Archive for July, 2011

Taking a strong design brief from our customers is hugely important in creating a great brochure design. By understanding the company, its aims and its intended target market we can make sure that the design and content of the brochure will work to is full advantage. While many clients may have a strong idea of what they require, our experience in creating brochures for all sizes of companies across a range of industries means that we can often add value and find ways to engage with the target audience which they may not have considered. Only by really understanding what they are designing and why, can our brochure designers create a product which will exceed our customers expectations.

Our brochure design service starts by taking a design brief. We ask clients to either complete a a design brief questionnaire which can be e-mailed for completion prior to starting a project, or alternatively we can take the design brief over the phone. In either case, this is what we ask about before starting on any major project with a new customer.

About the business – questions concerning the size, types and nature of the business, as well as the products and services it offers help us to put the company in the context of a wider market place. It also helps us understand some of the key selling points and points of differentiation which might be central to a successful promotional message.

Target market – there is no doubt that we can design a more effective brochure if we know as much as possible about the target recipients. This may include details on their position within a company (b2b communcations), age, gender, socio-economic information, geographical location and anything else which helps us build a picture of who you want to engage. If there is a wide target market of several different groups then we can make sure that the brochure will have a broader appeal, without side lining any particular group of people.

Previous look – For many of the companies we work with, this will not be the first piece of promotional literature they have created. They may have created some smaller items in-house, or relied on different companies to create each element of their promotional material. In many cases, our clients have moved away from their current graphic designers in search of a fresh approach or keener price. So while most clients are looking for a new creative input, they do not necessarily want a complete departure from their current branding or current material. By supplying any previous promotional material you like, we can make sure the new brochure design keeps context with the current presentation of the company.

Colour schemes – Although they may not have a design in mind, many clients will have an idea on colour scheme. This may relate to their personal preferences, the industry that they are in or the existing colours used in the branding for the business. It is also useful if we know any colours to specifically avoid, such as those which are synonymous with a competitor or ones which the company has previously tried and rejected.

Competition – Knowing the names and web addresses of your competitors is important for two reasons. Firstly, it ensures that the design we create does not repeat or look similar to the promotional material of a competitor. One of the key elements of successful branding is being distinctly recognisable, so instant differentiation is often important in the design. Secondly, it allows our designer to ensure that your own design will stand above that of the competition, without looking out of context for the industry.

Want to know more about our brochure design service? Click here to view our brochure design packages, look through our other brochure design blog articles or call one of our account handlers to discuss your project.

Add Design are a graphic design agency based in Suffolk providing a wide range of fixed price graphic design services to clients throughout the UK and internationally.

The majority of the brochures we are asked to design are for business to business use. This means that while the design will change significantly depending on the industry and purpose of the brochure, the audience are generally similar – business professionals looking for new suppliers and products. However, every so often a project comes along which has a different audience in mind – Young People. While designing for a young audience often lets our graphic designers stretch their creativity, it also presents a unique set of challenges due to the way that Young People engage with, and consume advertising literature.

Here are just some of the key things our graphic designers need to consider when creating brochure graphic design to engage a younger audience.

The exact age of the audience.

When designing for an adult audience, the age-bands for targeting tend to be very wide. Target markets are often defined as 24-30, 30-40, etc. However, with a younger audience the target age needs to be much more precise. What appeals to an 11 year old, is likely to be off-putting to a 16 year old. To create a successful brochure design it is therefore necessary to understand the exact ages you are appealing to.

The media they consume.

Trends and fashions change very quickly, especially amongst the young. What appealed to us as teenagers, is unlikely to be the same as what will engage teenagers today. Even when the same trends circle-round, they often do so with subtle but important twist. It may sound like a cliché, but you have to really ‘get into the shoes’ of the target market to understand the best way to convey your message. One of the best ways of doing this with a younger audience is to look at the media and brands which your specific age group consumes. Whether it is cartoon characters, TV programmes, websites, adverts, mobile phone apps, or clothes, these will all build up a picture which will help develop a design which will appeal.

The layout of the information.

There is a misconception that to appeal to a younger audience means that everything has to be in bright colours, capital letters and tilted off to the side. While breaking the conventions of traditional page layout is important to attract the interest of the audience (you do not want to look like a school textbook), the information still needs to be easy to read and easy to follow. The majority of young people do not make patient readers. A balance is therefore often necessary between creating something which is visually interesting and stimulating, but which makes sense on the page. The secret is not to throw everything at the page. Use bright colours, but not too many different ones. Use different font sizes, but in a logical way to show headings and key points. Move the text around the page, but make sure a logical line can be drawn from one piece of information to the next.

The text.

In terms of text, the right tone is really important. While there might be a tendency to imitate the way young people speak in writing, this often fails. Just as with an adult audience, the way we speak is very different from how we expect text to read. So while slang and txtspeak can be used in certain contexts, it shouldn’t be over used. Instead simple and straightforward language with a friendly tone can be much more effective. Again, looking at your target group’s favourite media will help get the tone right. If in doubt, we ask a member of the target audience to give it a read and cross out anything which sounds like an adult trying to be young.

The call to action.

Brochures and all forms of advertising media should always have ‘a call to action’; the course of action you would like your reader to take once they have finished reading. This is often something like ‘Call Now to talk to an advisor’ or ‘Visit www. to find out more’. The call to action is still an important element for a younger audience, but it must be aligned with the natural way your audience communicates. In an advertising context this might be ‘Text INFO to 88830′, ‘Sign up at www.’, or ‘Find Us on Facebook’. Just as long as you make it clear what you would like your reader to do once they have finished consuming the message.

Brochure Graphic Design – Add Design specialise in design and print for a wide range of industries including young people. Click here to view our brochure graphic design packages and examples of our recent work.

