Paul Apokatanidis Needs Assessment-1

LEARNING NEEDS ASSESSMENT

Topic: Using Design Techniques in Order to Increase User Engagement on Instagram

Part 1: BACKGROUND OF THE PROJECT

This section provides a brief background of the project.

Problem

Summit Tech (a start-up company that provides multimedia advertising development for

businesses) has recently received negative feedback from initial client meetings. After analyzing

multiple reports, potential clients are refusing to work with Summit Tech due to the perceived

lack of engagement (low numbers of likes, comments and followers) on Summit Tech’s

Instagram (a photo and video sharing network) page. Until now, the Summit Tech’s marketing

team did not prioritize posting quality content to their Instagram page and simply posted

whatever they felt was reflective of the company’s culture and products. There is a strong reason

why potential customers are refusing to work with Summit Tech, research has shown the

importance of social media platforms and their immense possibilities for fostering relationships

with consumers in an online environment (Vinean, Cetina, Dumitrescu &Tichindelean, 2013).

Due to feedback from initial meetings, the senior management of the company has ordered the

development of an online course with the purpose of educating the marketing staff on high

engagement photograph and caption posting within the Instagram platform. The program will

help Summit Tech increase engagement from their audience and appear more marketable to their

clients. The focus of the content will relate to either the professional work environment at

Summit Tech or the innovative products they have to offer clients. “Social media marketing is of

utmost importance to us here at Summit Tech, we now realize that creating highly engaging
Paul Apokatanidis Needs Assessment-2

content is essential for a company to thrive in the 21rst century market and will take the next

steps in elevating our Instagram platform” (Source: Sponsor, Senior Manager at Summit Tech).

Research Strategy

The follow resources were consulted:

 Guidelines & Literature: I consulted both peer-reviewed articles and online

articles from studies that focused on the visual effects of how people perceive

photographic content. My main goal was to find research that supported the

training of staff to use social media in a manner that would increase their

viewer’s engagement with the company’s social media pages. According to Pew

research, 77% of employees admittedly use social media on job (Lampe &

Ellison, 2016). Some of the benefits surrounding posting quality content and

engaging in social media include aiding in solidifying an organization’s branding

and communication strategies (Creighton, 2018). The primary question I had

was: what are key strategies for fostering high engagement from viewers using

photographical content on Instagram? In addition, I researched a number of

articles centered around companies using social media to promote their brand and

tipis behind posting engaging content. The information gathered helped me create

a plan for the content that would be included in the training session. The

following training guidelines will feature five distinct design tips for making

Instagram photographs and captions more engaging (increasing followers, likes,

views and comments). The training will not focus on the context of the photos or
Paul Apokatanidis Needs Assessment-3

how to post photos to Instagram, it is assumed learners are aware of what to post

and how to post photographs to Instagram since the page is up and running. .

  Interview: Dominique Jackson is a Search Engine optimization specialist, a

social media expert in the corporate setting and often writes articles including

effective social media tips and strategies for posting quality content. The primary

question I had for Jackson was: how can a company educate and encourage

employees to design visually appealing content to their social media page and

increase engagement from their audience using strategies given to them in a

training session? Jackson’s article Science Has Spoken: Here’s Why Your Social

Media Posts Don’t Get Engagement lists a number of strategies and tips for

company’s looking to increase their viewer engagement amidst their Instagram

profiles using visual and psychological findings from multiple studies (2017).

A complete list of resources consulted is available at the end of this document.

PART 2: RESULTS

This section describes the background of the instructional problem. There is a key focus on

repeating the information from the sponsor in order to ensure that the program meets their needs.

In addition, the business need, performance problems, learners and constrains are all described in

greater detail below.

Restate the Request

Summit Tech has requested the development of a training course that aims to educate staff on

cognitive guidelines for posting quality social media content that will “increase user engagement

and ultimately elevate our social media platform” (Source: Sponsor Senior Manager at Summit
Paul Apokatanidis Needs Assessment-4

Tech). The primary learners would be the marketing team responsible for Summit Tech’s

Instagram account.

Business Need

The business Need is to generate revenue for Summit Tech by posting highly engaging content

to their Instagram page and promoting a professional and innovative image. A stronger Instagram

following would aid in prospective clients signing with Summit Tech and therefore, increasing

revenue.

The training program will benefit the company and solve the issue that has been brought to their

attention: clients refusing to work with Summit Tech due to the lack of user engagement and

quality of posts within the company’s Instagram account. The training will educate the marketing

team to post effectively, strategically and help portray an image of professionalism and meet the

business's marking and relations objectives.

