sales and distribution data — Sales, packaging, distribution sections.
4. Advertising, sales promotion, merchandising data — Information from these departments.
5. Market data and miscellany — From market research, who would in most cases act as a source for this information. His sources of data, however, assume the resources of a very large organization. In most organizations they would be obtained from a much smaller set of people (and not a few of them would be generated by the marketing manager alone).

 It is apparent that a marketing audit can be a complex process, but the aim is simple: "it is only to identify those existing (external and internal) factors which will have a significant impact on the future plans of the company." It is clear that the basic material to be input to the marketing audit should be comprehensive.
Accordingly, the best approach is to accumulate this material continuously, as and when it becomes available; since this avoids the otherwise heavy workload involved in collecting it as part of the regular, typically annual, planning process itself — when time is usually at a premium.
Even so, the first task of this annual process should be to check that the material held in the current facts book or facts files actually is comprehensive and accurate, and can form a sound basis for the marketing audit itself.
The structure of the facts book will be designed to match the specific needs of the organization, but one simple format — suggested by Malcolm McDonald — may be applicable in many cases. This splits the material into three groups:

1. Review of the marketing environment. A study of the organization's markets, customers, competitors and the overall economic, political, cultural and technical environment; covering developing trends, as well as the current situation.
2. Review of the detailed marketing activity. A study of the company's marketing mix; in terms of the 7 Ps - (see below)
3. Review of the marketing system. A study of the marketing organization, marketing research systems and the current marketing objectives and strategies. The last of these is too frequently ignored. The marketing system itself needs to be regularly questioned, because the validity of the whole marketing plan is reliant upon the accuracy of the input from this system, and `garbage in, garbage out' applies with a vengeance.

   * Portfolio planning. In addition, the coordinated planning of the individual products and services can contribute towards the balanced portfolio.

   * 80:20 rule. To achieve the maximum impact, the marketing plan must be clear, concise and simple. It needs to concentrate on the 20 percent of products or services, and on the 20 percent of customers, that will account for 80 percent of the volume and 80 percent of the profit.

   * 7 Ps: Product, Place, Price and Promotion, Physical Environment, People, Process. The 7 Ps can sometimes divert attention from the customer, but the framework they offer can be very useful in building the action plans.

It is only at this stage (of deciding the marketing objectives) that the active part of the marketing planning process begins. This next stage in marketing planning is indeed the key to the whole marketing process.

The "marketing objectives" state just where the company intends to be at some specific time in the future.
James Quinn succinctly defined objectives in general as: Goals (or objectives) state what is to be achieved and when results are to be accomplished, but they do not state "how" the results are to be achieved. They typically relate to what products (or services) will be where in what markets (and must be realistically based on customer behavior in those markets). They are essentially about the match between those "products" and "markets." Objectives for pricing, distribution, advertising and so on are at a lower level, and should not be confused with marketing objectives.

They are part of the marketing strategy needed to achieve marketing objectives. To be most effective, objectives should be capable of measurement and therefore "quantifiable." This measurement may be in terms of sales volume, money value, market share, percentage penetration of distribution outlets and so on. An example of such a measurable marketing objective might be "to enter the market with product Y and capture 10 percent of the market by value within one year." As it is quantified it can, within limits, be unequivocally monitored, and corrective action taken as necessary.

The marketing objectives must usually be based, above all, on the organization's financial objectives; converting these financial measurements into the related marketing measurements. He went on to explain his view of the role of "policies," with which strategy is most often confused: "Policies are rules or guidelines that express the 'limits' within which action should occur. "Simplifying somewhat, marketing strategies can be seen as the means, or "game plan," by which marketing objectives will be achieved and, in the framework that appears here, are generally concerned with the 8 P's. Examples are:

1. Price — The amount of money needed to buy products
2. Product — The actual product
3. Promotion (advertising)- Getting the product known
4. Placement — Where the product is sold
5. People — Represent the business
6. Physical environment — The ambiance, mood, or tone of the environment
7. Process — The Value-added services that differentiate the product from the competition (e.g. after-sales service, warranties)
8. Packaging — How the product will be protected

In principle, these strategies describe how the objectives will be achieved. The 7 Ps are a useful framework for deciding how a company's resources will be manipulated (strategically) to achieve its objectives. However, the 7 Ps are not the only framework, and may divert attention from other real issues. The focus of a business's strategies must be the objectives of the business— not the process of planning itself. If the 7 Ps fit the business's strategies, then the 7 Ps may be an acceptable framework for that business.

