SLC21/WK4: Mockups in Design and Application

Edited using Pixellab App

Greetings everyone and welcome to another week of excitement as we look at the different types of mock-ups and their features. I trust you will stay through to the end as there is something for everyone.

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Mention and discuss Extensively the other types of Mockups not captured in this lesson

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In this week's lesson we are learning about mock-ups, and I must say it has been quite interesting because I have often heard the word mock-up but didn't really understood what it meant until now. From the lesson, it has been made to my understanding that Mock-ups are basically preview images that show what a product will look like when it is made.

Hence, a mockup is like a detailed preview or a draft version of something that has not been built yet. It is often used by design, architecture, marketing, and product development industries to pass ideas, test designs, gather feedback and understand how the final product will look like.

I have also learned that there are numerous types of mock-ups as well and some of the commonest types are;

Low-Fidelity Mock-ups:
I learned that these are the simplest form of mock-ups and are often hand-drawn sketches that focuses only on layouts rather than design details.

High-Fidelity Mock-ups:
These are known as the polished versions of designs as they look almost exactly like the final product. An example is a fully designed app screen with colors, fonts, and images, where it is like seeing a real app before it is even built.

Interactive Mock-ups:
As the name implies, these types of mock-ups are known to allow users click through and experience the flow of the design (for an app) or website. An example of this kind of mock up is like going through different screens of an app, feeling how it would really work.

3D Mock-ups:
This type of mock-ups use three-dimensional representations for products and it's made using software like Blender to create a 3D model of your product, like a bottle, showing it from all angles. Hence, creating a virtual version of the product right for you to see.

Static Mock-ups:
Known to be the commonest among all is the Static Mock-ups, as the name implies are fixed designs that don’t change or move. Just like the printed posters we come across everyday advertising events, showing vibrant designs without any interaction. Another good example is our business card designs, brochures, and packaging, all of which present a visual idea of what the final product will look like without allowing any user interaction.

Dynamic Mock-ups:
Last but not the least is dynamic mock-ups, which include animations. I learned that these can be created using Adobe After Effects to show how an app transitions between screens making it look like watching a mini-movie of the app in action.

For the purpose of this class being a graphic design class, I realised that we are interested more with static mock-ups as these are important tools for any designer, as it allows us to create representations of our ideas without any movement or animation.

Why I side this class is mostly focused on this type of mock-ups is because graphic designers tend to work with the different types of static mock-ups which are:

Print Mock-ups:
Print mock-ups are used to showcase designs for printed materials such as brochures, business cards, and posters, giving designers a view of how it will look like when printed.

Example of a Printing mock-up, Source

Packaging Mock-ups:
These are created to represent how a product will be packaged, such as boxes, labels, and other types of packaging.

Example of a packaging mock-up, Source

Web and App Mock-ups:
web and app mock-ups are used to visualize how a website or mobile application will appear showing it layouts, buttons, and overall design.

Branding Mock-ups:
Branding mock-ups help designers to visualize how a brand’s identity like logos will be applied across various materials such as business cards, letterheads, and merchandise.

Example of a branding mock-up, Source

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Do well to mention and explain other importance of mockups in promoting a brand/product.

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Mock-ups are important tools for promoting a brand or product for several reasons, and some of these reasons are;

Visual Representation:
Mock-ups help designers to provide a clear visual of what the final product will look like, thereby helping potential customers understand the design and features before it’s actually made.

Feedback Opportunity:
Mock-ups allow designers to gather feedback early in the process, because by showing a mock-up, people can suggest changes or improvements before the product is finalized.

Marketing Tool:
Mock-ups can be used in marketing materials as they look professional and can attract attention on websites, social media, or advertisements, making the product more appealing to potential buyers.

Client Approval:
For businesses, mock-ups help in getting client approval, because it ensures that clients can see what they are paying for and ensure it meets their expectations before production starts.

Cost-Effective:
Creating a mock-up is generally cheaper than making the actual product, hence it saves money and resources, especially if changes are needed.

Showcasing Features:
Mock-ups display specific features of a product. Therefore by focusing on details like color, layout, and functionality, mock-ups help to showcase what makes the product unique.