Performance Problem

The following section will focus on the performance problem relating to the request for learning.

Using a narrative format, the following fictitious characters will be used to paint both an ideal

and current performance picture. The section will end with a description of entry tasks and the

gap between ideal and current performance.

Scenarios of ideal and current performance

The following table represents scenarios of ideal performance (the behaviours the sponsor would

like his employees to exhibit), along with current performance (the

behaviours the employees are currently exhibiting).

Paul Apokatanidis Needs Assessment-5

Table 1

Scenarios of ideal and current performance

Type of Performance Scenario

Ideal Performance Shaan Saundercook is a marketing technician for Summit Tech. He
is a recent graduate from Concordia’s John Molson School of
Business in Marketing and Management and has little experience in
the field he is currently working in. However, Shaan is a dedicated
employee at Summit Tech; he understands the power of effective
marketing strategies within social media and the potential it has to
help build a business.

Shaan is one of the account holders of Summit Tech’s Instagram

page and checks/updates the page daily. He has grown the following
of the Summit Tech’s Instagram page by 500 followers. In addition,
Shaan’s posts on Summit Tech receive an average of 150 likes and
200 views. Shaan is actively mindful of the visual and cognitive
design principles needed to help engage an audience using social
media.

Before posting a photo to the Summit Tech’s instagram page, Shaan

realizes that viewers typically scroll through loads of content in a
matter of seconds, therefore, he must be strategic with how he
positions the subject and background of his posts. Shaan
intentionally places his subject at the center of the frame and uses
natural colours in the background of the photograph and voids using
filters, this is a more efficient way to gain scene-gist recognition
(viewers recognize the image they are seeing almost instantly)
(Loschky et.al, 2007). As a result, viewers are able to recognize the
subject of Summit Tech’s posts almost immediately and are more
inclined to follow up on the details of the post and engage by either
liking the post or commenting. Shaan also follows the principles of
Paul Apokatanidis Needs Assessment-6

the isolation effect to help the subject in the photo standout from the
rest of the background.

Shaan uses harmonious colours in his posts, as these aid clients’

short-term memory in order for their images to have a lasting impact
(Sanocki & Sulman, 2011). Shaan has implemented a
complementary color pattern (colors opposite to each other on a
color wheel) to his most recent post and has received positive
feedback from his audience concerning the vibrant and stand-out
nature of the post.

In addition, Shaan uses Summit Tech’s official brand colours (red

and green) in most of his product posts, as this helps users recognize
Summit Tech’s personal brand. Shaan understands the importance of
company branding and having a consistent set of colours in order to
help his audience think “Summit Tech” whenever they notice a post
with the colours red and green.

Shaan understands that engaging an audience requires not only

visual design principles when posting photographic content but
captivating words to go along with the post as well. Shaan uses
persuasive words in his captions to motivate users to act on the posts
and follows the serial position effect to help potential clients
remember key ideas in the post (McLeod, 2008). Users often credit
Shaan for his witty captions and enjoy the conversational and
relaxed tone he uses; they feel as though the images are speaking to
them in a casual manner and are more inclined to respond to the
post.

Senior management has made it clear that the marketing team should
monitor and remain active on Summit Tech’s Instagram page. Shaan
Paul Apokatanidis Needs Assessment-7

now prioritizes the company’s social media platform over his other
daily responsibilities and makes it a point to think critically about
the content he is posting. Shaan will mainly post when new products
are created and when the team is actively engaged in a collaborative
task.

Summit Tech’s social media following has continued to grow, and

clients feel confident in the company’s professional and innovative
approach to their Instagram page. Thanks to their improved
following, Summit Tech has signed future clients and feedback has
shown that prospective clients are excited to work with Summit
Tech, after viewing their engaging content on their Instagram page.

Current Performance Michael Porter is a marketing assistant for Summit Tech. He has
been with Summit Tech for approximately 3 years. Michael was
assigned to be one of the company’s Instagram account holders.
Summit Tech’s account has not grown its following in quite some
time. Michael’s social media posts typically generate twenty views,
ten likes and less than two comments for each post; he is not exactly
sure why he has failed to generate engaging content and build a
stronger following.

Michael posts images sporadically and typically posts pictures of

employees working at their desk or on lunch break since he believes
the public would like to see what Summit Tech is like at any point
and time during the day. Michael is under the impression that as
long as he posts to the platform once every few weeks, his audience
will engage with the page. There is not much thought given to the
Paul Apokatanidis Needs Assessment-8

captions of Michael’s posts, nor the colour schemes or brand

promoting when Michael posts to the Instagram page. Michael
figures people only process things in a visual manner and does not
take the time to think about an intriguing caption to go along with
the post.