The strategy statement can take the form of a purely verbal description of the strategic options which have been chosen. Alternatively, and perhaps more positively, it might include a structured list of the major options chosen.

One aspect of strategy which is often overlooked is that of "timing." The timing of each element of the strategy is critical. Taking the right action at the wrong time can sometimes be almost as bad as taking the wrong action at the right time. Timing is, therefore, an essential part of any plan; and should normally appear as a schedule of planned activities. Having completed this crucial stage of the planning process, to re-check the feasibility of objectives and strategies in terms of the market share, sales, costs, profits and so on which these demand in practice. As in the rest of the marketing discipline, employ judgment, experience, market research or anything else which helps for conclusions to be seen from all possible angles.

At this stage, overall marketing strategies will need to be developed into detailed plans and program. Although these detailed plans may cover each of the 7 Ps (marketing mix), the focus will vary, depending upon the organization's specific strategies. A product-oriented company will focus its plans for the 7 Ps around each of its products. A market or geographically oriented company will concentrate on each market or geographical area. Each will base its plans upon the detailed needs of its customers, and on the strategies chosen to satisfy these needs. Brochures and Websites are used effectively.

Again, the most important element is, the detailed plans, which spell out exactly what programs and individual activities will carry at the period of the plan (usually over the next year). Without these activities the plan cannot be monitored. These plans must therefore be:

• Clear - They should be an unambiguous statement of 'exactly' what is to be done.
• Quantified - The predicted outcome of each activity should be, as far as possible, quantified, so that its performance can be monitored.
• Focused - The temptation to proliferate activities beyond the numbers which can be realistically controlled should be avoided. The 80:20 Rule applies in this context too.
• Realistic - They should be achievable.
• Agreed - Those who are to implement them should be committed to them, and agree that they are achievable. The resulting plans should become a working document which will guide the campaigns taking place throughout the organization over the period of the plan. If the marketing plan is to work, every exception to it (throughout the year) must be questioned; and the lessons learnt, to be incorporated in the next year's .

Content of the marketing plan

A Marketing Plan for a small business typically includes Small Business Administration Description of competitors, including the level of demand for the product or service and the strengths and weaknesses of competitors

1. Description of the product or service, including special features
2. Marketing budget, including the advertising and promotional plan
3. Description of the business location, including advantages and disadvantages for marketing
4. Pricing strategy
5. Market Segmentation

Medium-sized and large organizations

The main contents of a marketing plan are:

1. Executive Summary
2. Situational Analysis
3. Opportunities / Issue Analysis - SWOT Analysis
4. Objectives
5. Marketing Strategy
6. Action Program (the operational marketing plan itself for the period under review)
7. Financial Forecast
8. Controls

In detail, a complete marketing plan typically includes:

