Project Overview
I was involved in a project to create banner ads. This project was a client contract with a company called ATRACK. ATRACK runs an online design school and wanted to attract women in their 30s who wanted to study web design. To achieve this, they needed to advertise online, but to attract potential customers, they needed to create a banner. With this goal in mind, ATRACK contacted me to create a banner, and I took on the project.
My Role
No materials were provided for the banner. So, I started by downloading appropriate photos from a free stock photo site. I then used Photoshop to add text and edit the photos. Finally, I printed the completed banner and delivered it to the client.
Concept & Creative Direction
When creating the banner, the client asked me to target women in their 30s. From there, I had to consider what kind of "women in their 30s" I wanted to target. There are many different types of "women in their 30s." Their circumstances vary, including whether they're single or married, whether they have children if married, and whether they're currently working or not. It's not realistic to advertise an online web design school to every single "woman in her 30s." We decided that narrowing it down to just one attribute from all the different situations would be necessary to attract potential customers, and then creating a banner ad. To do this, we needed to create a persona.
Process
The persona I came up with for this banner is as follows:
Mayuko Hazawa
- Age: 33
- Family: 3 people (wife, husband, and 3-year-old child)
- Occupation: Housewife
- Situation:
Married to her husband for 5 years. Upon becoming pregnant, she quit her job as a bank receptionist. Now that her child is 3, she's old enough to be in kindergarten. She's refraining from full-time employment due to childcare needs. However, with her child in kindergarten, she has more free time and is looking to start working in some capacity. However, her previous job didn't allow for remote work, and Mayuko herself doesn't have the skills to do so. She hopes to acquire some skills now that will allow her to work remotely while balancing childcare responsibilities, and then work from home.
Based on this persona, I used Photoshop to create the banner and decorate the text.
Final Output
When I decided to create the persona above, I needed a photo of a woman around 30 years old and a small child operating a computer. I found a suitable photo. Using only one would have been somewhat lacking. However, I found several suitable photos, and since the model and the small child were facing different directions, I decided to use two, which I felt would create a natural look. I also changed the size of the model and made one photo smaller, which not only eliminated unnecessary white space but also created a more natural balance.
I also used pink for the banner. I chose pink because I believe it not only represents the woman's maternal nature, but also kindness and softness. Finally, I surrounded the mother and child with white, which I felt would naturally highlight the model. And so, the banner I created this time was born.
Results & Impact
I delivered the banner I created this time to the client, and it was highly praised. The client praised the banner for clearly conveying the target audience, and for carefully selecting the photo, background color, and typography to achieve this. The banner we created was intended for use in social media listing ads. While not flashy, it's not drab, and conveys a sincere, honest feel, making it a very user-friendly banner.
Reflection / Key Learnings
The client praised the banner for clearly conveying the target audience. While the term "women in their 30s" encompasses a broad range of circumstances, including single and married status, and whether or not they have children. While it's not unusual for women to be unmarried at age 30, many 39-year-olds are raising children, creating a clear difference. Therefore, considering the age of the women involved was crucial in clarifying the target audience and creating the banner.