Clients continue to remain unimpressed with Summit Tech’s social

media pages and feel they cannot trust a company with a weak
output of social media content. The companies decide to look
elsewhere and potential revenue for Summit Tech is lost. Michael
continues to feel frustrated with his efforts and cannot figure out
how to engage his audience on social media and generate more likes,
views and comments.

Tasks in current and ideal performance

The following section describes learners performing the ideal skills, how they are currently

performing skills, entry skills of the learners, and the gap between current and ideal performance.

Tasks in ideal performance

End Result

For learners to use visual design principles when posting photographic content in order to

increase user engagement (likes and comments) on an Instagram page.

1. Implement a harmonious colour pattern to a subject and background for a photograph

 Recognize the difference between a harmonious colour pattern and a random sequence
of colors.
o Distinguish between the three main harmonious patterns (complementary,
analogous or triad).
 Recognize a complementary colour pattern.
 Recognize an analogous colour pattern.
 Recognize a Triad colour pattern.
Paul Apokatanidis Needs Assessment-9

 Select the most appealing colour pattern for the subject and
background.
o Identify a random sequence of colors as ineffective aesthetic appeal.
 Recognize that the selected colours do not fit a specific harmonious
colour pattern.
 Note the color combination selected as “random” and avert from using
in Instagram post.
 Identify the desired mood/feeling of the selected harmonious color pattern
o Select a mood and use colours to convey selected mood
 Identify cool colours for a calm mood (blue, white, green)
 Identify warm colors for an energetic mood (red, yellow, orange)
o Recognize that the image does convey a specific mood
 Identify colours that do not fit in the calm or energetic category
 Note colours as “random” and avoid using in social media posts
 Implement a harmonious color pattern to a subject and background.
o Select a subject and background for the social media post
 Recognize the quality of the product
 Select a product by Summit Tech
 Recognize the quality of the work-life scene at Summit Tech
 Select a work-life scene that is positive
o Decide on the best-fitting color pattern for the subject
 Apply the harmonious colour pattern to the subject
o Decide on the best-fitting color pattern for the background
 Apply the harmonious color pattern to the background

2. Use scene-gist recognition in a photographic post for Instagram

 Recognize the principles of scene-gist recognition
o Select the subject for the post
 Select a product of Summit Tech
 Select a work-life scene of Summit Tech
Paul Apokatanidis Needs Assessment-10

o Utilize basic angles when taking a picture of the subject and background
 Utilize the close-up
 Zoom in on your subject
 Utilize the long shot
 Zoom out of your subject and include a basic background
 Utilize the eye-level-shot
 Slightly zoom in to your subject
 Apply the principles of scene gist recognition to a photo
o Center the subject in the photo - this aids in short term memory (Loshcky &
Larson, 2009).
o Ensure the background of the photo is not overly distracting
 Use the focus technique on the subject
 Focus on the lens on the subject when taking the photo
 Blur the background of the photo
o Do not implement filters as these alter scene gist recognition
3. Utilize the isolation effect in a social media post
 Produce a photo where the focal point is significantly different than the background
o Select a subject for the background that is related to Summit Tech
o Isolate the subject of the photo ahead of unsimilar backgrounds
o Place the subject of the photo next to different products
 Display the subject as the focus of the photo
o Use light-filters to enhance the photos appearance
 Use the isolation effect in relation to your audience’s feed
o Plan a marketing strategy that will help photos standout from the competition
 Research what competitors are posting on their social media pages
 Assess the different photos
 Note the common themes and avoid using them
o Produce a photo that will look significantly different from other photos in your
audience's feed
4. Embed the company’s brand within the photos
Paul Apokatanidis Needs Assessment-11

 Visually prime the audience by embedding Summit Tech’s colours in the photographs
posted
o Implement the company’s brand colours within the photo
 Implement the colour red upon the subject
 Implement the colour green upon the background
 Implement the Summit Tech colour scheme throughout the social media page
o Erase past images posted on the social media account that do not possess the
Summit Tech colour scheme
o Embed Red and Green within the profile picture of the Instagram account