1. Title Page
2. Executive Summary
3. Current Situation - Macroenvironment
   • Economic State
   • Legal State
   • Governmental State
   • Technological State
   • Ecological State
   • Sociocultural State
   • Supply chain State
4. Current Situation - Market Analysis
   • Market definition
   • Market size
   • Market segmentation
   • Industry structure and strategic groupings
   • Porter 5 forces analysis
   • Competition and market share
   • competitors' strengths and weaknesses
   • Market trends
5. Current Situation  - Consumer Analysis ^[10]
   • Nature of the buying decision
   • Participants
   • Demographics
   • Psychographics
   • Buyer motivation and expectations
   • Loyalty segments
6. Current Situation  - Internal
   • Company Resources
     • Finances
     • People (workforce)
     • Time
     • Skills
   • Objectives
     • Mission statement and Vision statement
     • Corporate objectives
     • Financial objective
     • Marketing objectives
     • Long term objectives
     • Description of the basic business philosophy
   • Corporate Culture (Organizational Culture)
7. Summary of Situation Analysis
   • External threats
   • External opportunities
   • Internal strengths
   • Internal weaknesses
   • Critical success factors in the industry
   • Sustainable competitive advantage
8. Marketing Research
   • Information requirements
   • Research methodology
   • Research results
9. Marketing Strategy - Product
   • Unique selling proposition (USP)^[11]
   • Product mix
   • Product strengths and weaknesses
     • Perceptual mapping
   • Product life cycle management and new product development
   • Brand name, brand image, and brand equity
   • Augmented product
   • Product portfolio analysis
     • B.C.G. Analysis
     • Contribution margin analysis
     • G.E. Multi Factoral analysis
     • Quality Function Deployment
10. Marketing Strategy ^[12] - segmented marketing actions and market share objectives
    • By product
    • By customer segment
    • By geographical market
    • By distribution channel
11. Marketing Strategy - Price
    • Pricing objectives
    • Pricing method (e.g.: cost plus, demand based, or competitor indexing)
    • Pricing strategy (e.g.: skimming, or penetration)
    • Discounts and allowances
    • Price elasticity and customer sensitivity
    • Price zoning
    • break even analysis at various prices
12. Marketing Strategy - Promotion
    • Promotional goals
    • Promotional Mix
    • Advertising reach, frequency, flights, theme, and media
    • Sales force requirements, techniques, and management
    • Sales promotion
    • Publicity and public relations
    • Electronic Promotion (e.g.: web, or telephone)
    • Word of Mouth marketing
    • Viral Marketing
13. Marketing Strategy - Distribution
    • Geographical coverage
    • Distribution channels
    • Physical distribution and logistics
    • Electronic distribution
14. Implementation
    • Personnel requirements
      • Assigning responsibilities
      • Giving incentives
      • Training on selling methods
    • Financial requirements
    • Management information systems requirements
    • Month-by-month agenda
      • Gantt chart using PERT or critical path analysis systems
    • Monitoring results and benchmarks
    • Adjustment mechanism
    • Contingencies (what ifs)
15. Financial Summary
    • Assumptions
    • Pro-forma monthly income statement
    • Contribution margin analysis
    • Breakeven analysis
    • Monte Carlo method
    • ISI: Internet Strategic Intelligence
16. Scenarios
    • Prediction of future scenarios
    • Plan of action for each scenario
17. Controls
    • Performance indicator
    • Feedback Mechanisms
18. Appendix
    • Pictures and specifications of products
    • Results from completed research

Measurement of progress

The final stage of any marketing planning process is to establish targets (or standards) so that progress can be monitored. Accordingly, it is important to put both quantities and timescales into the marketing objectives (for example, to capture 20 percent by value of the market within two years) and into the corresponding strategies. Marketers must be ready to update and adapt marketing plans at any time. The marketing plan should define how progress towards objectives will be measured. Managers typically use budgets, schedules and marketing metrics for monitoring and evaluating results. With budget, they can compare planned expenditures with actual expenditures for given period. Schedules allow management to see when tasks were supposed to be completed and when they actually were. Marketing metrics tracks actual outcomes of marketing programs to see whether the company is moving forward towards its objectives (P. Kotler, K.L. Keller).
Changes in the environment mean that the forecasts often have to be changed. Along with these, the related plans may well also need to be changed. Continuous monitoring of performance, against predetermined targets, represents a most important aspect of this. However, perhaps even more important is the enforced discipline of a regular formal review. Again, as with forecasts, in many cases the best (most realistic) planning cycle will revolve around a quarterly review. Best of all, at least in terms of the quantifiable aspects of the plans, if not the wealth of backing detail, is probably a quarterly rolling review — planning one full year ahead each new quarter. Of course, this does absorb more planning resource; but it also ensures that the plans embody the latest information, and — with attention focused on them so regularly — forces both the plans and their implementation to be realistic.
Plans only have validity if they are actually used to control the progress of a company: their success lies in their implementation, not in the writing'.


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Research and develop a marketing strategy

Research and develop a marketing strategy


Defining the market segment

The process of defining and subdividing a large homogenous market into clearly identifiable segments having similar needs, wants, or demand characteristics. Its objective is to design a marketing mix that precisely matches the expectations of customers in the targeted segment.
Few companies are big enough to supply the needs of an entire market; most must breakdown the total demand into segments and choose those that the company is best equipped to handle.

