Make a More Effective Ad in Photoshop

In some areas of graphic design, you strive for visual stability—with monument signage, for example. But sometimes a stable layout works against your goals. In this two-part tutorial, I'll show you how to design a dynamic ad that's more likely to excite viewers into buying.

This ad could be a postcard, an email, a social media post... The first image is the lackluster original. The second image is the redesigned ad. While the words are the same, the photography, type treatment, and layout are much livelier. And if it's delivered digitally, you can animate it!

In the first video below, I’ll explain how to choose photos and typefaces that convey an athletic look. (I used an image from Adobe Stock and the typefaces Orbitron and Bungee from Adobe Typekit.) I’ll show you how simple changes to the composition make the message more powerful. I built the ad in Adobe Photoshop CC, but Adobe Illustrator CC and Adobe InDesign CC will work just as well.

Part One: Make a More Dynamic Ad.

In the second video, I’ll walk you through animating the ad in Photoshop to produce a snowfall effect.

Part Two: Animate the Ad.

Layout powerfully influences our emotions and behavior. In the advertising world, that’s serious business!