5. Utilize persuasive wording in a serial position amongst photo captions

 Recognize the importance of persuasive wording in photo captions
o Identify the main 5 persuasive words (you, free, new, because, instantly)
o Implement one or two of the persuasive words in each caption
 Select the type of tone for the caption
o Identify the difference between casual-tones and action-tones
 Utilize casual tones for a more conversational approach
 Utilize action-verbs for a more action-based post
 Implement the principle of the serial position effect within the caption
o Identify the primacy effect
 Select words that are considered a priority at the start of the caption
 Place words at start of the caption
o Identify the recency effect
 Select words that are considered relevant at the end of the caption
 Place words at the end of the caption

Table 2
Tasks in current performance, entry tasks and the gap between ideal and current performance.
Tasks in current End Result: Post pictures to Instagram
Performance
1. Select a photo to post to Summit Tech’s social media account
Paul Apokatanidis Needs Assessment-12

 Select a photo that is a product of Summit Tech

 Select a work-life scene at Summit Tech
o Post a photo that relates to Summit Tech

2. Write a caption under the image and post it to social media

 Write the first caption that comes to mind when looking at
the picture you are planning to post
3. Post images that do not include the brand colours of Summit Tech
 Decide on an image with random color patterns
o Post image
4. Post images which do not center the subject within the frame
5. Post images outside of their normal setting
Entry Tasks Learners should have already mastered to:
1. Select photos that relate to Summit Tech’s product line or
workspace environment
2. Take a photograph of the selected subject and background
3. Post photographs to social media
4. Write captions for the photographs
5. Apply filters to selected photographs
Gap between ideal Many of the members on the Summit Tech marketing team do not
and current use or research design strategies for posting pictures to the
performance company’s Instagram page in order to generate audience
engagement.
As a result, the team takes turns posting photos of the workspace
at Summit Tech and some of the products they have produced,
without giving the photos real thought and consideration.
A number of the photos posted do not follow any effective design
principles for gaining viewer attention and often contain many
filters, unthoughtful captions, subjects out of frame and in
unrecognizable situations.
As a result, potential clients have decided to pass up the
opportunity to work with Summit Tech.
Paul Apokatanidis Needs Assessment-13

More specifically, the following gaps exist:

End Result:
 For learners to use visual design principles when posting
photographic content in order to increase user engagement
(likes and comments) on an Instagram page.
Foundational Concepts:
 In order to increase audience engagement on Instagram,
learners should follow the 5 design principles for posting
photographical content to Summit Tech’s Instagram page.
Process for performing the task:
 Utilize harmonious color patterns in the photos posted
 Incorporate scene gist to make the subject of the photo
more recognizable
 Use persuasive wording in your captions
 Embed the company’s brand within the photos
 Utilize the isolation effect to help the subject of the photo
standout
Variations on the process:
 Various other strategies will be shared in order to help the
learners post high-engagement content on the company’s
social media page including the serial position effect and
working with influencers.
Common Issues:
Explain how to handle common issues that may arise
when completing the task such as “what should I write as my
caption to this photo?” and “Will this photo help or harm
engagement with the audience we were hoping to have?”

LEARNERS
Paul Apokatanidis Needs Assessment-14

The following section presents the learners within the intended learning program starting with
their characteristics first and then their personas.
General characteristics
This section describes the general characteristics of the learners, including their demographics,
previous knowledge and influences. The following table presents this information.
Demographics, previous knowledge and influences on the intended learners of this program.
Demographics The marketing team at Summit Tech:
 Consists of mostly young professionals, starting their
careers in marketing between the ages 23-30.
 Most of the team has either a bachelor's degree in
marketing or business degree from the John Molson
School of Busines and possess some basic knowledge
about social media.
 Approximately 50% of the team identifies as male and
50% identifies as female.
 The team has a strong multicultural balance as visible
minorities are present.
Previous knowledge  The entire team has a personal social media account and
will be able to use their previous knowledge as an asset
in the training course. Although, we will encourage that
staff to keep the Instagram page for business and their
personal profiles for their lives separate (BDC, 2019).
 The team does not have training in posting engaging
content related to corporate companies and are not aware
of the design principles behind engaging an audience on
social media.
Influences  Motivation: Learners will feel a sense of
accomplishment upon completing the training and will
be motivated to put their new skills to use. The strategies
given will help them see real results and an increase the
following, likes and comments of the Summit Tech
Paul Apokatanidis Needs Assessment-15

Instagram page.
 Increase Revenue: There is now a direct link between
generating revenue and the company’s Instagram page. A
part of the company’s success depends on the team’s
ability to create engaging content and boost the client
list.

Personas

The following three narratives (high, medium and low maintenance learners) provide designers

with vivid mental images of their learners when designing programs and those mental images

help designers address needs that demographic and general information might overlook

(Carliner, 2015).

Table 4.

