The Current Role of Graphic Design, Research Proposal Example

Introduction

Graphic design in modern computing is a defining element that separates the ads presented through the internet from other forms of advertisements. Relatively, such condition of development has brought about a sense of distinction on how modern advertising is defined according to the changing reaction of the market. In this study, observing the effects of graphic design in improving audience appeal is aimed to be measured. Pointing out how such elements of design actually get the attention of the people, this research hopes to improve the knowledge of designers from what they already know of in relation to the study that is to be handled herein.

Research Questions

The aim of this research is to capture a thorough and accurate understanding of the effectiveness of online advertising. Definitions- and specific parameters for the comparison- of ‘effectiveness’ will be central to the examination of research. This requires that the following questions be investigated:

1. How does the effectiveness of online graphic design compare to other forms of advertising?
2. What characteristics contribute to the impact which graphic design has on online advertising effectiveness?
3. How does the generalization or privatization of online advertising placement influence the effectiveness of graphic design?
4. What current trends shape perceptions regarding graphic design?
5. Do recent findings with more detailed online data collection methods, such as click-through times, textual links, time spent, user origin, etc., suggest best practices for graphic design in online advertising?

These questions aim to allow the literature review to guide the author and increase the validity of the findings produced. The suggested best practices will propose general guidelines for implementation by graphic design for online content.

Research Context

In the late 1990’s, the oft-called ‘ad bubble’ burst, ushering online advertising out of the era of attention-getting novelty sales (Robinson, 2007). Today, online advertising permeates even the most intimate internet browsing and companies continue to spend millions of dollars for ads which some sources have called ‘ineffective’ (Rosenkrans, 2010). As technologies and online traffic flows shift, staying current requires that the research evolves continuously and that it maintains a high standard for reliability and for consistency.

Yet this assumption seeks to generalize a diverse body of online advertisements as though all ads are created equal. Prevailing research insinuates that the phrasing and size of the advertisements fuels the gaps in findings regarding effectiveness, while others focus on the integration of the advertising in general external space, within the text, or with specific relevance to the subject of the web page. Unsurprisingly, online advertising research discourages the use of clichés and the heavy use of ‘action’ words but also emphasizes the need to be clear and avoid vague intrigue. By contrast, branding also strengthens the effectiveness of banner ads, which are less effective when embedded within the text or included without a recognizable logo or other branded slogan or visualization.Landa’s book discusses successful branding techniques and rules and concepts of ‘screen-based’ advertising in great detail. However, consumer research also suggests that marketing officials mistake consumer attitudes regarding online advertisements; consumers most commonly characterize online advertising as annoying, distracting, all over the place, invasive, and creepy, respectively.

Even if online advertising proves ineffective, confusion persists as to whether the format and placement of graphic design in online advertising- and banner ads, especially- seems ineffective due to inherent flaws or due to a lack of sensitivity and adaptability of marketing firms. While many sources investigate specific aspects relevant to the proposed research, the interrelationship of these factors and the potential impact which online advertising successes and failures produce upon  the development of graphic design rarely enter serious discussion.

Significance of Study

It is the desire of this study to imply how graphic design intends to enhance the presentation of advertisements posted online. Through this, the developers of the said aspect of advertising phenomena are expected to get properly defined path that they could take to further improve the manner by which they use visual appeal as a sense of attraction towards their audiences. What makes this study significant is the fact that the topic it intends to explore is currently having a great impact on how the world tends to realize the worth of visual identity as it supports the presentation of advertising message to the public. Getting information for this research is expected to create practical advancements towards the condition of using graphic designs as a good source of audience appeal for online ads that are presented online and are released on mobile and smartphones held by the target market. Relatively, such research is expected to make implicative distinctions on how current designers could further advance the quality of their work to be able to make an appeal suited for the audience of their target.

Scope and Limitation

Given that graphic design is currently one of the latest additions to modern online web development, this study intends to measure how effective its use is especially in relation to how the audience responds to advertisements that are accompanied with graphic-enhanced displays. With the intention to capture the attention and the visual interest of the public, these designs are expected to get as much result from the audience that would have a positive impact on how the website functions. To do so, a random choice of participants shall be asked to respond to a survey that would implicate the worth of graphic designs as they are being appreciated by the public. Although the study intends to capture the manner by which the people respond to the advertisements and the graphic designs that the website represents, it does not add into the situation how the behavior of the audience affects the manner by which they react to such presentations. Relatively, this is a limitation that the study hopes to pass on to other researches that are to be handled in the future in recognition of the same topic that could be explored further in the future.

