In his 1964 book Understanding the Media, Marshall McLuhan coined his illustrious paradoxical phrase “The medium is the message,” meaning that the manner or from which a message or content is delivered is as important as the message itself. If we stick to what this great communicator said almost half a century ago and if we accept that his idea is still valid even in today’s world, it becomes all the more essential that the way we send our message be characterized as efficient as the last one. .
Now, extrapolating the above concept to your corporate identity, it would imply that every material (literary or app-based) that carries your logo carries with it not only that, but also a part of your company image. Whether it’s stationery emblazoned with your company name or stickers displaying your logo, it’s an indirect representation of your identity. Would you review luxury apartments if you read about them in a brochure in a run-down, rotten pub? Would you buy jewelry by reading about it in a garbage can? Would you consider sending your child to a school that prints their brochure on a thin, off-white paper?
Although brochures, posters, stationery, etc. are very important, your brochure should be your top priority when it comes to creating an image among your peers and potential customers. A brochure is your statement of quality, commitment, dedication and seriousness towards your business activities. A well-conceptualized brochure not only conveys your refined professionalism, but also demonstrates your responsible approach; because according to McLuhan, the way you present yourself is a medium in itself and therefore speaks volumes about you.
It’s totally understandable that while writing a brochure is a piece of cake for well-qualified and experienced PR executives, designing it may not be your piece of cake. No company hires an official just to take care of its brochures, which means that whoever handles brochure printing usually has their hands full with a million other things as well: events to organize, annual reports to compile, and meetings, etc. seminars, product launches, press conferences. . In such a scenario, it is always advisable to get in touch with a professional designer who will make sure that the look and feel of his brochure also reflects the same values that are contained in his words.
But just because you’re hiring a professional graphic designer for the job doesn’t mean your responsibility takes a backseat. Remember that although a good designer will be eager to hear about your brochure beyond a formal summary and will try to understand the concept behind it, without you it is as good as a set of empty canvases and colors without a painter. Without your prompt and sincere response, the designer will have no choice but to take it as another orphan project and he will lose interest in giving one hundred percent of himself to your project.
To make sure your feedback adds value to the designer’s effort, you first need to know what a good, first-class brochure looks like. Just because we want it to look professional doesn’t mean it has to be boring too. Don’t worry if you don’t know graphic design terminology to begin with. It’s not rocket science; Having a basic understanding of the main design elements will equip you well to oversee any design task, as it’s just a matter of juxtaposing and playing with these elements to create any design. So all you really need to take care of are the items below and you are ready to design the best brochure for your company.
1. Color: The colors of your choice, is the first impression of your brochure. No one would like to pick up a business brochure as colorful as a kindergarten brochure or as sober as a funeral service brochure. Classic black doesn’t come to your rescue here unless it’s paired with grays and whites. Or better yet, add just a hint of your logo or brand color that market research shows is strongly associated with your brand. But if you are a flower business or a restaurant, using colors according to your psychological perceptions is very suitable.
2. Contrast – A subtle but very striking extension of the color element is the contrast between your color choices. If the tone of your brochure is pleasant, cheerful and familiar, the contrast should guide the reader’s eye to the images and create a feeling of happiness and joy. If it’s an acute investment consultancy, call attention to the facts and figures, achievements and testimonials.
3. Texture – The texture again depends on the type of images and presentation of your text. The flyer for a dance school specializing in street genres will require a rebellious, breezy, raw look with lots of severe cuts and paint splatters giving it a funky texture, while the one for a community hospital will have a clean, airy texture with minimalist fonts. and elegant cuts.
4. Balance – The balance or imbalance between the three components – visual, verbal and white space can enhance the appeal of your brochure depending on the message it contains. While a formal balance is suitable for official corporate brochures, the informal balance is great when you want to convey the action or entropy characteristic of, say, a summer arts program.
5. Space – The strategic use of space, or white space as we call it, typically plays a huge role in communicating the power, activity, flow, and uniqueness of your product or service. Most high-end brands incorporate a lot of white space into their brochure designs, as it gives an instant luxurious feel to your message. Plus, it helps you stand out from the competition and lesser-quality brands that are trying to take advantage of every available inch of advertising or PR space.
So the next time you decide to hire professional design services for any project, make sure these five elements and what you want them to look like are part of the crucial information you provide them in a formal written brief. However, to create the best, you must first know what bad design work looks like. In one line, it is the one that -no matter how beautiful or avant-garde it may seem- submits to the message itself, so that your medium becomes your only message. All the brochures provided are excellent works of design, but in my opinion, they fail to convey their messages as strongly as their architectural aesthetic.
I sincerely hope that the information in this article will help you make better decisions and get more out of not only your brochures, but also any design project, be it business cards, posters, pamphlets, flyers, or brochures. Plus, taking advantage of high-quality printing services is doing justice to your designer’s fervent efforts, as well as your own.