Four basic factors that affect market segmentation are

• clear identification of the segment,
• measurability of its effective size,
• its accessibility through promotional efforts, and
• its appropriateness to the policies and resources of the company.

The four basic market segmentation-strategies are based on

behavioral,
demographic,
psychographic, and
geographical differences.


Market segmentation is done basis what is the USP of your product. Segmentation criteria are - Geography, Age group, Income level, unmet need in market. Your product targets which age group, gender, premium, mid premium, value, rural, urban, youth, old, housewife segment etc.

the difference between market segment and customer classification

Market segmentation is done basis what is the USP of your product. Segmetation criteria are - Geography, Age group, Income level, unmet need in market. Your product targets which age group, gender, premium, mid premium, value, rural, urban, youth, old, housewife segment etc. Segmentation can alos be done basis consumption ocassion - morning, evening, afternoon, during night, breaks etc. School/college/office goers.

For example in case of hotel segment one can look at luxary, premium, mid premium, low cost hotels. Now if the business opportunity is good enough in value segment then you need to build a product for value hotel market. So in this case in the hotel industry the segment we have chosen is value hotels. Segment can be done basis the unmet needs of consumer. For example in India Nokia created a mobile phone which had a light in it, it was a gap in need satiafaction for rural people. Geographic consumer behaviour like Rural or urban or metro. The chinese mobile phone companies, are targetting indan market basis the selfie camera as there is high demand for low cost selfie camera phones in India. In rural india Micromax is a leader as Rs 6k to 8k smartphones are highly in demand in rural India.

Customer classification is done basis demographic & psychograhic parameters. Demographic talks about Age, Income, Occupation of the consumer. Psychographic talks about the behaviour, attitude, benefits for which consumer is looking. For example among the women there is a hidden need to look beautoful as it makes a woman confident. But the research says that only 2% of world’s women believe they are beautiful. Dove worked on this insight which a attitude related issue among women. Women will feel high on self estewm if they are confident about looking beautiful. Thats why Dove has positioned itself as a beauty soap. It has become a requirement for women today.

how identify the characteristics, motivations and behaviours of potential target customers 

Larger markets are most typically divided into smaller target market segments on the basis of geographic, demographic, psychographic and behavioristic characteristics:

1. Geographic. Potential customers are in a local, state, regional or national marketplace segment. ...
2. Demographic. ...
3. Psychographic. ...
4. Behavioristic.

Prepare Assets for Use in Interactive Media Products

1.1 – The specification of the project is vital at the beginning so everyone is on the same page and there is no confusion on what is wanted. Depending on what the project is going to be used for and where it will be presented it will need to be created differently, for example a video for web and a video for cinema advertising would be made in very different ways.

1.2 – The assets for use need to be appropriate for the project, the assets could include 3D assets, audio, photos/images/vectors, videos, specialist plugins. Some of these assets are readily available to anyone, whereas elements such as specialist plugins may be more difficult to get access to. Any assets that is used needs to be legal, this could mean purchasing the rights to use a file such as buying stock materials online.

1.3 – The people using the assets would expect a legal, usable asset with the correct quality appropriate for the purpose, for example a jpeg file being used for a file that had transparent elements to be protected wouldn’t be correct.

2.1 – The resolution of an image is how many pixels/the shape of the pixels are to create the image you see, images with a higher resolution will be higher quality, the dimensions of the pixels would have an effect on the resolution, because the larger the size of the pixels, the lower the quality of the image. The higher the quality of the image, the larger the file size would be, if the file size were to be compressed then the above would be affected.

2.2 – Data transfer times are how long it takes to transfer the file from one source to another, the size of the file would be effect this, as if the file is larger it will take longer to transfer as there is more information.  Items that affect file size are items such as length, moving image frame rate – how many frames per second (the more frames per second the higher the quality but the more information), also frame dimensions (whether the moving image is used for widescreen purposes, or standard 4:3 ratios. This would have an impact on the file size, as the physical size of the video would affect the file size. If the file size was compressed the above mentioned would be reduced in quality.

