Autumn Schreiber Creative

Tag: tricks

  • figuring out Facebook ads

    I’ve been asked to create some Facebook ads (for Amaryllis bulbs) and let me tell you, I have no idea where to start. Facebook isn’t something I interact with a whole lot, I’m more drawn to Instagram or Pinterest. However, I thought I’d look into Facebook ads and take ya’ll along for the ride.

    So my main questions I need to figure out are as follows:

    • What Photoshop dimensions should I use?
    • What are the photo copyright rules for ads?
    • What do typical flower ads look like?
    • What makes an ad successful?

    Which brings me to research!

    Here are my findings:

    Facebook dimensions vary by preferred ad layouts. However, my client will be posting the ads as Facebook posts. So I really need to figure out FB Photoshop post dimensions. I kept on running into dimensions for Facebook image/video post sizes. (Will report back with my final answer soon🫡)

    When it comes to image copyright research, here is the situation. I’ve been tasked with creating amaryllis bulb ads. I want to be able to show customers the final amaryllis blooms, but the florist doesn’t have any of her own pictures with her current bulbs. Soo.. then I need to figure out the image situation. I found this website that brings up a few legal good points. My temporary solution is to use some of her old photos if possible.

    General flower ads all display big, colorful arrangements. Then it has the basic ad elements such as a headline, call to action, etc. I’m kind of on my own because my client is advertising wax-dipped amaryllis bulbs. (Which is a bit too niche for Google)

    Keeping your ad message clear and directed towards your audience is one way to create a successful ad. So my audience is primarily older women looking to buy flowers for themselves or others. My headline and visuals should align with my desired target market. Some more great tips are here.

    Phew that was a lot. Hopefully, I can hit the ground running and drum up some great ideas. I’ll keep you posted! Until next time, keep designing.

  • SD AAF student day reflections

    I was able to go to the SD AAF (American Advertising Federation) student day! It was such a great opportunity and I thought I’d share what I learned with you guys.

    Some recurring pieces of advice that kept coming up during different panels were:

    • Keep learning
      • Graphic design is a vastly evolving practice. You need to learn relevant skills and keep up with new software to survive in this industry
      • Check out free online classes, local conferences, and webinars!
    • Just start!
      • Whether it’s a project, application, or class, just start. You can’t figure out your strengths if you won’t try things.
    • Ask questions
      • Questions are great for clarifying things or learning more about a certain topic. You’ll never know if you stay silent. So speak up and stay curious.
    • Most agencies/designers/professionals are willing to help students
      • Industry professionals shared that they are open to job shadowing, portfolio reviews, and questions. The worst people can say is no, so go for it! What do you have to lose?
    • Explain
      • Communication is key in this field. You need to be able to explain design processes and reasoning.

    Overall, I learned so much at this event. Hands down the best $35 I’ve ever spent. I was able to network, learn about different parts of the design and marketing industry, and get a second portfolio review opinion, headshots (and lunch!).

    Let me know your thoughts! Anything to add?

    Stay curious y’all <3

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  • making a zine in InDesign

    making a zine in InDesign

    Hey yall, I’m back! Before jumping into the software I decided to look for a tutorial. I found this one and it was pretty straightforward. If you’re looking for a tutorial on how to make a zine by hand check out this video from brattyxbre.

    Getting Started

    Form a plan. Or don’t, but that’s what I’m doing.

    • Find a topic
    • Make a rough draft
    • Gather images/digital scrapbook stuff (paper textures, tape, etc)
    • Design
    • Print!

    So first up is finding inspiration. Right now I’ve been really into musicians Chapell Roan and Ethel Cain. I’d be a shell of myself without Spotify. My zine will be called music on my mind to reflect my current song infatuations.

    Now that I have my topic, I split my pages up.

    • Cover
    • Intro Page
    • Artist
    • Artist
    • Artist
    • Artist
    • Artist
    • Back
    Here’s the rough sketched out page design layout!

    Designing

    The hardest part is next. I followed this tutorial to figure out my layout in the software. From there I found corresponding fonts and scrapbook-like elements. The colors, elements, and fonts corresponded with the main picture and the vibe of the artist. I got most of my fonts and elements from Adobe Fonts and Adobe Stock Images.

    The Final Product

    Initially, I had the layout similar to the video tutorial. However I ran into issues figuring out how to print it. More on that below.

    Printing

    Printing is a different beast entirely. At first, I printed my facing pages as spreads. But I thought I’d be smart and print them doublesided to save on paper. However, my double sided pages didn’t face the same way and one side was up and the other was flipped. To save my remaining sanity I brought the pages into a 8.5″ x 11″ document (split into 8). This allowed me to save on paper and simply fold and cut to make a zine without needing binding. For some reason, I still ended up with a white border after printing. I used the school’s printers but will try UPS next time.

    This is how I folded my mini zine!

    Thoughts

    If I were to do this again (hopefully soon!) I would change a couple of things.

    • Font Unity
      • I used a lot of fonts to try to adhere to the featured artist, but doing so made it hard to read and overall not uniform
    • Readability
      • I’d change the font size to be legible, it was hard to tell before printing
    • Printing Process
      • I ran into patchy ink printing so I’d find another way to print next time
    • Layout
      • Instead of doing multiple facing pages, I’d stick to a 8.5 x 11″ split into 8 sections. The simplified layout doesn’t make my head hurt as much and would save money on printing if I decide to sell/print multiple.

    What would you make a zine about? Have you made one before? Let me know below 🙂

  • how to survive dreamweaver: the ‘unofficial’ guide

    how to survive dreamweaver: the ‘unofficial’ guide

    read on for some tips and tricks to survive Dreamweaver

    1. Gather Your Resources
      • People
        • If you’re a student, try reaching out to teachers or classmates for additional help
        • Don’t be afraid to use office hours as a student!
      • Videos
    2. Don’t Panic
      • This is very important. Coding is akin to learning another language. It’ll take time, practice, and most importantly patience.
      • If needed, save your project and take a breather. Looking at code with fresh eyes can help you catch little errors.
    3. Save Often, Save Your Sanity
      • Perhaps most critical of all, save your work constantly!