2. What we need to do
The next several slides contain the info we’ll need
to focus on as we revise the ACE materials.
What I’d like to do is give you an overview and a
proposed plan of attack, then we’ll see if that will
work/make adjustments.
If you have questions along the way, stop me at
any point and we can explore further.

3. First off…
… one of our major problems is one of
clarity of understanding. So let me put this
forward:
1.No one applies to ACE
2.ACE is a vehicle to get from not accepted
to accepted
3.They want it pretty much phrased like
that, even if that lacks elegance.

4. Big things…
The numbers (any numbers) need to all be
consistent. There is a whole wide range of
numerical variance in our documents.
The URL, http://www.miamioh.edu/ACE should be
on EVERY SINGLE THING. The fact that it isn’t sort
of confused me. I did a double take when Dr.
Porter asked about it.

5. Another major problem…
… is that somewhere along the way some of you
may have misunderstood the project.
Some of your documents have EXACTLY the same
text as the ones they gave us, including the one we
specifically talked about being too wordy. We need
to copy-edit and rework so that these documents
read well and we don’t replicate previous errors,
such as casting things in negatives instead of
positives.
If there’s confusion on this point, please ask. It was a
little disheartening to see people copying, word-for-
word, stuff that we critiqued as a class.

6. So we need to…
…refocus on “conditional admission” in a number
of places, and publicize Miami over ACE.
This won’t be particularly difficult, but it will take
a bit of finesse.
Let’s talk colors and logos first.

7. ACE liked 3 logos
And made some tweak suggestions for each
one.
What we will do is send them high quality
PSD and PNG files of the three altered logos,
and we will leave the logo spaces on the
documents we send to them blank so that
they can insert what they settle on.

8. ACE was fond of
this logo, but they
did not
like the letters being
“jagged” on the
side. They’ve
requested a slight
revision with the
letters in a vertical
column.

9. ACE really liked this logo,
but Dr. Porter and I agree
that there’s some potential
for reading it “CACE.” To
correct this, ACE would like
to see the swoosh extended
a bit, the book on top of the
swoosh at the bottom, and
the words moved over just
a touch so they sit in the
thick part of the curve.
Just also realized we might
be able to center is so the
swoop is on the real C. That
could work.

10. ACE also liked this logo,
though we (Dr. Porter
and myself) share the
fear that while it is
striking, it might be
difficult for branding
since it doesn’t scream
ACE. Still, they’d like a
version of it, as well as
potentially a version with
the white space closed
in.

11. This is the color palette they liked
(not so much the yellow) assuming
the red is the correct Miami red
(which I believe it is).

12. Onto specific documents
Dr. Porter really liked one of the pre-post
data sheets more than the others. It appears
on the next slide.

13. They were very pleased with the overall look of
this, with the red and blue contrasts, with the
solid color bars, etc.
It’s not without some problems, of course. And
I’ll address those in the next few slides. But
three big ones, which are design points, here:
1)Centering = bad on paperwork like this
2)Less ACE at the top, more Miami (maybe a
small picture… I actually have an idea)
3)The block M and the bottom bar are different
shades of red– that just drives ME crazy (not
sure if Dr. Porter mentioned it or not, but it
looks bad on my screen right now)
So far, easy fixes. :)

14. Other things for the pre-
admission/post-admission sheet
• better introduction by wrapping in some
material from later in the piece
• less words overall—lean and mean
• Will also incorporate some of the information
from pages 22-23 (see next slide)
• Will make sure there is a better
differentiation between pre-and-post-
admission, though visually the two forms will
remain stylistically identical

16. Another big no-no…
…was with some of our images. Two things:
1)No photos of all Asian students
2)Some of the photos are still crazy grainy
Also generally they’d like to see more
photos. So we might have to go get some,
now that the campus isn’t snowy and ugly.

17. Some other stuff they loved
They LOVED seeing rankings. One group
used the logo from one of the magazines.
They ATE that up!
They liked a number of the post cards,
though no one design was definitively “it”
due to some image quality issues. But these
are some of the “close” designs:

18. Dr. Porter liked the
information and
general blocking
here, though there’s
some text
weirdness on the
front that would
need to be fixed, of
course. And that’s
one of our pixel-
troubled photos.

19. Dr. Porter liked the
layout here, too,
though we have to
be careful with
phrases like this, as
they’re sort of
idiomatic and might
not resonate with
international
students.

20. Dr. Porter also
really liked the
look of this, other
than the lack of
text, and the
grainy photo
problem again
(same photo)

21. So I said…
We will rework a set of postcards based
primarily on the idea of a single image with
some flair and a URL on the front and info
on the back. We will target 4 similar designs
with slightly different sets of information.
We will make fliers to match (either a set of
two with multiple images or four fliers with
roughly the same info but layouts to match
the postcards).

22. And…
We will generate a new invitation format.
While Dr. Porter didn’t specifically choose
one—or point out flaws—I personally don’t
think we did so great with that part of the
project.

23. So we need
1. The 3 logos in PNG and highest possible resolution PSD format
2. The pre-admission and post admission sheet, in InDesign file
format, based on the slides here with tweaked information
3. 4 total post cards, with good photos, in indesign format
4. Fliers to match the post cards, essentially, with the URL and
key info or dates, also in indesign format
5. A new invitation that matches all of this stuff and doesn’t look
rushed (sorry, folks, but all of them kind of do look like you left
them for last)
6. We need to find, or otherwise take, a number of good photos.
Let’s look at the ones Bizzie shot again. Some of them look
great (Dr. Porter loved the one of the students around the
computer)

24. Do you folks like this? I tossed it together
as potential Miami flair for the paperwork

25. Your task:
Divide up the labor. Choose tasks. Form teams. Forge
alliances.
Then TELL ME YOUR PLANS via EMAIL.
Before we break, I want to have names of people
responsible for pieces and assurances that on the 19th
I will have said pieces in my mailbox.
Let me know how I can help. I’m an able body here in
the room, if we need to get some stuff pulled
together.

26. Now, then, the video…
Knowing what we know now, I think we
need to sort of reshape the video plans. I
also think we have a lot of wheel spinning
happening.
So let’s reframe that process just a bit, shall
we?

27. Let’s envision…
… the video not being based on the interview
material.
Instead, let’s build the video from photos, voice
overs, and carefully constructed titles that mimic
and compliment our print materials.
Think of the interview footage as fringe– it’ll be
great to punch this thing up.

28. We need to think, though…
…about how we can use still images, titles
and voice-over to make the key elements of
ACE clear and easy-to-follow.
Remember the keys of what ACE wants…

29. 1. Stress Miami and conditional admission
first
2. Don’t talk about ACE as something one
applies to… it’s something that helps with
conditional admission
3. Stress what ACE can do for the
students/the curriculum, but don’t worry
about crazy detail.
4. Stress the reputation of the school, with
awards and numbers.
5. stress that the students get a full
semester of credit
6. Stress that 98% of them go on to full

30. Do not, I repeat, do not:
1. Try to sell ACE as a thing. It only
happens to students who don’t have
good enough TOEFL scores. There is
no ACE recruiting.
2. Over-stress China
3. Worry about using too much of the
interview video. It’s just not going to
mesh with the message. Use small
bursts to humanize.

31. Next meeting…
… we need to have close-to-final videos.
We’ll spend some time working on them in
class, but it’s about that time.
Make sure to do the reading, which has
changed since last week due to WordPress
making a change in their codex.
The clock is ticking. *ticktickticktick*