Inspired by Ads

So you've been trying to find some inspiration for your next layout, and nothing in the idea books or online galleries catches your fancy. Don't despair; there is a ready-made source of professional inspiration, just waiting for you to notice. What is this amazing resource?

Advertising.

Advertisements, whether print, online or video, have all been designed by professionals to catch the eye and appeal to your senses. The work is already done for you. You only need to look and decide how to mine the gems from this wonderful resource to fit your project.

Design Elements Inspire

Graphic designers create ads to capture our attention and leave an impression. Isn't that ultimately the same goal we have when we create a scrapbook layout? Let their years of training work for you by adapting the design elements they choose, either in whole or in part.

Many print ads pull me in because of their layout. Strong lines, graphic elements and skillful use of color and text all work together in well-designed ads. Decide how much or how little you wish to adapt the design elements for your layout.

The following layout was actually based on a sketch by designer Amy Brown, but the bold color scheme was one I felt confident using, because I'd seen this combination used to good effect in several magazine ads recently. Of course the photo colors were the source, but chances are I'd have chosen my safe neutrals if I hadn't been granted "permission" by the graphic designers.

Figure 1 - Salmon and turquoise, inspired by Martha Stewart

Sometimes the theme of an advertising design will serve as inspiration. We've all seen the charge card ads listing off the price of various items leading to a "priceless" event. I used this theme to craft a layout summarizing a weekend scrapbooking retreat with friends.

Figure 2 - Priceless!

Other design elements can inspire as well. Some ideas to consider:

• Logo design for title blocks
• Placement of text and text blocks
• Embellishment patterns inspired by ad elements
• Index photos used as a "filmstrip" design element

Total Layout Inspiration

We've all heard of "scraplifting," in which a design is borrowed, with permission, from another designer and restyled to fit the photos and story. Ads can provide the same design boost as these scraplifts. When an advertisement is particularly appealing to your eye, clip it out and save it in a design inspiration file. It may be just what you need when you're stuck for ideas.

I've spent over half my life practicing yoga at one level or another. Sometimes I'm reading about it more than practicing it, but it's still become an element of who I am. I wanted to celebrate this in a layout, but was stuck for an idea that would match the mood I wished to convey with the photos my sister-in-law, Cathy Calvetti, took in a recent photo shoot. What better place to look for the right design than the pages of one of my Yoga Journal magazines? An advertisement for Zen-inspired furniture provided the perfect framework. I simply swapped out the elements in the ad with my photo and paper choices and added my own journaling in place of the ad text.

Figure 3 - Breathe

Sometimes the ad itself can serve as both design inspiration and layout focus. Last year, several of the home improvement magazines featured an ad campaign for Mannington Flooring, called "I stand on." The ads featured different people pictured in a comfortable setting befitting their personality, with bold graphic text outlining their values. I had a wonderful casual photo taken by Kelli Noto, and when I saw this ad campaign, realized I had just the framework in which to use Kelli's great shot. I simply chose my own papers and elements, but followed the design layout and theme as pictured in the model advertisement.

Figure 4 - I Stand On, inspired by Mannington Flooring

The hidden benefits of a free market economy

We all appreciate the fact that market competition provides us with an ever-increasing array of scrapbook products; don't overlook the benefits of the advertising used to sell these products. The ads may be just the inspiration you need to use your newest purchases to great effect. Next time you're stuck, open up your favorite magazine and be inspired by ads.