A Division of Biochange, Unlimited
Sales Brochure Design
10 SECRETS HOW TO CREATE MONEY-MAKING BROCHURE DESIGNS
We reprint with permission some
very pointed comments by Pierre
Zubrinsky about brochure design,
particularly when used in direct mail.
From reading Pierre's comments
I'd say they apply to general adver-
tising brochures as well.
In reviewing this excellent article,
the thought occurred to me: Why
should any reader of Direction
be even prompted to read it if he/she
is not directly involved with sales
promotion? When someone presents
this material to you for management
review, this will give you a
good basic feel for what constitutes
good design and make you less
susceptible to feelings of inferiority
and intimidation when reviewing
brochures, ads other materials..
"Appearance isn't everything" goes
the old adage, and it's quite true
--except when it comes to your
brochure where it's of vital importance.
Every day we're bombarded with
an ever-increasing quantity of printed
matter. More and more graphic material
comes flooding into our mail-
boxes, clamoring for our attention.
This visual competition makes it
imperative that your brochure stands
out from the rest of the pack.
Its impact on your prospective
client must be both immediate and
striking. There will never be a
second chance for you to make a great
first impression.
And just what is it that give us
a great first impression? Simple.
A great design. The only mystery
in designing a great brochure is
that so many people think that
designing is a mystery. There is no
mystery. We are all designers and
make design decisions every day.
Choosing a green and white striped
tie instead of one with polka dots
is a design decision. So is the
way you arrange your bookcase or the
way you comb your hair. We are
all born with a certain sense of design.
In most of us, it remains rather
undeveloped. But with practice and
persistence, you can develop these
design skills. If you have common
sense, learn to pay more attention
to detail, and aren't afraid to
experiment, you, too, can create
great looking, effective, money-
making brochures.
There are no hard and fast rules
when it comes to good design. What
works well in one design may be
totally inappropriate in another. Yet
there are certain elements which
are essential in the creation of a
well-designed brochure.
These elements can be summed up as the following secrets:
* Look--then try to see.
* Kiss your design.
* Two B's or not two B's.
* Remember nothing.
* Less is more.
* Blow it out of proportion.
* Put on the right face.
* Coloring by the numbers.
* Following the paper trail.
* The Devil's in the details.
Secret #1: Look--Then Try To See
Take the time to collect and study
the brochures you like and don't
like. Try to see just what it is
that looks appealing to you in one
design and not another. The more
accustomed you become to analyzing
and seeing what you are looking
at, the more you will develop your
sensitivity to good design.
Secret #2: Kiss Your Design:
Keep-it-simple-silly! So many great
brochure designs have been
torpedoed because this simple element
was overlooked, ignored or
forgotten. Incorporate only that
which is essential to the effective
communication of your message.
If a particular graphic element is
serving basically as ornamentation,
ask yourself if it is helping to
direct or focus the reader's attention
or if it's actually distracting
him.
I once had a client who was advertising
hand-painted Easter eggs.
He originally wanted a design that
consisted of an Easter basket with
his hand-painted egg inside. Working
together, we eventually came up
with a beautiful straw basket lined
with some exquisitely rendered
pieces of straw. After studying
and admiring this composition, however,
we realized that the basket was
stealing the show and distracting
attention away from the eggs. We
ended up creating a piece that con-
sisted of only one close-up view
of a finely detailed, hand-painted
egg with two concise phrases positioned
underneath.
Secret #3: Two B's Or Not Two B's
Be parsimonious with your bars
and boxes. Don't get me wrong. Boxes,
borders and bars have their uses,
such as directing one's attention
and separating busy areas--but
too many can make your brochure design
end up looking like...well, a box
of BB's--dense, packed, heavy and
static. Let those BB's out. Let'em
roll. Let'em bounce. Let'em dance!
Secret #4: Remember Nothing.
This is one of the most unappreciated
elements of graphic design.
Nothing is all those empty spaces
between and around graphic objects
as well as lines of text that define
their relationship to each
other and bring into focus their
distinctness on the page. The amount
of "nothing" in a design affects
its overall tone of lightness or
heaviness. Nothing provides the
eye with anchoring and resting places
as it sweeps across the "somethings."
Secret #5: Less Is More.
You've got to get your message
organized and crystallized to be able
to create an effective brochure
design. Put as much planning into
your brochure as you would any
other important project. Carefully
define its purpose and create a
hierarchy of the various components
of your message. The clearer you
are about their sequence and impor-
tance, the better your designs
will be. Make sketches and move the
various elements around. Don't
be afraid to experiment. Repositioning
one element can radically alter
the design. And remember to KISS it
constantly. Be ruthless as you
prune down cute but unnecessary blah,
blah, blah that doesn't help to
clearly communicate your message.
Secret #6: Blow It Out Of Proportion
After you have made a hierarchical
list that establishes the relative
importance and sequence of the
particular components in your message,
you will be ready to consider how
to treat each of the components in
your message. The most important
items at the top of your list should
obviously receive more of your
reader's attention. They would, there-
fore, be larger, bolder, brighter,
or in some other way made to stand
out from the rest of your message.
It is this constant tension between
the consistency and symmetry of
the whole versus the contrast contained
in the objects selected to stand
out that gives movement and life to
the design.
Secret #7: Put On The Right Face
Is your message humorous, formal,
authoritative, classy or friendly?
Choose a typeface that expresses
the "feel" of your message and
doesn't interfere with the clarity
of its communication. Avoid using
more than two or three typefaces.
Too many are distracting and con-
fusing to the eye. The type size
of individual design components
should be determined by their relative
importance in the brochure.
The space between lines is as crucial
as the words and lines them-
selves. Stay away from excessive
underlining. It can cause clutter
and interfere with legibility.
Secret #8: Coloring By The Numbers
Color increases the numbers of
your budget's bottom line. Some of
the most effective brochures are
done in only one or two colors.
Black and white can often be more
dramatic than color. There are
hundreds of paper colors available.
You can use a dark blue or green
ink instead of black that can be
applied in different shades to
different parts of your brochure,
thereby giving it a lot more variety
and richness.
Secret #9: Following The Paper Trail
Paper comes in all sizes, colors,
textures and coated and uncoated.
Coated paper will give more depth
and brilliance to your colors. Ask
your printer about recycled and
synthetic papers. There's quite a
lot of it available, and it's quite
beautiful. Recycled paper is
good for your business and good
for trees. (Editor's note: But using
recycled paper can add to your
brochure cost because it is generally
more expensive than regular paper.)
Secret #10: The Devil Is In The
Details
Minute differences in line weight,
color and spacing can make the
difference between a mediocre brochure
and a great one. And remember --
you can't proofread your final
design enough before sending it out to
be printed. The best designers
in the business have at one time or
another let some silly mistake
slip past them. Once your brochure goes
to the printer, it's too late to
correct it. All you can do then is
kick and holler. So proof and proof
again!
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