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Audience, Issues and Approach (AIA): Cynthia Toops and Dan Adams

Posted on August 4th, 2009 in Methods with No Comments

“Audience, Issues and Approach” (AIA) example

One of the first steps in developing a successful website is to determine the site’s “Audience, Issues and Approach” (AIA). This helps clarify the site’s goals, identify the intended audience and what the audience needs or wants from the website.

For this website redesign, Carol Tompkins meet with her clients, Cynthia Toops and Dan Adams to determine the goals they had for their website. The goals were to provide a better portfolio of their recent work; provide biographies and information on their artwork styles; sell their new book; provide information on upcoming exhibitions, shows or classes; and direct interested artwork buyers to the galleries that represent them.

Once the goals of the website were established, the next step in the AIA process involved identifying and interviewing potential site visitors to determine what the various visitors would want (issues) from this website. Once these issues were identified, different approachs to solve the issues were proposed.

The AIA was presented to the client for review and signoff. This process helps plan a website that will successfully fulfill a client’s goals and meet the visitor’s needs.

Cynthia Toops and Dan Adams website
Client: Cynthia Toops and Dan Adams

The design process: finalizing a design

Posted on July 28th, 2009 in Methods with No Comments

Final Reptiles Around the World poster

Reptiles Around the World final artwork

While some revisions were made to the concept, the final poster design was very similar to the original pencil sketch. Depending upon the project, concept “sketches” or rough drafts may also be created on the computer using programs such as Illustrator or Photoshop. Whatever process used, creating rough drafts is a great way to develop a design concept that can be presented to the client early on in the design process.

Reptiles Around the World
Client: The Pacific Science Center
Size: 18″ x 24″ poster

The design process: pencil sketches

Posted on July 21st, 2009 in Methods with No Comments

Pencil sketch for a poster

Reptiles Around the World pencil sketches

Carol Tompkins uses a combination of traditional design techniques and computer graphics to create her artwork for clients.

This case study follows the initial design phases of a poster created while working in-house at the Pacific Science Center.

After an initial meeting with her client to learn about the project, she created a pencil sketch of what the poster would look like. While photos of reptiles were going to be used to create the final artwork, a pencil sketch was a quick method used to get the basic design established. This rough comp was presented to the client for concept approval.

Reptiles Around the World
Client: The Pacific Science Center
Size: 18″ x 24″ poster