Web Ad Design – Instructions

Overview

Companies use web ads to reach customers directly with product announcements, sales, specials, educational information, seasonal promotions, how to use a product, and new uses for a product.

For this project, you’ll design three web ads for one product/client. These web ads will go together like they are part of the same marketing campaign.

Grading checklist

  • You will design three web ads for one product/client
    • Use my templates and fictitious clients below and start designing immediately
    • Or choose another client from my Client List
    • Or, choose your own client and find your own design assets
  • Focus on your product and the benefits it provides to the people who use it
  • Have one large, emphasized image to draw the viewer in
  • Use consistent brand guidelines across all three ads (logos, colors, typefaces, design elements, photos/art)
  • Be sure to have a call-to-action button/ text link
  • Size: Choose one:
    • (1) Three differently-sized web ads:
      • Leaderboard
        728 x 90px at 72ppi, RGB
      • Medium (Inline) Rectangle 
        300 x 250px at 72ppi, RGB
      • Wide Skyscraper
        160 x 600px at 72ppi, RGB
    • (2) Three half page web ads
      • Half Page
        300 x 600px at 72ppi, RGB
  • Use Illustrator or Photoshop to design your ads (download the template below)

(1) Template for Three Differently-Sized Web Ads

Download and use this project folder to design your three web ads. It contains the main template and all the support files (design assets) you see below.

You may choose either the Photoshop or Illustrator template below to design with.

Web ad design assets and template thumbnail
Illustrator Template

Download the Project folder here: Mainstreet Market Project Folder- Web Ads.zip

Web ad design assets and template thumbnail
Photoshop Template

Download the Project folder here: Mainstreet Market Project Folder- Web Ads.zip

(2) Template for Three Half Page Digital Ads

Download and use this project folder to design your three web ads. It contains the main template and all the support files (design assets) you see below.

You may choose either the Photoshop or Illustrator template below to design with.

Web ad design assets and template thumbnail

Illustrator Template

Download the project folder here: Web Ads 3 Half-Page – Template and Project Folder.zip

Web ad design template thumbnail

Photoshop Template
(To use this, download the Illustrator template that includes the logos, photos, and text and bring them into this Photoshop template.

Web Ad Best Practices

Example of web ad design best practices
Example of web ad design best practices

Web Ad Placement on a Website

Here are three common and popular web ad sizes and where they are usually placed on a website.

I suggest keeping the medium rectangle away from the text as much as possible. It reduces readability and slows your reader. It also makes your website look like you put ad revenue over content delivery.

Google also offers an in-text ad that displays between paragraphs. I find these completely annoying as they greatly reduce the delivery of content.

Example of web ad design placement on a website

Student Web Ad Examples

Student web ad design examples
Student web ad design examples
Student web ad design examples
Student web ad design examples

Industry Web Ad Examples

Only 7 Brand Assets were used to create these ads

The process is fairly simple. Designers create, choose, or are given photos, words (copy), design elements (borders), colors, and typefaces. They arrange these brand assets to create the web ads shown below.

Web ad design assets for Peter Pan

Were used to create these web ads

Web ad designs for Peter Pan

More examples

Web ad design examples
Web ad design examples
Web ad design examples
Web ad design examples

Call-to-Action Buttons/links Examples

Web ad design examples of call to action buttons
Web ad design examples
Web ad design examples
Web ad design examples
Web ads in an app design examples