2.3 – Audio sampling is measured in hertz and audio sampling is the number of ‘snapshots’ of sound that are taken every second. The higher the sample rate, the truer to the original sound the clip will be. Bit depth is how wide of a range the sounds are captured at. With more information the sound will be higher quality but the file size would be larger. The higher the audio sampling rate and the higher the bit depth the larger the file, the larger the file, the more time it will take to transfer the file between devices.

2.4 – The constraints that might influence the product are purely decided by the desired final output. This could be cost/budget, quality, or purpose.

If the client requires a low cost video for web then the frame rate/resolution may be lower, however if the client wanted a video for cinema advertising then the product would need to have a higher resolution. Also how available the product needs to be would affect the data-transfer rate so that is another factor to be aware of.

3.1 – Scan images using a scanner or camera, import into Photoshop, crop and clear transparent areas if need to be preserved, save as a .png file using quality sliders to depict size and quality of file for purpose the image is required. It there is no transparent areas to preserve save as a .jpeg.

3.2 – Crop using marquee tool on Photoshop, edit using adjustments such as contrast, brightness, levels/curves, filters etc. To resize use the direct manipulation tool and if the quality needs to be preserved or the image needs to be changed a bit then convert the image into a smart object as this preserves the pixels. Smart objects cannot be directly edited themselves. If transparent elements need to be preserved then save as a .png file, if not save as a .jpeg using the sliders to control quality and compression size.

3.3 – The format in which the video is saved will relate to how the video is used. Also where, for North American broadcasts the format would be .NTST whereas for European broadcasts the format .pal would be used, this is because of the differences between the broadcasts in different countries and how they are set up. The video could be filmed in the correct format in which case it would be ready for the purpose, the other alternative is to insert it into a video editing programme such as after effects or premier pro, and save out in the appropriate format.

3.4 – There are many different programmes that have editing capabilities, my preference is premier pro as I believe for the purposed I need it provides the best functions and it allows me to work solely on many different elements such as audio and video channels and the different elements in them, by using the motion controls for different criteria such as opacity and speed. Using premier pro, I am able to insert items such as captions, subtitles, lower thirds and other digital elements over the main footage and save the footage in an appropriate format.

3.5 – Similar to video, the audio can either be recorded in the correct format or using a programme such as sound booth the file can be exported in the correct format.

3.6 – Using either premier pro or sound booth using the razor tool, cut out any unnecessary gaps in the sound clip, and then using the various tools, clear up the sound quality, sharpening the sound, clearing out background sounds that were picked up by mistake etc.

3.7 – When compressing digital assets, there are many factors to be wary of. The main one is the purpose. If a file needs to be widely available then the most important feature I would say would be a quick data-transfer rate. The main thing to focus on is the desired outcome, and to be realistic. With compression of a file there will always be a reduction in quality. What determines the level of quality is the final outcome and finding a balance with the client about whether to sacrifice some of the quality or the data-transfer rate.

student evidence log 2

Unit 28 Evidence Log

Unit 28. Prepare Assets for Use in Interactive Media Products

1. Understand contextual information relating to the preparation of a range of assets in different media formats

1.1
When making a media product is important to recognise the final delivery distribution method, as this will impact on many things. Firstly the final format has to be acknowledged, this could be for online use, DVD distribution, placed in to another external media product or distributed by other means. Each method will need a specific encoded format. If it is to be used on an online platform, the limitations of this platform need to be recognised. For example, file size, if it is to be streaming online, than it won't be a good idea to have it full HD as many internet connections may struggle to stream this. This is the same with video sharing websites such as Youtube or Vimeo, each would need a specific encode. If it is to be screened at an exhibition or event - the video needs to be encoded to work on the screen there as does the audio with the speaker set up. Also one must remember that the file format has to work with what the client uses/wants, if editing on a mac it is important to remember to encode for use on PC's too. If final delivery is to be on a single DVD then you have to ensure that the file size will allow this. There are so many ways of distribution, each requiring a very own encode, that it is important to recognise the distribution prior to commencing project.

1.2
A video could incorporate, pictures, graphics, animations and other video clips. It is important to identify the file type and sizes required to be used within the product. If there are graphics to be used then what pixel dimensions do you require, what file type (jpeg, tiff, png etc) - this will save time in production if this is laid out and obtained prior to beginning project. Also if you are bringing in secondary video from outside parties then it is important that it is of useful format to you, if your video is being made in HD and distributed at HD then any video you bring in should be of same standard. Audio is also important to remember. Audio quality is key to a production so you have to require the right format for that too (mp3/aiff/wav etc) and bit rate.

