Category: Assignment #4 – Redo

Visit the St. Clair College website. Analyze it strictly from a visual marketing strategy perspective targeting:

Local domestic high school students.

You are to provide three strategic visual enhancement recommendations. For each recommendation: 

a) Clearly identify the issue or missed opportunity (3 x 2 = 6 Marks) 

b) Propose a specific visual improvement (3 x 2 = 6 Marks) 

c) Explain why it would improve recruitment effectiveness (3 x 2 = 6 Marks)

d) Connect it to student psychology and digital behaviour (3 x 2 = 6 Marks)

Do not provide vague suggestions like:

• “Add more pictures” 

• “Make it more modern” 

• “Use better graphics”

You need to be specific based on class content only:

• What type of visuals? 

• Where? 

• Why? 

• What behavioural outcome would it influence? 

Think like a digital strategist. (24 Marks Total)

Recommendation #1: The first issue I identified is the overall tone of the homepage. The home page speaks to the viewer in a way that suggests that the viewer is someone who already knows what they are looking for upon entry to the site, and for high school students, this likely won’t be the case. The site can be more appealing to high schoolers by highlighting a section for them, making it visually appealing and making it a primary or secondary focal point of the site.

The visual improvement I would suggest is utilizing the type of images that speak to the intended audience, in this case, high school students. The use of photographed images of high school students in open houses, first-year college students who have just finished high school or St. Clair staff, students and maybe alumni going to high schools and speaking directly to these students. Images of any of these could work well in speaking to this crowd. Having a section strictly for these students that features images of people who look like them or who are in the position they are soon to be in can attract their attention more quickly and retain their attention for longer. 

The section tailored to high schoolers creates a seamless flow for this audience and can reduce confusion a high school student might have upon entry to the site. The use of the proposed photographed images, that being high schoolers in an open house or first-year college students who have just graduated, creates an authentic feel for the viewers. These types of images don’t feel heavily forced and are more natural. With these characteristics in mind, high schoolers likely won’t hesitate to apply since they are able to pick up the message the college is conveying to them through the images. 

The reason why this implementation works with this audience is that the content is a reflection of them. A high school student who is looking for something will likely resonate more with someone who looks, thinks and acts the way that they do. With images of other high school students, they are more inclined ot pay attention since they can see themselves in other high school students. They would likely be drawn to images and videos that include St. Clair staff, students, and alumni going to their high schools and speaking to them personally. They resonate with this because it brings a sense of familiarity since they are aware of their own high schools or other schools in the district. 

Recommendation #2: Another area in which St. Clair could capitalize is the comparison of students before and after entering and completing programs. This is a sure way of getting rid of any doubt students might have about entering a program; being able to see what they can become after completing a program is definitely something worth implementing. 

A specific visual improvement St. Clair could implement is using before-and-after comparison images or a visual storytelling sequence to convey the effectiveness of each program and show the progression of a student going through that. Adding this to the section for high schoolers, as stated in the 1st recommendation, could also prove effective. This way, you are targeting high schoolers in the part of the St. Clair website that they are most likely to browse and displaying what it’s like to attend St. Clair while also highlighting each program with before and after pictures of previous students.

This implementation is likely to improve recruitment effectiveness by pushing students closer to the decision of applying by actively displaying what their money, time and effort are going towards and what kind of career path they can take. The best way to implement this visual improvement to get students to apply is not only by including images of students before and after completing a program, but also by short videos that recount their stories and experiences within the program.  

The way this visual improvement connects to student psychology and digital behaviour is because of attention. The younger generation has a very short attention span; it is for this reason that continuing to use large bodies of text as the primary source of information isn’t the most efficient. Text can be used to back up the claims of the visuals and provide extra context for visual elements such as videos and pictures. High school students are more likely to interact with something that summarizes what they want to know in a short video because it requires them to do no work at all.

Recommendation #3: the 3rd opportunity I identified for the St. Clair websites relates to the previous two recommendations I have stated, as it involves the section specifically for high schoolers. The opportunity is to make it as streamlined as possible. The way to make this implementation work is by making sure the information in this section speaks directly to the intended audience. This can be done by cutting down on the amount of text utilized for the programs and summarizing the text into videos or original infographics.

The visual improvement for this strategy is using infographics and informational videos to serve as the primary focal point rather than a large body of text that summarizes the program. Text is still beneficial, however, to accurately reach high school students and make them retain information its better to show and use voices rather than just text on a screen. This is the same reason why open houses are beneficial, they provide a up close look at how the programs operate in a more in-depth fashion. The videos that are already on the program overviews are brief vignettes, while the text on the rest of the page is how students really get their information. What I’m suggesting is that we switch these roles and make the videos the primary source of information.

This method could improve recruitment effectiveness by making students do less work when processing the information about a program. Instead of watching a short video that provides a little bit of context and then reading a huge block of text, why not condense the course information into a medium-length, roughly 10-15, maybe 20-minute video that covers every aspect of the program? And with the help of YouTube’s chapters feature, students can jump around to different parts of the video to find exactly what they are looking for.

The way this visual improvement relates to student psychology and digital behaviour is going back to how visual information is processed more quickly than text-based information. It also links back to the attention spans of the younger generation. They want to be able to process as much information as effectively as possible and in as little time as possible. One video with chapters highlighting each aspect of the program is a sure method to attract and retain the attention of high school students without them feeling like they are wasting their time. People are more inclined to stop and listen to someone rather than read an entire paragraph about something.

Explain in detail how the image(s) strengthens the post from a digital marketing perspective.