Research Sources and Methods

The research regarding this topic will employ two quantitative methods: results-oriented findings of credible books, journals, and other sources and from survey results initiated by the author of this research proposal. The randomly-sampled survey will be conducted on a free website and will be entered by e-mail or regular mail invitation only. Every effort will be made to contact possible respondents from a variety of demographic areas. Because the globalized environment of online advertising reaches potential customers throughout the world, the limitation of respondents from the United Kingdom is unnecessary and may be unduly prejudicial. By contrast, an internationally representative sample yields the most accurate results regarding the current best practices of graphic design professionals. The data must run through statistical comparison and review the standard deviations for reliability. With the information to be garnered from ad designers and how they utilize effective graphic design principles, this research is expected to bring out important knowledge on how such development is expected to create massive distinction on how online ads are presented and accepted by the major public.

Data Analysis

This study will utilize both the quantitative and qualitative approach of study-definition. The analysis of the data collected from the methodology that is suggested to be undergone through this study shall not only present the overall condition of how statistical information presents audience reaction but also how it implies on the thinking of the audience target as they are presented with the visual context of each graphic creation. Relatively, this approach to the analysis shall make it easier for the researcher to present important aspects of the research that will give a detailed condition of distinction on how data could be further enhanced to meet with the required standards of information presentation for the sake of the study’s validation for practical use. Relatively, these approaches are chosen to be able to measure both the technical and the behavioral appeal of online ads as they are enhanced by graphic designs when they are presented through the internet on computers and on smartphones at the same time.

Suggested References to be used:

“Click Here: The State of Advertising”. (2012). Adobe Systems Incorporated, Click Here Study. http://www.adobe.com/aboutadobe/pressroom/pdfs/Adobe_State_of_Online_Advertising_Study.pdf. (Retrieved on January 3, 2013)

Amtston, A. Graphic Design Basics. 6^th ed. Wadsworth Publishing.

Drèze, X. (2003) “Internet Advertising: Is Anybody Watching?” Journal of Interactive Marketing 17, 4.

Fayer, M. (2010). “Ten Tips for Driving Online Ad Effectiveness and Maximizing Brand Impact.”AAAA Research Impact. http://www.aaaa.org/news/bulletins/Documents/onlinecreative.pdf. (Retrieved on January 3, 2013)

Landa, R. (2011). Graphic Design Solutions. 4^th ed. Wadsworth Publishing.

Lomas, N. (2012). “Online Ad Survey: Most U.S. Consumers ‘Annoyed’ By Online Ads; Prefer TV Ads To Online; Want Social Media Dislike Button; And Reckon Most Marketing Is ‘A Bunch Of B.S.’” AOL Tech. http://techcrunch.com/2012/10/24/online-ad-survey-most-u-s-consumers-annoyed-by-online-ads-prefer-tv-ads-to-online-want-social-media-dislike-button-and-reckon-most-marketing-is-a-bunch-of-b-s/. (Retrieved on January 3, 2013)

Meggs, P., Purvis, A. (2012). Meggs’ History of Graphic Design. Wiley Publishing.

Park, M.  (2008). A Study of Effective Web Advertising Design to Maximize Click-Through and Brand Awareness. California State University Press.

Robinson, H., Wysocka, A., and Hand, C. (2007). Internet advertising effectiveness: The effect of design on click-through rates for banner ads.International Journal of Advertising, 26, 4, pp. 527-541.

Rosenkrans, G. (2010). The creativeness and effectiveness of online interactive rich media advertising. Journal of Interactive Advertising, 9, 2, pp. 18-31.

Tähtinen, J. (2006) Mobile Advertising or Mobile Marketing. A Need for a New Concept. In: FeBR 2005 – Frontiers of e-Business Research 2005, Conference Proceedings of eBRF 2005 pp. 152-164.