1.3
It is important that you establish the requirements that others need in a production. If you are creating just a small part of the product to be supplied to the production teams bigger project then you will need to understand their needs. Pixel dimensions, audio quality, format of asset etc.

2. Understand issues relating to the preparation and manipulation of assets

2.1
With images in media production, it is important to the get the technical specs right for the intended use/delivery. For use in other media products its good practice to keep the picture as high quality as possible instead of compressing it to jpeg, although this would keep file sizes to a minimum it also increases its limitations. Colour modes differ to between use in video and use in print - for video use it is always best to use RGB colour modes whereas print may often use the CMYK model. Print will also require a higher dpi resolution than that of web and most video.

2.2
Frame rates and pixel dimensions have a big effect on file sizes. Most videos in this country are produced at 25 frames per second (fps) however in places like the USA video is mostly done at 30fps. The more frames per second, the bigger the file size. This increases obviously when you have HD too. A 5 minute HD film at 25 fps will be much bigger in file size than a 5 minute SD 25fps film. PAL is the UK standard whereas NTSC is the American. When compressing a file, one can also choose how many frames to analyse as a sample, the bigger the sample - the bigger the file size will be but the better the quality. Pixel dimensions work exactly the same as pictures - the higher the resolution - the bigger the file size. Files with big file sizes do not make for efficient transfer, so it is good practice to compress a video to a smaller file size for transfer. However you will be limited by how much you can compress by what the format the client wants for delivery.

2.3
Like video, audio also has variable file details that effect quality and size of the files and these too can be altered and compressed. The higher the bit rate of an audio sample - the bigger the file size. The higher the sampling rate, the bigger the file size but the better the quality. For high quality audio a track may be of .aiff file type, but for transferring or sampling a track one may compress it to mp3 which is much smaller in file size. With video, the same applies to audio with transferring of files, the bigger the files the longer it will take to transfer, however the files are no where near as big.

2.4
File sizes and formats can lead to significant constraints with what you can do with them. For example if a picture is of low resolution, this limits how far you can manipulate the size as it will become pixellated if expanded to a higher resolution. Also a if a picture is a jpeg then this will hold you back as it will have a background colour, whereas if the image was a tiff or png with transparent background you have more options in the edit. The same applies to audio if you compressed audio to a single channel you remove the stereo qualities of it and the benefits that brings to your audio. If an animation is of SD and is to be placed in to a HD movie it will appear small and if expanded will then become pixellated and lose quality.

3. Be able to prepare assets using industry-standard software

3.1
Scanning images in to the computer can be useful. Although one has to make sure that they are saved as appropriate file types jpeg/pct/tiff/png/pdf etc. This can all be altered using photoshop too.

3.2
Cropping, editing and saving a file as a Jpeg for internet use :

Pictures can also be saved in different formats for print (PDF) or for use in animations (PNG/TIFF)

3.3
Importing digital video in to software and exporting film as a mov for DVD encoding:

3.4
Arranging clips on a timeline and using text/transitions and colour correction to edit them:

3.5
To import audio it is the same as importing video, but it is best to place in a separate audio folder so it is easy to navigate. This could be interview, atmosphere sound, foley sound etc.These can be saved as wav/aiff/mp3/wma.

3.6
Adjusting audio :

This can then be exported as part of the mov or as an independent audio file.

3.7
Saving file sizes is about balancing the file size and the quality you want to retain. The more a digital asset is compressed the smaller the file it will be but the less quality it will be too, this is true of audio, film, animation, picture or graphics. These file sizes are measured in MB (megabits).

Calligraphy with Photoshop and Illustrator

noskill1343.comAdobe IllustratorJun 08, 2011

Calligraphy is a Visual Type Art which in former time, it can be done only on traditional method, using pen, brush, or swan feather. But now, you can easily make calligraphy on digital method.

In this tutorial, I want to share step by step how to make Digital Calligraphy with Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator. See the finished version: "Rise and Shine". I hope this tutorial will be useful.