Great supporting promotional literature is key for any salesperson to do their job. While a good sales person will often be very persuasive, bringing out a quality corporate brochure can instantly develop trust in the company they represent and demonstrate to a customer that they are being correctly informed about the product or service on offer. Even if a brochure is not used during an engagement with a new client, it is a good rule of sales that you should always leave your new lead with something. This not only allows them to find out more about you, but by having the literature around on their desk it reminds them of your meeting and the course of action that needs to be taken.

While many large firms supply salespeople with everything they need, many smaller teams find it hard to invest in a high quality brochure. This is not only due to the time and cost of producing a single large brochure, but also because many smaller firms need to be flexible as product lines, prices and elements of service often change. The greatest fear most of our customers have is of investing in a brochure, only to find that it is not a good representation of their business six months into the future.

This probably explains the popularity of the Corporate Folder. While demonstrating the same level of professionalism as a brochure, a bespoke folder can hold any combination of inserts and other documents for presentation to the customer. Not only is this significantly cheaper to produce than a typical brochure but salespeople also find they have a number of other advantages to advancing sales.

Here is why salespeople love corporate folders.

Choice of material.

Salespeople want to direct clients to a decision. One way of doing this is to foreground one solution above other, less suitable, options. While a brochure will show the client everything, with a range of inserts at hand, a corporate folder allows the salesperson to select only the information they want the client to have – focusing them on a specific product or solution.

New products/services can be added quickly.

When a new product, service or add-on is launched, salespeople want to be selling it. It is often easier to sell something new, than something familiar and it also provides the opportunity for salespeople to visit old clients and leads with a new offering. Rather than waiting for next years brochure, with corporate folders a new insert focussing specifically on what’s new can be produced in just a matter of days and added alongside the current selection.

Presentation

Sales can sometimes come with a lot of paperwork. Quotes, pricelists, terms and conditions, and technical specifications are all items which are commonly supplied to customers during the process of a sale. Rather than single pieces of paper, the folder allows all this information to be presented neatly together alongside the main advertising literature – holding everything together as a single point of reference for the customer. Many of our customers ask us to produce a branded Word template or electronic letterhead, which allows sales staff to print their own branded paperwork and documentation.

The Business Card

Lastly, as a standard option our corporate folders can have 2 slits easily cut into the inner flap. This allows the salesperson to slot their business card right in front of the information. Not only does this create the personal touch, but puts the salesperson’s contacts instantly at the fingertips of the customer. When designing a corporate folder we often ask for a copy of the company business card to make sure that this fits within the design we are creating. We can also design business cards for clients which will fit seamlessly with the folder design creating an immaculate overall impression.

Corporate Folders - click here to view our printed folder graphic design packages

Although we work we clients right across the UK, the county of Suffolk has been the home of Add Design, design agency since we started over 5 years ago. During this time, we have been lucky enough to have the opportunity to put our mark right across the region through the businesses which ask us to help with their branding and marketing material.

In fact, we see our work everywhere we go, from estate agent boards outside houses for sale, to restaurants, shops, dental surgeries, adverts on roundabouts, graphics on vans, even brochures and leaflets on kitchen tables.

However, there are a few Suffolk projects which are particularly satisfying to see. Not just because they represent the quality of our work, but because of the challenges and enjoyment which went into creating them. Here is our pick of some of Add Design’s Suffolk graphic design projects.

Aldeburgh Restaurant

This Aldeburgh restaurant is one of our favourites. Not only did we help to name it (after Sir Frances Drake’s Ship which was built in the town), but we also designed the branding, signage, and interior. The artwork on the wall was all created by us to take diners on a tour of Drake’s travels around the world. The brand takes the historical reference, and converts it into something fun, colourful and lively . . just as any family-friendly restaurant should be.

Woodbridge Furniture Maker

Some projects come with a challenge. This company made its reputation with beautiful hand-crafted reproduction antique furniture. All made in their own Suffolk workshops. However, the company had recently developed a stunning range of contemporary designs and wanted the brochure to reflect this shift without putting off those who prefer the traditional selection. Presenting all the furniture against a crisp white background, this contemporary brochure design concentrates on the values which are universal to both the modern and traditional – natural materials, bespoke service and high quality craftmanship.

Dog Day Care

It is not everyday you are asked to brand one of the area’s first Doggy Day Care facilities, so the design you create needs to be something special. Big, small, and of any breed, our logo design shows that all dogs are welcome. Using the bright colours of the logo we have also had fun creating postcards, business cards and Christmas cards for this great dog-loving company.

National Sign Company

While it can be enormous fun playing with bright colours, sometimes you have to be serious. The marketing material we create for this sign company is seen by decision makers in some of the UK’s largest companies and organisations – so it has to be good. From large brochure designs, to websites, flyers, e-literature and full page adverts in Design Week, we have working with this client for over 4 years evolving their brand and material as the company goes from strength to strength.

Adventure Logistics Company

A small company with a truly global outlook. This business specialises in ‘adventure logistics’, helping madcap adventurers get themselves into and out of trouble in some of the most remote, dangerous and bizarre places across the world. This made the branding a very delicate balancing act. It needed to be fun and adventuresome, but also hold the weight of years of experience and expertise which makes them the preferred partner for individuals, organisations and television companies heading into the unknown.

Suffolk Designer

Lastly, a word for one of our favourite fellow designers. All the shapes, colours and designs you see are Adele’s own, but we have worked with her to get the work from paper and print and out into the world. From her logo, to promotional postcards, packaging, and the ultra-bold website we have enjoyed every minute of making her fantastic ideas a reality. Want to see more, all Adele’s work is for sale on Notonthehighstreet.com.

Add Design are a Design Agency in Suffolk, specialising in business logo design, business stationery design, corporate brochure design, leaflet design and company flyer design.