DES IGN T I P S & T R ICKS TO HE L P YOU WIN

ABOUT USAhalogy Designers , Kel ly & Cassie

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• Majored in Public

Relations and Minored

in Creative Writing &

Dance

• Self-taught Graphic

Designer (favorite

program Photoshop)

• Originally a

Michigander Kelly Killips Cassie Slivka

• Majored in Journalism

and Minored in

Fashion Studies

• Also a self-taught

Graphic Designer

(favorite program

Illustrator)

• Has worked at Ahalogy

since day #1

A BIT ABOUT PINTERESTWhy it ’s di f ferent from the other “social media” platforms

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• 70 Million U.S. Users third-largest source of site traffic

• Project & Product Discovery 41% of sessions start with Search

• 80% Mobile Use 52% of daily users pull pins in-

store

What makes a great pin, great?

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THE ELEMENTS OF A GREAT PIN

1. Beautiful Is my imagery compelling, creative, & enticing?

2. Helpful Is this content informative, useful, & meaningful?

3. Actionable Can the Pinner take action on their interest?

• Great Content • Optimized Imagery • Appropriate Overlay Use • Pin Description with Keywords

RECIPE FOR SUCCESS How to achieve i t

NOT ALL PLATFORMS ARE CREATED EQUAL Optimize for each platform

A common mistake we make on social media is trying to utilize the same image across all platforms. But not all platforms are created equal and do not work in the same way.

Pinterest | Vertical • 735 x 1,102 pixels or 7 x 10.5 inches (or taller/longer) • Taller, oblong pins are currently performing really well on Pinterest. (ie. step-by-step pins)

Facebook | Horizontal • 1,200 x 628 pixels or 4.2 x 2.2 inches

Instagram | Square • 640 x 640 or 2.13 x 2.13 inches

NOT ALL PLATFORMS ARE CREATED EQUAL Optimize for each platform

Think l ike Basken Robins and give your viewers 31 f lavors…so to speak

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SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS

What are your goals?

Shares? Views? Brand shares? Opportunities for custom content? Advertisers interested in being on your site? The more photography choices you give, the more people can utilize your images.

• Multiple images per post • Play with angles • License images without overlays and watermarks (or offer both)

Soft , Subtle , Small , or Not at Al l

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WATERMARKS

E L EMENTS & PR INC I P L ES OF

PHOTOGRAPHY

These t ips apply to al l v isual arts including digital media

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ELEMENTS & PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN

Elements:

Line Shape/Form

Color Value

Texture Space/Perspective

Principles:

Pattern Rhythm/Movement Proportion/Scale

Balance Unity

Emphasis

Classic composit ions that wil l never go out of style

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PHOTOGRAPHY COMPOSITION

Rule of Thirds Leading Lines

Framing Reverse Framing Twice as Close Symmetrical Asymmetrical

Visualize your composit ion as 9 parts

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RULE OF THIRDS

Lines draw the eye in

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LEADING LINES

Because a deep photo always trumps a shal low one

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DEPTH

Use your surroundings to draw focus to a subject or object

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FRAMING

Use your subject or object to create a frame

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REVERSE FRAMING

Take your picture. Good. Now get twice as c lose , and take i t again.

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TWICE AS CLOSE

There is an innate beauty and order to symmetry

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BALANCE: SYMMETRY

…but there is also beauty in “imperfect” or weighted photographs

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BALANCE: ASYMMETRY

AL LUR ING PHOTOGRAPHY

TECHN IQUES

Corner to corner

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LINE: DIAGONALS

Draw the eye in with rhythmic pattern

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PATTERN, TEXTURE, & RHYTHM: NATURAL

Entice with order & repet i t ion

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PATTERN & TEXTURE: STAGED

Create visual interest by capturing motion in act ion

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MOVEMENT

Use the camera as “eyes”

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PERSPECTIVE

Bring attention to a particular object or subject through focus

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EMPHASIS

COLOR & VA LUE

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WARM VS COOL COLORS

Warm Colors

Cool Colors

Understanding valuesCONTRAST

Intensity of color

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SATURATION

Using hue to drive home your brand

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PHOTO FILTERS

Recommend using 5 images or less

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COLLAGES & STEP - IT -OUT PINS

CREAT ING YOUR V I SUAL IDENT I TY

Can you guess who’s who?