Personas of three learners.

High Maintenance Jennifer Emry is relatively new to the Summit Tech

Marketing Team. She wants to do everything she possibly
can to be successful since she was hired but is technically
underqualified for the position. During the training course,
Jennifer writes down questions she has about posting
engaging content and even stays after class to practice the
design principles she has just learned. After taking the online
training course on increasing user engagement, Jennifer
spends hours focusing on building the brand through social
media and posting quality content. She follows the tips and
strategies for posting and checks the Summit Tech Instagram
account daily. Jennifer even responds to people in the
comment section and likes client's photos on different social
media platforms. She emails Dominique Jackson weekly to
get some feedback on her posts and is always looking for
Paul Apokatanidis Needs Assessment-16

ways to boost the company’s following. Jennifer is

extremely eager to impress the senior management of the
company and follows up by sending administration the
results of her posts.
Middle-of-the-road learner Jacky Hansel has been on the Summit Tech marketing team
for 2 years. She is an average worker and will start and
finish work between the hours of 9 am and 5 pm. After
participating in the training course, Jacky is willing to
implement the 5 strategies that she has learned in order to
make the posts on the Summit Tech social media page more
engaging. Jacky feels as though she has the right idea but
isn’t sure if she should clarify whether her pictures follow
the harmonious color patterns. She has a drafted an email to
send to Dominique Jackson in order to clarify if her posts are
following some of the psychological principles they learned
about. However, Jacky would rather wait and see if her posts
receive higher engagement and an increased following, first.
Jacky failed to pay attention during the scene-gist
recognition section of the training session but did take notes
during the caption portion and is ready to apply some of the
principles learned.
Low Maintenance Tom Wilson is a recent graduate from the John Molson
School of Business in Marketing and Management. He has
been a part of the Summit Tech marketing team for
approximately three months. Tom has been focusing most of
his attention on a new advertisement pitch that Summit Tech
is launching which promotes product placement in pop-up
ads. He has paid little, to no attention to the Summit Tech
Instagram page and simply does not see the value in
spending time promoting the company on social media.
However, Tom posts pictures whenever he feels it is
necessary and it is often of his colleagues on phone calls or
Paul Apokatanidis Needs Assessment-17

on their computers. He plans on implementing some of the

strategies that he learned during the training, but only the
ones he believes will actually make a differnce.

CONSTRAINTS ON THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

The following section describes the constraints in the learning environment that could impact the

effectiveness of the program. Table 5 details the issues affecting learning in the environment and

that should be taken into consideration.

Type of issue Considerations associated with the issue

Issues affecting learning
 Learners may have inexperience when dealing
with online learning and learning individually.
 The marketing team may not prioritize the
training as responsibility for the social media
page is only a part of what they do on a daily
basis.

Issues affecting the  Marketing teams are used to working

application of learning in collaboratively with their peers; however, the
the work environment entire course will take place online and
independently. This format may be contradictory
to what they are used to.

CONSTRAINTS ON THE PROJECT

The following section will list both the product and project constraints. The product

constraints focus on design and development, while project constraints typically affect the time

and funds available when developing the program (Carliner, 2015).

Paul Apokatanidis Needs Assessment-18

Table 6.

Product and project constraints affecting the project.

Type of constraint Specific constraint

Product  The project will be a 30-minute online lesson.
 Summit Tech has equipped the team with a
structural template, in order for this course to
match the layout of other online courses they
have had designed in the past when training a
team of employees.
 Summit Tech will provide the software for the
course as it has licensing for Microsoft office
applications.
 The course will follow the 6th edition of the
APA styles guide.
Project  Must-meet deadline: December 16th, 2019
 Must include staff: Instructional Designer and
Search Engine Optimization/Social media
specialist
 Do-not-exceed-budget: 7,000$

PART 3. REQUIREMENTS

This section presents the requirements that a completed instructional program concerning

the posting of engaging content on social media pages must achieve. The objectives are clearly

stated first while the assessments for evaluating the program are described in the next section.

Objectives

The business and content objectives are described in the next section. The business

objectives clearly state how Summit Tech will benefit from ordering the program to be created,
Paul Apokatanidis Needs Assessment-19

while the content objectives state what the learners will be able to do once completed the

training.

Business

Summit Tech will generate revenue by increasing user engagement upon their Instagram

page and promoting a professional and innovative image, resulting in prospective clients signing

for the company. In addition, past-potential clients who had refused to work with Summit Tech

due to their inactive and inattentive social media pages may sign with the company after their

feedback was taken into consideration and acted upon.

