Web and Multimedia Graphics

The following are tools, solutions, tips, tricks, secrets, and best practices for web and multimedia professionals. Be sure to share this page with your colleagues so they can benefit from them as well.

Web and Multimedia Resources

The Influence of Graphics in Web and Multimedia
Studies have shown that we need words, concepts, and ideas attached to an image or else we won't remember the product or service. Professional, visually appealing graphics increase your likelihood of reaching your audience by 43% (3M-sponsored study at the University of Minnesota School of Management). Research at the 3M Corporation concluded that we process visuals 60,000 times faster than text.

Companies sell the perception of professionalism, quality, superiority, and other attributes that motivate potential customers to buy their service or product. Much of the perception is created through the quality of their collateral materials, especially websites. Do not ignore the quality of your website and multimedia presentations. We are presented with a large amount of information on and off the Internet all competing to get our attention. Some studies show that exposure to this increasing din of stimuli shrinks our attention spans. Your website needs to capture and hold your audience's attention and communicate the information quickly and precisely. If the audience has to study your site for too long before they know what you're communicating, they may become frustrated and try another site.

Graphics sell because of their ability to influence quickly and be remembered. How you use graphics greatly affects how your website and multimedia pieces are perceived and, ultimately, how well they will do:

• Stanford Persuasive Technology Lab asked 2,440 participants how they evaluated the credibility of websites they were shown. Almost half (46.1%) said that the website's design look was the number one criterion for discerning the credibility of the presented material.
• Behavioral Psychologists agree that most of our decisions are based on intuitive judgment and emotions. Herbert A. Simon, Nobel Prize winning scholar at the Carnegie Mellon Institute in Pittsburgh, studied corporate decision-making and found that people often ignored formal decision-making models because of time constraints, incomplete information, the inability to calculate consequences, and other variables. Intuitive judgment was the process for most decisions.
• According to studies performed at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Minnesota Management Information Systems Research Center, and 3M:
  • People agree more with a position when presented with visuals.
  • People will pay closer attention and react more positively when visuals are used.

This does not mean that graphic communication is better than text. However, the combination of graphics and words has a communicative power that neither singularly possesses. J.R. Levin said it best in A Transfer of Appropriate Process Perspective of Pictures in Prose: 'Pictures interact with text to produce levels of comprehension and memory that can exceed what is produced by text alone."

Creating Website and Multimedia Graphics
When creating graphics, ask yourself the following:

• What is the most important idea or concept this graphic should relate?
• Who is your audience? Would they understand technical terms or prefer an overview?
• How do you want to say it? What form of chart (area chart, illustration, timeline, etc.) will best reach your audience and help them to understand the idea/concept?

Seven Rules for Creating Graphics

1. All graphics should play a specific role and have a reason for being chosen and incorporated.
2. Stay consistent.
3. Show or say it correctly. Don't try to be original.
4. Keep it clean and simple. Too much visual clutter can be overwhelming and lose the primary objective of your message. Plus, visitors may be confused if the site is not easy to navigate.
5. Label elements directly to avoid confusion. This rule is especially true if you are introducing new image and ideas.
6. Use recognizable imagery. Seeing a familiar face evokes trustworthiness in your audience. This is one reason celebrities are used in advertisements. (Also, most web graphics are 72 dpi. Avoid using web graphics in printed materials. All web imagery is protected by copyright laws—although some sites grant permission for specified reuse—and at a resolution and dimension unsuitable for print. Always keep a high-res version of graphics used on your website for marketing materials.)
7. Focus on your audience. Show your audience in your graphics. Allow your audience to see themselves learning, applying, and benefiting from your business.

Web and Multimedia Design Solutions
You need a powerful graphics for your next web or multimedia project. Unfortunately, you have to make it happen with very little time, money, and resources. You know you need your project to look great, communicate better than anyone else, and leave the best impression. You know you need your graphics to blow everyone away. What do you do? Great news, you have a choice:

1. Do-it-yourself graphics guide
2. Ready-to-go graphics on DVD
3. Graphic how-to training
4. Fast Class seminars (1 hour quick classes)
5. Graphic library

Web and Multimedia professionals use Billion Dollar Graphics solutions to help conceptualize amazing graphics for their projects. Successful companies like yours use the easy-to-learn processes to turn their client's ideas and words into clear, communicative, compelling:

• Web graphics
• DVD-ROM graphics
• Icons
• Button graphics
• Step-by-step graphics
• Training graphics
• Explanatory graphics (information graphics)
• PowerPoint graphics
• Any visual solution needed

"...hit the customer right between the eyes with powerful, compelling graphics."—Jack Banks, Raytheon

Don’t waste anymore of your energy and time designing graphics that don't make your client or boss jump up and down. Make your client happy. Blow them away by making graphics that better communicate solutions, concepts, data, processes, and ideas. Influence and motivate the audience to take action. Use these books and learn to quickly communicate your ideas effectively. (Learn more about the book.)

Kick start or add to your existing graphics library. The Billion Dollar Graphics Master Collection DVD contains 111 editable graphics (Illustrator and Photoshop CS2 or better for Mac and PC).

"I have already used some of the ideas and graphics [from the DVD] in a couple of presentations I am doing for a current customer. You have a unique service."—Mike Kester, Program Manager, Lockheed Martin

All graphics are professionally conceptualized and rendered at print resolution. (Learn more about the DVD.)

Billion Dollar Graphics training/workshops will show you how to use visual communication to reach your goals. The training is applicable to anyone who wants better graphics for their clients. Visual communication training will help you and your organization succeed. Ultimately, you will be sought out for your uniue abilities and your compensation will go up. (Learn more about the Training and Workshops.)

"The class was a real eye-opener."—Adam Bramm, Lockheed Martin

Learn to quickly make graphics like these...

Custom Solutions for Web and Multimedia Professionals
Your challenges are unique. Perhaps your goal is to increase the quality of your visuals or analyze your existing process and develop a better system for generating clear, communicative, compelling graphics. Allow Billion Dollar Graphics to be of service. We are available for consultation. (Learn more about custom solutions.)

Graphic Design Services with 24 Hour Company
Feeling overwhelmed? Need help? Billion Dollar Graphics and 24 Hour Company work together to provide quality, professional graphic design services. If ever you or your team is over-tasked and could use additional support on a project, call 24 Hour Company for:

• Graphic production (conceptualization and rendering)
• Desktop publishing
• Editing

(Learn more about 24 Hour Company.)

Click on the solutions below to purchase...

Billion Dollar Business Graphics Book + Free Virtual CD ($49.95) More Information

Get More. Save BIG! Save money, get more books, and hit your goals faster. Put a copy on everyone's desk and watch your success rate grow exponentially. (All books include the FREE Virtual CD.)

BDG Master Collection ($549) FREE Book + 111 ready-to-use, editable business graphics + 41 bonus graphics + FREE tools and resources on DVD. Only $4.95 per graphic. More Information

Is the BDG Master Collection for your company or organization? Choose the best option for you: Single License = source art installed on one computer $549 Limited Site License = source art installed on up to 5 computers (per site) $749 Unlimited Site License = source art installed on unlimited computers (per site) $949

BDG Spectacular PowerPoint Templates DVD ($39.95) More Information

Click here to download a fax order form if you have a PO# or prefer not to order online. Bulk purchase rates are available on the order form.

Conceptualization Training and Workshops

Graphic Conceptualization Online Training (coming soon)

Custom Solutions for Web and Multimedia Professionals

Design Services (through 24 Hour Company)

Fast Class Seminars