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QUIZ: THREE BRANDS, THREE LOOKS

Calvin Klein

Kate Spade

American Eagle

Like any brand, you need to choose your visual identity

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FIND YOUR STYLE

warm colors cool colors

low contrast high contrast

dark light

traditional modern

simplicity complexity

inspirational informative

Try a word exercise to help you create your visual identity

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A PICTURE IS WORTH 1,000 WORDS

Feminine Fresh Fun

Light-hearted Friendly

Crisp Clean

Playful

Consistency in Colors & Contrast lead to Cohesion

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FOUR C’S FOR SUCCESSFUL BRANDING

• Consistency • Colors • Contrast • Cohesion

• Bright, Cool Light • Pastel Colors • Simple Background • Mid-level contrast

OVER LAYS

Why they work

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OVERLAYS

Overlays can fall into all three categories of a great pin.

• Beautiful: Sometimes an overlay can simply be another way to make your pin even more lovely or inspirational. It can also drive home your visual identity and brand even further.

• Helpful: An overlay tells the Pinner what the content behind the pin is. This is especially useful on photography that could apply to several things. An overlay can give also clue the user into the time it will take them to read the content (ie. 7 ways you’re apply mascara incorrectly.)

• Actionable: An overlay let’s the Pinner know what they can do with the content. With “how-to,” “tutorial,” and “step-by-step” verbiage the Pinner knows the content will help them take action. This is also true of purchases, for example “9 modern iPhone 6 cases.”

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Beautiful Helpful Actionable

How do you know when to add an overlay, and when not to?

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OVERLAYS: WHEN TO USE THEM

• Can you tell based on the image what the content will be once you click through? If not, it needs an overlay.

• Does a photograph need balanced? (Perhaps there is a lot of negative space just begging for an overlay.) Use an overlay to create a visually appealing composition.

• Have a great piece of content, but maybe not such a great photo to correspond? When in doubt, cover low quality or dark images with an overlay. Try a full bleed overlay when all else fails.

• Overlays can help set your content apart. Try calling out what makes this post, recipe, idea so unique. Does it only take 30 minutes? Can I make it with stuff I already have in the house? Is it time sensitive?

• It’s all about balance. Try not to overdo it on overlays. Some categories will need more than others (ie. Kids’ Activities vs Recipes) Don’t be afraid to test and learn to develop a better understanding of what your audience is engaging with.

Enticing the Clickthrough

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OVERLAYS

Overlays can help drive more traffic to your site.

• Indexes: Indexes help the user understand that they can quickly digest and apply the information behind the pin, increasing the likelihood they will clickthrough rather than solely Repin (often used to save for later.)

• Clarity: For a strong user experience, try not to be misleading with your overlay. This doesn’t mean you can’t give them a “teaser.” For example, “The 1 important skin care step you’ve been skipping” can clue them into the type of content they will be directed to, but without giving away the farm.

• DIY, How-to, & Tutorials: The user loves to know that when they click through they are going to be told exactly how to achieve what is represented in the pin. Clarifying the type of content in the overlay can help drive repins as well as clicks.

Keep It Simple , Si l ly

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TEXT OVERLAYS: COMMON MISTAKES

• Overuse of different fonts and typefaces • Not allowing elbow room or breathing room (for graphic and text) • Odd placement or alignment • Not using the text to entice a clickthrough • Headlines that are too long • Check for spelling errors & punctuation in overlays (often missed) • Not testing and learning (Unsure? Try it a few ways!)

Top things to keep in mind when creating your overlays

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TEXT OVERLAYS: HOW TO GET IT RIGHT

• Informative vs Inspirational • Informative vs Design Element • Max 2 fonts • Use negative space to guide your placement • Use the overlay to create balance on asymmetrical photographs • Leave equal amounts of space around your text and your overlay • Use the text to entice a clickthrough • Use indexes when you can • Consider your audience • Entice a clickthrough

Easy to achieve looks that work wel l on a range of photographs

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TEXT OVERLAYS: HOW TO GET IT RIGHT

Appeal to di f ferent audiences and get di f ferent results

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INSPIRATIONAL VS INFORMATIVE

THANK YOU!

( SO MUCH. )

kelly@ahalogy.comcassie@ahalogy.com