Content Objectives

Note: Unless stated otherwise, learners must perform all tasks with 100 percent accuracy,

and without assistance.

End Result

For learners to use the five visual design principles when posting photographic content in

order to increase user engagement (likes and comments) on an Instagram page.

1. Implement a harmonious colour pattern to a subject and background for a photograph

 Identify the difference between a harmonious colour pattern and a random sequence of
colors.
o Distinguish between the three main harmonious patterns (complementary,
analogous or triad).
 Identify a complementary colour pattern.
 Identify an analogous colour pattern.
 Identify a Triad colour pattern.
 Select the most appealing colour pattern for the subject and
background.
o Identify a random sequence of colors as ineffective aesthetic appeal.
 Identify that the selected colours do not fit a specific harmonious colour
Paul Apokatanidis Needs Assessment-20

pattern.
 Note the color combination selected as “random” and avert from using
in Instagram post.
 Identify the desired mood/feeling of the selected harmonious color pattern
o Select a mood and use colours to convey selected mood
 Identify cool colours for a calm mood (blue, white, green)
 Identify warm colors for an energetic mood (red, yellow, orange)
o Identify that the image does convey a specific mood
 Identify colours that do not fit in the calm or energetic category
 Note colours as “random” and avoid using in social media posts
 Implement a harmonious color pattern to a subject and background.
o Decide on the best-fitting color pattern for the subject
 Apply the harmonious colour pattern to the subject
o Decide on the best-fitting color pattern for the background
 Apply the harmonious color pattern to the background

2. Use scene-gist recognition in a photographic post for Instagram

 Implement the principles of scene-gist recognition
o Select the subject for the post
 Select a product of Summit Tech
 Select a work-life scene of Summit Tech
o Implement basic angles when taking a picture of the subject and background
 Utilize the close-up
 Zoom in on your subject
 Utilize the long shot
 Zoom out of your subject and include a basic background
 Utilize the eye-level-shot
 Slightly zoom in to your subject
 Apply the principles of scene gist recognition to a photo
o Center the subject in the photo - this aids in short term memory (Loshcky &
Paul Apokatanidis Needs Assessment-21

Larson, 2009).
o Select a background of the photo and ensure it is not overly distracting
 Use the focus technique on the subject
 Focus on the lens on the subject when taking the photo
 Blur the background of the photo
o Do not implement filters as these alter scene gist recognition
3. Utilize the isolation effect in a social media post
 Produce a photo where the focal point is significantly different than the background
o Select a subject for the background that is related to Summit Tech
o Isolate the subject of the photo ahead of unsimilar backgrounds
o Place the subject of the photo next to different products
 Display the subject as the focus of the photo
o Use light-filters to enhance the photos appearance
 Use the isolation effect in relation to your audience’s feed
o Plan a marketing strategy that will help photos standout from the competition
 Research what competitors are posting on their social media pages
 Assess the different photos
 Note the common themes and avoid using them
o Produce a photo that will look significantly different from other photos in your
audience's feed
4. Embed the company’s brand within the photos
 Visually prime the audience by embedding Summit Tech’s colours in the photographs
posted
o Implement the company’s brand colours within the photo
 Implement the colour red upon the subject
 Implement the colour green upon the background
 Implement the Summit Tech colour scheme throughout the social media page
o Erase past images posted on the social media account that do not possess the
Summit Tech colour scheme
o Embed red and green within the profile picture of the Instagram account
Paul Apokatanidis Needs Assessment-22

5. Utilize persuasive wording in a serial position amongst photo captions

 Justify the importance of persuasive wording in photo captions
o Identify the main 5 persuasive words (you, free, new, because, instantly)
o Implement one or two of the persuasive words in each caption
 Select the type of tone for the caption
o Identify the difference between casual-tones and action-tones
 Utilize casual tones for a more conversational approach
 Utilize action-verbs for a more action-based post
 Implement the principle of the serial position effect within the caption
o Identify the primacy effect
 Select words that are considered a priority at the start of the caption
 Place words at start of the caption
o Identify the recency effect
 Select words that are considered relevant at the end of the caption
 Place words at the end of the caption

EVALUATION

The following two instruments will be used to assess whether or not the program met its

objectives. The first instrument is a level 1 Kirkpatrick evaluation used to measure satisfaction,

while the second is a level 2 Kirkpatrick evaluation used to assess learning.

Learning Needs Assessment

Level 1 (Satsifaction)

Please complete the evaluation based on your opinions.

