We sat down with in-house designer, Jocelyn Scears, who has 11 years of experience in graphic design and has worked with Transformation Media for about 3 years. Jocelyn shares her creative process and insight into what makes a billboard great.
Where do you fit into the billboard process?
Typically, the salespeople meet with their client, get their information, and sell the board. They will fill out an art request form with all the details including the size, text, any files such as photos/logos and then will send it over to me. The request form also includes the formatting such as if the board will be static or digital. From there I will create a billboard that will meet the requirements the client requested.
What is your creative process?
After reading the request form, I will visit their website as well as their social media and look at their branding. From there I will make notes of any prominent colors or fonts and if there are any images I could pull from their website to use for the billboard. I will also pay attention to any aesthetic the brand follows, if it’s modern or contemporary, etc.
After the brand research I will start working on layouts, figuring out placement for text and the various design elements. My goal is to create something that stays true to the company’s brand identity. I’ll then send the proof to the sales representative, who then forwards it to the client. The client can send me any changes necessary, and I will revise accordingly.
What do you consider the most effective aspect of a billboard?
I would say that having an effective visual is crucial when designing a billboard. An effective visual is one that includes vibrant, well-lit photography and captures the attention of the audience. Most viewers will only have around 7 seconds to take in the content the billboard contains. Therefore, designing impactful creative is important when producing a strategic advertising campaign.
What is the most rewarding part of your job?
As a graphic designer, being able to see my work printed and produced is the most rewarding part of my job. I love driving down the highway in my day-to-day life and seeing my work installed. It is rewarding to be able to collaborate with different companies and take inspiration from their branding to design a billboard that elevates their advertising. The varied branding of each company pushes me to think outside the box and overall allows me to grow as a designer each day.