1. Make the sketch, u can scan from your sketch book, or make the sketch in Photoshop. And to shorten the work time I make the sketch in Photoshop. Just draw a rough sketch, no detail needed. 

2. Open your sketch in Adobe Illustrator, choose "Paint Brush Tool" or press "B". Open the brush palette ( Window - Brushes ) or press "F5", double click on "2 pt. Oval" brush to open the brush option, then use this setting:

Angle = 45 - Fixed
Roundness = 10% or lower - Fixed
Diameter = Try your best - Fixed

Now you are ready to write calligraphy, make new layer above the sketch layer, and trace the sketch.




3. Refine the path shape with "Direct Selection Tool" or press "A". We don't have to do this step, if you already have a smooth shape.



4. Hide your "Sketch" Layer and Export your calligraphy to png with transparent background.



5. Open your Png file in Photoshop. I want to change my Calligraphy to white color, you can easily change the color by pressing "Ctrl+U" or go to "Image - Adjustment - Hue/Saturation", then set lightness to 100%. Create background layer and fill it with black color (You can use "Paint Bucket Tool" or press "B").



6. Create new layer, give it a name "Shadow" and place it above your calligraphy layer. Right click on "Shadow" layer then choose "Create Clipping Mask".



7. Now, we will make the shadow, and you must brush manually to make 3D effect. First you must make selection, and I recommend you to use "Pen Tool", because you can make the shape of your selection easily. After you create the shape with Pen Tool, right click and choose "Make Selection", set Feather Radius to "0".



8. Select "Brush Tool" and choose "Soft Round Brush" (standard Photoshop brush). Now, brush slowly in the selection area with black color.



9. After you done with your brush, remove the selection by pressing "Ctrl+D" or right click and choose "Deselect".

Repeat step 7 to step 9 to your another shape, you must use your feeling to place the shadow and you'll make cool 3D effect.

Read more: https://www.webdesign.org/vector-graphics/adobe-illustrator/calligraphy-with-photoshop-and-illustrator.20157.html#ixzz4vOmNAtro

Mood Boards

You may have the experience of diving headfirst into a web design project, only to get overwhelmed by the design possibilities. There are steps in the design process to implement to cut down on the unknown and this is usually in the form of a mood board.

You may have already heard of a mood board, but aren’t too sure how it could truly benefit you or cut down on the overall time spent designing – after all, mood boards take time to complete, themselves.

In this article I will discuss the benefits of using a mood board for a web design project as well as the methods commonly used in creating them.

Image credit: applesandorange

Why Mood Board?

It’s extremely useful in establishing the visual and aesthetic feel of a site. A mood board not only gives you inspiration in going forward with a project, but also is an effective time-saver and necessary component in the creative process. By creating one, you can tackle many issues early on that you would otherwise encounter later on in the creative process.

Imagine spending hours in Photoshop creating a layout filled with a lot of texture and style, only to have the client not prefer that design solution.

Mood boards can prevent unnecessary frustrations as the result of not having a clear creative direction and may cut the overall time spent on a project in half as a result of careful planning. They also give the client tangible evidence of a ‘research phase’ that they may not understand otherwise, and gets them involved early on.

A mood board helps:

• Translate a concept where words may fail
• Create a picture in the clients head early on and let them see exactly what you’re planning and how their site is shaping up before you even start properly designing.
• Cut down on time spent revising due to miscommunication
• Establish the theme of the website (i.e. Soft or hard? Clean or grungy?)

Image credit: align

What Should I Include?

The first step in realizing what needs to go on your mood board is choosing the style that fits the project best. While there are many different ways to present a mood board, the direction you choose will be based on the time allotted, personal work habits and most importantly your client’s personality. The following are just a few elements that generally should be on a mood board.

Image credit: Maquina

Layout

• Wireframes
• Not too much detail
• Black/White/Grayscale only
• Homepage
• One or two subsequent pages

Colors

Create a couple of color schemes based on client preferences or your own. A great site for creating color schemes based on themes is Kuler.

Image credit: Kuler

Inspiration

Include notes on why you like a particular website and how you feel it can be best integrated into the design of their website. Include reasons why the look will suit them.