Paul Apokatanidis Needs Assessment-23

1. In one word, how would you describe the training program?

____________________

2. Please select a corresponding number. The course explained the design strategies

clearly...

1 2 3 4 5

Strongly Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree

3. How confident did you feel concerning your abilities to post engaging content

before the training program?

1 2 3 4 5

Not at all confident Neutral Extremely confident

4. How confident did you feel concerning your abilities to post engaging content

after the training program?

1 2 3 4 5

Not at all confident Neutral Extremely confident

5. How likely are you to use some or all of the skills taught in this training program?

1 2 3 4 5

Not at all likely Neutral Extremely likely

6. What I enjoyed most about this program was...

Paul Apokatanidis Needs Assessment-24

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

7. The program could improve if...

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

(Text adapted from Carliner, Training Design Basics, 2015)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Level 2

Total Score /14

PART 1.

/3

Instructions:

Please select the most appropriate response by placing a check mark or an X in the box.

Main objective 1: Implement a harmonious colour pattern to a subject and background for a

photograph.

1. Which image contains a harmonious color pattern?

 A)  B)  C)
Paul Apokatanidis Needs Assessment-25

Feedback
A) Correct. The colors in the B) Incorrect. The colours in
C) Incorrect. The colours in
photograph contrast each this photo do not fit the this photo are not harmonious.
other and use a complementary, analogous or
Blue is a neutral colour and
complementary colour triad pattern. They were does not contrast black in the
pattern. randomly selected. photo, nor do these colours
follow a complementary,
analogous or triad pattern.
2. Which colour combination should be implemented in order to obtain a
complementary colour pattern?
 A)  B)  C)
o Red o Yellow o Gray
o Orange o Blue o Black
o Dark Red o Black o Green

A) Correct. Analogous colors
are groups of three colors that
are next to each other on the
color wheel; red, orange and
dark red are examples.
Feedback
B) Incorrect. Yellow, blue and
black are not next to one
another on the colour wheel
and are not analogous
colours.
C) Incorrect. Gray,
black and Greenvare not next
to one another on the colour
wheel and are not analogous
colours.

3.Which colours are considered part of the “cool” pattern?

Options Feedback
 A) Green, Blue, Violet Correct. The colours
green, blue and violet are
considered “cool” colours.
 B) Red, Orange, Incorrect. Red, orange
Yellow and yellow are not considered
“cool” colours. They are
warm colours.
 C) Orange, Blue, Incorrect. Orange is
Green considered a warm colour,
Paul Apokatanidis Needs Assessment-26

while blue and green are cool.

 D) Violet, Pink, White Incorrect, Violet is
considered a cool colour,
while pink is considered
warm and white is neutral.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Part 2.

/3

Multiple choice and short answer.

Instructions: Please fill in the blank with the most appropriate response.

Main objective: 2) Use scene-gist recognition in a photographic post for Instagram

1) What is the photographic angle used in the following image?

A) Close-up B) Mid-range C) Long shot D) Overhead

A) Incorrect. The B) Incorrect. The C) Correct. The D) Incorrect. The
image is not a close image is not a mid- photographic angle is angle does not appear
up and does create a range shot as the full a long shot and over the head of the
closer encounter with subject is in view. includes the entire subject.
the subject. body of the subject
and the background.
2) Please identify two characteristics of scene recognition in the image below.
Paul Apokatanidis Needs Assessment-27

1)__________________________________________________________________________
2)__________________________________________________________________________
Feedback (Potential correct answers or similar to):
1) The subject is centered in the image
2) The subject and background use natural colours
3)The subject and background follow a natural pattern (example: chair on ground & clouds in
sky)
4) The image does not contain any filters or unecessary edits

3) Which image utilizes the focus technique?

 A)  B)  C)

Feedback
A) Correct. The image is B) Incorrect. The image gives C) Incorrect. The photo uses
focused on the subject and the focus to the background and two subjects, adds colour to
background is blured. uses the subject (plane) as a the background and uses a
secondary object. filter/ shade over the subject.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Part 3.

/2
Paul Apokatanidis Needs Assessment-28

Short Answer.

Instructions: Please respond to the questions using the most appropriate answer.

Main objective: 3) Utilize the isolation effect in a social media post

1) Please explain how the following photo uses the isolation effect effectively.

Write your response below.

_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Feedback (Acceptable answers should include mention of the filter, colour of central egg,
centering and structure of the subject.) An exemplar is listed below:
The photo uses the isolation effect by filtering the other eggs in the picture and adding colour to
the central egg. In addition, the central egg is cracked open (structurally different) and is
centered in the page. This helps with its visual appeal.

