Wave2 releases new AdPortal ad creation functionality - Design Mode

The Design Mode is a new option within Wave2’s powerful AdPortal solution for self service advertising. It allows a user to interactively create or modify an advertisement to their specific requirements.

Until now, AdPortal has always used a template / forms approach in the process of build advertisements. The users select the design they prefer and then fill in a form with their own text and images. AdPortal’s rules engine builds the ad by inserting the advertiser’s content, adjusting text and images to fit and even automatically changing the layout to achieve the best result. This approach ensures that even with no design skills the advertiser will be capable of building a professional looking advertisement.

The forms based approach has other advantages such as collecting all information necessary in order to build more than one advertisement at a time. For example it can support and enable simultaneously building a print and an online display ad as part of a package.

However, there are situations where the advertiser needs tools to allow him to manually adjust the layout of an advertisement or to even design a complete advertisement from scratch. The challenge is to provide a simple set of tools that give the user a flexible design environment whilst still helping him to achieve a professional result. Given a powerful design tool (and without assistance) most users will create a rather crude or plain ugly advertisement!

The Wave2 Design Mode solves this problem.

With the Design Mode, by using a grid method and a set of library components the advertiser can simply drag and drop each object in place and AdPortal’s rules engine will then automatically make everything fit properly. The user can resize or reposition objects at any time, while the rules engine automatically re-fits the text and images. Building an attractive advertisement becomes like assembling an advertisement using a “Lego Set”.

Further assistance is given by offering the user a selection of fonts, colours and styles that are appropriate for the style of advertisement being built. Optionally the user can select from a range of suitable borders and as well as being able to upload pictures, a gallery of images is available for placement in the background or foreground. Another neat feature is the “Stamps” collection. These are a library of small images (such as credit cards, trade logos, ornaments, etc) selected and wave media solutions presented according to the category and classification of advertisement being built. The user can simply drag and drop these into place when required.

The resulting advertisement will always contain consistent fonts, properly sized and positioned images, and appropriate colours. The edges of text and other objects will always align properly, and any effects such as transparency or clipping paths get applied automatically. Suitable for allowing account customers to modify their own preset designs or for advertisers who want to design a complete advertisement without template constraints, the advertiser needs no design skills or training whatsoever.

Andrew Nixon-Haggarty, Wave2 Sales Director, commented, “Over recent months we have seen an increasing demand for this type of functionality, particularly from our European customers and prospects. The new Design mode will only serve to strengthen the position of AdPortal as a market leading solution for self-service advertising”.

About Wave2

Wave2 Media Solutions was formed in early 2004 specifically to develop a range of solutions for the automated generation of documents. With an impressive installed base around the world, Wave2’s mission is to provide tools that will enable publishers and content providers to both save costs and to generate new revenue. Wave2’s product range includes solutions for Self Service Advertising, Production Automation, Sales Visuals Creation, Automatic Page Assembly and Personalised Publishing.