Building Brand Identity:
Consistent use of mock-ups can help establish and reinforce brand identity as they can be designed to reflect a brand’s colors, logos, and overall style, making the brand more recognizable.

Improving Communication:
Mock-ups serve as a great communication tool between designers, clients, and marketing teams because it can bring everyone to be on the same page about what the product will be like.

Testing User Experience:
For digital products, mock-ups can help test user experience (UX) helping designers see how users might interact with the product, allowing them to make necessary adjustments.

Creating Buzz:
Sharing mock-ups before a product launch can create excitement and anticipation among potential customers. It’s a way to build hype and get people talking about the brand.

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Using your logo of last week's task (or a new one if you don't participate last week) and a new flier for the week, demonstrate how to use the mock up feature to promote your brand using the following information below.

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A. Search for a good t.shirt mockup and then promote your brand by putting in your logo.

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From last week's practical, we were asked to create two different logos and I made two in the category of Wordmark logos (Travela) and Combination logo (Market Place), you can see all the process by clicking here

In that case, for the T-shirt branding I will be using the Travela brand and to do that, we need to follow the steps below.

First, I opened my canvas app, then clicked on apps, which took me to a search page where I searched for mock ups and it brought out results to different kinds which I clicked on mock-ups and I selected again the first option as shown below.

On the next page, I was shown different categories of mock ups, but since what I needed was under apparels (clothing) I clicked on apparels and selected my choice of clothing to add my Travela brand. Once the T-shirt mock was on the canvas, I clicked on gallery then selected the Travela logo to add to the T-shirt.

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B. Search for an outdoor advertisement means like "billboard mockup" where you can put in your flyer design or banner for promotion.

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For this task, the first thing needed was designing a new flyer as required, so I created the flyer first using my second logo from last week, and oh I didn't forget your comment so let me take you all through the process.

First, I opened the app as usual, then clicked on the poster tab this time, instead of logo since I was going to make a flyer. On the empty canvas page, I clicked on elements to pick my desired elements to bring to life what was in my mind and I picked a square, then duplicated it to make two squares.

I enlarged the two squares across the canvas to produce what I had in mind, then I added colors to both squares now arranged as rhombuses to get my desired shape. After adding colors, I went to add beautifiers as shown below.

Once the beautifiers (which were triangles placed in different directions and sizes) were placed, I arranged the layers by bringing the down square to the top so that the beautifiers won't overlap. Then I clicked on elements and searched for images of grocery bag and I found the perfect one, so I placed it on the point where the beautifiers met.

Next, I added more elements in the form of solid shapes pointing at the grocery bag, then I clicked on text to add text in order to express what the flyer is all about.

After which I clicked on gallery to add the Market place logo created from last week. However, after adding the logo, the flyer was still looking empty to me, so I just filled it up with some more informations to make it complete before saving it as shown below.

Below is the final flyer design I got after saving it.

Now it is time to add this final flyer design to an outdoor mock up as required by the task. So I open the canvas app again, clicked on apps, on the next page I searched for mock ups, from the results I clicked on mockups and I selected the first option as shown below.

On the next page which carries different categories of mock ups, this time I clicked on outdoor and selected my choice of outdoor mock up to add my flyer. Once the mock up was on the canvas, I clicked on gallery then selected the flyer to add.

Once the flyer was now on display, I had to adjust it to the mock up, and the mock up absorbed it in, to give a wonderful display as shown below.

After which I kept playing with more and more outdoor mock ups as shown below.

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Lastly, pick any befitting mock up of your choice to promote steemit as a brand by using the steemit logo.

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For this task, I played around with two different designs, a mug and a t-shirt but both carrying different Steemit designs as shown below.

All these where achieved by first clicking the mockups button at the bottom left, then searching for appropriate mockup before adding the Steemit logo as shown below.

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I want to take this opportunity to invite @starrchris, @bossj23, and @bonaventure24.

Cc:-
@lhorgic

Thank You for your Time

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NOTE: Always have a smile on your face, as you are never fully dressed without one.