You may reference: 

• Attention economy 

• Scroll behavior 

• Visual hierarchy 

• Brand perception 

• Trust building 

• Emotional triggers 

• Information processing 

• Conversion influence

Be analytical. This is not a design reflection. This is marketing reasoning. 

The image I have selected strengthens the post by conveying the message without making the audience do any work. Because of the image, the target audience can process the message of the post without having to read a dump of words. Because of the image, viewers don’t feel as though they are giving up their time with the post, even though they are clearly being sold something. 

Another way the image strengthens the post is by brand perception. The image features many popular titles. The reason why this can enhance the perception of my brand is by displaying the catalogue of the products I’m selling. From classics to mainstream titles to more niche manga series, the image shows the diverse catalogue of manga my business offers. 

The visual hierarchy of the image also comes into play for this post. The structure of this image makes viewers stop what they’re doing, captures their attention, and guides them through a specific path. The positioning of the person in the image serves as the primary focal point of the image. The book in their hand acts as the secondary focal point; from there, the eyes of the viewers are then guided to the many books that circle the person in the picture. This is necessary because the web is full of content, and it is important to make sure that my post stands out to my audience and accurately reaches them. 

The image also conveys an emotional response within the target audience. It does this by displaying the lifestyle of someone who enjoys and collects manga. It shows how infatuated they are with their hobby and prompts viewers to be like the person in the image, by making them feel as though they are being left out. By seeing someone enjoy the same hobby as them, viewers, who are the intended audience, remember why they enjoy this hobby as much as they do. It fuels their passion and removes weaving when making a purchase.

Why did you choose the specific image(s)?

Your explanation must include:

a) Business relevance 

The relevance of this image is that it clearly highlights the product I sell and the aesthetic of enjoying manga. The image features Many popular titles that are easily recognizable to pre-existing fans of anime and manga. It’s relevant to my business because it perfectly represents my audience; for this reason, anime and manga fans are likely to be drawn to an image that feels like a reflection of them. This is why this image was selected.

b) Target audience alignment

The image aligns with my target audience because, as previously stated, the image is a reflection of my audience. People are more inclined to interact and engage with something that represents them. The image is someone who is clearly deeply immersed and infatuated with manga, from the merchandise to the collection of manga. This is the audience I want to speak to, and I believe that this image does that by accurately reflecting the culture of anime and manga.

c) Image intent

The image intends to communicate a message. The image tells viewers that reading manga is more than a hobby; it’s a lifestyle, it’s something to love and cherish, regardless of how old you are or what background you come from. 

d) Why this visual works better than alternative visual approaches

This image works because of the overall aesthetic and authenticity of the image. The image doesn’t scream to the viewers, telling them what they should be doing or how they’re missing out on something. The image simply shows a passionate manga reader. It’s a simple image with a clear message on how much someone can enjoy reading manga. The image works because, as previously stated, the image is a reflection of my audience.

This is a multi-part question. Please create a visual post for your blog on a topic specific to your business and answer the questions below. You will create a visual-first blog post for your business website. This involves critical thinking. What is important to your business and visitors? This is not a written article with an image added. This must be:

• Image-led 

• Message-driven 

• Minimal text 

• Strategically intentional

The image(s) must carry the meaning. You may use: 

• Photography 

• Original graphics 

• Screenshots 

• Edited visuals 

• Multi-image carousel format 

• Before/after comparison 

• Visual storytelling sequence 

• Etc.

The key requirement – If the text was removed, the visual would still communicate the core message. 

Please pay attention to what was discussed in class. Ensure that you include a link to the blog post in your answer. Do not forget that this needs to be included in your hardcopy. I am marking what you hand in with your hardcopy but also need to see the digital version on your blog. If it is not online for me to view (in addition to the hardcopy), I cannot mark this question. (4 Marks)

You must: 

• Include the visual post in your hardcopy. 

• Publish the post on your blog under a category titled “Assignment 4” 

• Include the direct URL in your hardcopy 

• Ensure your blog navigation is working and accessible

Manga is more than a book; it’s an experience.

Visuals are not decoration. They are communication tools. Provide three strategic reasons why visuals are essential to effective web content. For each reason:

• Clearly explain the concept

 • Provide a real-world example (not generic statements)

Marks are awarded for depth, not surface-level answers. (6 Marks)

Visuals play an important role in the way messages, ideas, and concepts are delivered. One of the reasons images are heavily utilized is that people process images much faster than words. The human brain processes images 60,000 times faster than it does with text, making information much quicker and easier to comprehend. An example of this is the utilisation of graphs. Graphs turn numerical data into easily understandable images, such as bar graphs, line graphs, pie charts, etc. The statistics are displayed in a way that makes the information easier and quicker to process, rather than using numbers. 

Another reason why visuals are an important communication tool is to capture the attention of the audience. Because images are processed faster by viewers, they attract attention more quickly and hold the attention of viewers for longer. Viewers spend a lot more time with content that contains images as opposed to text. An example of this is infographics. Infographics are ideal for web content as they contain a combination of visuals and text. The visuals attract the attention of the viewer and convey the intended message, while the text serves to back up the images and provide more context. 

Lastly, images are highly effective for building trust. When it comes to buying products, customers can often feel skeptical about the functions or aspects of the products. Descriptions of the products can help relieve anxiety for customers when making a purchase; however, images and videos are more effective. When it comes to instructing people about things, showing is often more effective than explaining. Amazon, for example, almost always has a visual breakdown, both image and video, of its products, how they work, and different ways they can be used.