Image credit: Obox-design

Textures

Find some textures, real or hand-drawn, that you feel fit in with the overall theme of the site.

Image credit: Rocketgenius

Photography

At this stage you can either use photography the client has supplied, or use stock photography to portray the overall theme of the site.

Style

Depending on the time you have and the scope of the work, it may be beneficial to make more than one mood board, focusing on one style for each. Before you start, come up with a list of adjectives to describe a particular board. A certain mood board can be designed around various adjectives such as:

• Dark, glossy, slick, modern, edgy, hard, aggressive
• Soft, muted, round, layered, elegant, realistic
• Colorful, rough, sketchy, bright, illustration

In doing so, you create a wide variety of styles for the client to chose from.

Physical or Digital?

Mood boards can be created in both digital and physical spaces and there are advantages to both. For instance, a digital mood board can be created quicker, however, physical objects tend to have a higher impact on people because of the more complete palette of sensations physical mood boards offer, in contrast with the black & white or color-prints of a digital mood board.

Mood boards 2.0

Evernote
This virtual mood boarding tool is useful for collecting inspiration by clipping and pasting. It’s a website, desktop, and mobile app that allows you to gather your thoughts through note-taking, capturing images from webpages and your camera, and even writing handwritten notes.

Sampleboard
Another useful virtual mood boarding site is Sampleboard. Simply upload images and organize them into project files to be stored online and use the web editor to easily pull together design trends and color schemes. Mood boards can be shared on Twitter and Facebook, or integrated into your own documents and presentations in one easy click.

Oliaboard
Geared towards Interior Designers, Olioboard is an easy and intuitive application for creating digital mood boards. It is also a community of creative thinkers coming together to share inspiration and offer feedback.

Polvore
Discover style and trends around the world at Polyvore. It’s one of the web’s largest tastemaker communities with 6.5 million monthly visitors.

iPad Moodboard Creator
Moodboard is the bestselling app for creating mood and inspiration boards on your iPad. Each board is a blank canvas for organizing the things that inspire you. Add photos, text, color swatches, and special elements to your boards, then share them with friends and colleagues, anywhere, anytime.

Benefits:

• Can be synced with desktop, iPhone, and iPad apps for collecting inspiration wherever you are.
• Ideal for the designer who has a loose deadline and the time to collect images on the go.

Template
If you prefer a more formal approach that captures all the details that will go into the design, a refined template may be the best bet. It’s here where you can delve deeper into the design details, incorporating color palettes, font treatments, button styles, and photography.

Benefits:

• Helps your client focus on the details and featured elements.
• Multiple templates can be developed, each focusing on a separate theme to get the most out of the process.
• It’s best to start the creation of a template-based mood board by choosing adjectives to describe each one. These words can be referred to as you pull items together. For instance:
  • Dark, glossy, slick, modern, edgy, hard, aggressive
  • Soft, muted, round, layered, elegant, realistic
  • Colorful, rough, sketchy, bright, illustration

Loose Collage
A loose collage is beneficial for those who aren’t too obsessed with details and wish to create the overall impression of the site in as free a way as possible. If you’re a big picture thinker this mood boarding method may be for you.

Benefits:

• Can be thrown together relatively quickly and doesn’t force you to make decisions about smaller details like colors and fonts.
• Grab inspiration from wherever – whether it’s a book or images found online.

Moleskine
Moleskines are another practical way of showing your intent. In addition to doodling and note taking you can also use them for collecting various scraps, images, doodles, and notes.

Benefits:

• Like a loose collage, they can be as free flowing or organic as you want them to be.
• Multiple pages allow for a convenient way to keep your inspiration all in one book.
• The portability (and reasonable size) allows you to take your inspiration on the go.

Resources

• Flickr Inspiration Boards – contain a great collection of inspiration boards from a variety of designers.
• 17 Inspiring Moodboards
• Design: A great example of moodboards in action
• Why Mood Boards Matter

Conclusion

If you often have a hard time initially in the design process, creating a mood board through any of the methods mentioned here can take some of that initial frustration away. It’s through creating these mood boards that experimentation is delegated to the beginning to the process, laying a solid foundation for the rest of the web design process.

Health and safety in the design studio

Design Issues

SWOT analysis

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