First, when initially looking at the St. Clair College website’s homepage (https://www.stclaircollege.ca), I find the visual information to be too much for the average visitor to follow. Since most of the provided information is written, transforming some of the sections into visual representations of their content would help visitors rapidly identify where to go and what to click in order to find their information. Since people are quicker to register visual content than written content, the use of visual aids to help guide them through the home page would work far more effectively than the bombardment of written assets scattered on the page.

Next, the start HERE section of the homepage is a wonderful addition, but is nested in an awkward position on the webpage. Instead, I would create an entire new page for this category and use visuals to better clarify and communicate that new students, domestic or international, should start with St. Clair College’s recommended links first. This would subconsciously and visually guide newly-registering students to a different page of the St. Clair website which is designed to welcome them. 

Finally, assuming the search function of the website works just as well if not better than it does currently, centering and highlighting the website’s search function in the center of the homepage would work wonders for visual clarity. Since most people are visiting the St. Clair College website searching for specific information, I believe that emphasizing the search function to a visitor, especially if they’re a new student, would help guide them towards the information they’re seeking. Of course, keeping some of the header categories would still be useful for visitors to find what they’re looking for when browsing, but I would further consolidate everything into a single navigation bar to cut down on clutter.

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a. Why did you choose the specific image(s)? (3 Marks)

I chose my images to represent the variety of events offered by XanderPlans, the people who benefit from our services, and the people who work at the company. As a collage, it showcases multiple different images at the same time. I created the image using pieces of other images, all combined together in an attempt to show the wide range of services and tones offered by my business. Because my company offers the services shown in the top 2 images, and is represented by the group of people in the bottom, all 3 images together demonstrates the value, energy and prestige a customer would expect to receive upon using our services.

b. Explain in detail why the image(s) was beneficial for the post. (3 Marks)

All 3 images in the collage serve a different purpose, beyond demonstrating the different scenes regarding the company. The top image demonstrates my company’s ability to plan for weddings or other formal events. This is contrasted by the middle image, of a crowded video game tournament. Although far more informal, it shows how XanderPlans can handle busy and stressful events as well. Finally, the bottom image is that of the business’s team, giving a viewer a glimpse into the team of people that would be involved in the planning and operation of an event. Altogether, the combination of these images alongside my branding and wording shows the range of services and tones my business specializes in, and motivates users to get involved or look into our services.

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Visuals get 94% more views on social media than text based information. Our brains process visual information much faster than written information, therefore it’s a no-brainer to include visuals in any post – even in posts containing written content (Briscoe, The Power of Visuals.pdf, Slides 3-4). As such, web advertisers avoid making text-only posts as often as possible since the insertion of visuals in any capacity are proven to benefit the advertiser.

Using visuals in content marketing, be it images or videos, invites twice as much engagement than content without visual aid (Briscoe, The Power of Visuals.pdf, Slide 9). Users who scroll social media and would come across a visual post are more likely to stop and give it their attention than a text-focused post, increasing the odds that post is liked, reposted, commented on, saved or shared. This increases the chances of your posts receiving engagement of any kind, showing the algorithm that your content is worth promoting.

Finally, video content specifically is preferred by 82% of people as opposed to reading a text-focused social media post (Briscoe, The Power of Visuals.pdf, Slide 11). Understanding this point and utilizing it effectively can allow marketers to shift their promotional content into video format, allowing them to communicate their messages with the help of a video and audio.

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