2) The following photo was taken using the isolation effect. Please identify two characteristics.
Paul Apokatanidis Needs Assessment-29

1)__________________________________________________________________________
_2)_________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
__
Feedback
1. The subject is centered in the photo
2. The subject is the focus on the photo
3. The colours of the background influence the colours of the subject

Bonus question: The following will not be considered a graded element of the training.

This is an opportunity to flex your creativity and share your innovative ideas with the Summit

Tech Instagram marketing team. We are open to suggestions.

3) How can Summit Tech isolate their Instagram content and standout from other images being

scrolled through on our viewer’s homefeed?

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Part 4.
Paul Apokatanidis Needs Assessment-30

/3

Scenarios.

Instructions: Please respond to the questions using the most appropriate answer.

Main objective: 4) Embed the company’s brand within the photos

1) Please identify whether or not the photo meets the requirements for brand embedding and
explain why or why not.

____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
Feedback- Sample excellent response written below:
The photo uses the company’s brand as the center point of the image and makes it clear for the
viewer to identify. Next, they implement their own brand colours in the photograph. This
instills a consistency in the memory of the viewer.

2) Please theoretically explain what you would alter in this photo in order for it to meet the
brand embedding theory with regards to Summit Tech.
Paul Apokatanidis Needs Assessment-31

____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
Feedback (Sample excellent response written below):
The photo would need to have the name Summit Tech, embedded above the roller and contain
the colours green and red in the photograph.

1) Please explain whether Coca-Cola uses brand embedding principles in this photo or not. If so,
how those principles would apply to the Summit Tech Instagram page, and if not, why not?

____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Feedback (Sample excellent response provided below:
Paul Apokatanidis Needs Assessment-32

The photo uses the company’s brand colours across the following six Instagram posts. The
company does not have a photo without the Coca-Cola brand or product included in the photo.
Summit Tech would need to erase images that do not contain their brand colours or logo.
Summit Tech would also need to implement their brand colours: Red and Green in all of their
photos going forward.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Part 5.

/3

Scenarios.

Instructions: Please respond to the questions using the most appropriate answer.

Main objective: 5. Utilize persuasive wording in a serial position amongst photo captions
1. Identify the 5 persuasive words for Instagram captions below:

1. 2.
3. 4.
5.
Feedback (In any particular order):
1. Free
2. Because
3. You
4. Instantly
5. New

2) Write a caption using at least two or the five persuasive words for the image below.
Paul Apokatanidis Needs Assessment-33

____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Feedback (A variety of answers are acceptable-The following uses three of the 5 answers,
however, only 2 persuasive words are required):
1. At Summit Tech, we work with NEW products BECAUSE we know that YOU need
the most up-to-date technology in order to reach true potential.

3) Write a caption using the recency-serial position effect.

____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Feedback (A variety of answers are acceptable) The caption uses a call-to-action at the
end of the caption and asks users to leave a comment on the picture at the end of the
caption:
Predictive Analytics are essential for success here at Summit Tech. Let us know what your

thoughts are on predictive analytics in the comments section.

Paul Apokatanidis Needs Assessment-34

References

Carliner, S. (2015). Training Design Basics. Baltimore, MD: ASTD Press.

Jackson, D. (2017). Science Has Spoken: Here’s Why Your Instagram Posts Don’t Get
Engagement. Retrieved September 14, 2019 from The Daily Egg.
https://www.crazyegg.com/blog/why-instagram-posts- dont-get- engagement/

Lampe, C., & Ellison, N. (2016). Social Media and the Workplace: New platforms can be
tools for connections with colleagues but also serve as distractions in the workplace. Pew
Research center. https://www.pewinternet.org/2016/06/22/social-media- and-the-
workplace/

Larson, A. M., Freeman, T. E., Ringer, R. V., & Loschky, L. C. (2014). The spatiotemporal
dynamics of scene gist recognition. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human
Perception and Performance, 40(2), 471.

Loschky, L. C., Sethi, A., Simons, D. J., Pydimari, T., Ochs, D., & Corbeille, J. (2007). The
importance of information localization in scene gist recognition. Journal of Experimental
Psychology: Human Perception & Performance, 33(6), 1431–1450.

Sanocki, T., & Sulman, N. (2011). Color relations increase the capacity of visual short-term
memory.  Perception, 40(6), 635-648.

Vinerean, S., Cetina, I., Dumitrescu, L., & Tichindelean, M. (2013). The effects of social media
marketing on online consumer behavior. International Journal of Business and
Management, 8(14), 66.