Here is an advertising design idea that will challenge you to make imaginative ads rather than boring ones. I call it the “Photo ID Design Model” and it is a very useful device if you create advertising for your company or organization. It is one of the easiest and most effective ways to create a striking ad, banner or poster. And it will almost always give you a result that gets noticed.
** Consider the photo id
Think about a “photo id” for a minute. Its most dominant feature is the photograph. The other elements on the card “support” the photo — the person’s name, address, or ID number.
These things are not necessarily less important than the photo. But the photo is clearly the main element. It is what the photo id is “about”, and that is clearly reflected in the graphic design of the card.
If you are not used to thinking of graphic design as related to function, this may seem like an overstatement — “Hey, it’s just a card with a picture on it.” But think about it for a minute. A photo id has the specific job of identifying a person. That makes the photo the most important element on the card. So it stands to reason that the photo should be given the most attention.
** Make the photo the dominant element
When you apply the photo id model to a print ad, poster, billboard, banner design, or even a TV ad the result is usually pretty straightforward. You assume the dominant element in the piece will be the image — the photograph. And you also assume the photograph will be the main “identifier” — the thing that defines the look and even the content or theme of the piece. For instance, you find a photo of a cool looking guy wearing sun glasses. And that image fits the message you are trying to convey in your ad.
Serious advertising designers may object that this turns the usual communication process upside down. They might say, “You should always start with your selling message, and find elements that illustrate that message.” For instance, if you want to sell “pet care” products, you should begin with the theme you want to communicate, and then find elements that illustrate that theme. Say your theme is something like “Our pet care products make happy pets.” This theme would then suggest various ideas for photographs and headlines.
