In developing an ad, the most important activity is visualization. It is a process, which starts the design of the advertisement and results into the development of a finished ad layout in print.

When we talk of visualization, we talk about the art in advertising. In terms of print ad, it is the process of designing the ad. The ultimate outcome of the process of visualization is the layout.

A visualiser decides about the inclusion of different elements at the beginning of his work. His questions are:

• Whether my advertisement will have headline?

• Whether there will be a sub-headline?

• Whether there would be a body copy? Whether to have illustration or a photograph?

• Whether to include slogan? Etc.

At the second step, he foresees how all these elements will be appearing in the copy. The basic elements with which a visualizer works are:

1. Headline, sub-heads
2. The body copy
3. The illustration
4. Logo signature

There may be elements like:

1. Slogans
2. Coupon
3. Price
4. Package
5. Seal of approval
6. Border
7. Quality marks etc.

At the commencement of his work he becomes intimate with the copy. Really’ speaking, the visualisation process is shared by the copywriter and the creative director of visualization. They decide:

• Whether the product should be featured?
• Whether people should be featured; what they would be doing; will there be a background? Which type?
• Should photos be used?
• Or line illustrations and sketches?
• How large the headline should be?
• What components should make the final copy: the product?
• The address and the name of the company? The picture?

Once he becomes clear about the components or elements he will include, he foresees their relevance to each other, to one another. How they would be placed in the copy? How the final product (advertisement copy) will look like?

Essentially it is a mental process of creating mental images of a well balanced whole made up of different elements. On paper, he makes ‘thumbnails’ which are rough sketches of the various alternatives. This paper work is the starting point of the process of layout.

Visualizer operates under certain constraints: the space available, the type of paper on advertisement will be printed, whether it is black and white or color advertisement, the p technology employed etc.