You can find below some comments on the design of leaflets, especially those designed for direct mail. But these comments apply equally well the usual leaflets.
“Appearance is everything” says the old adage, and it really is true – except when it comes to your brochures, and this is vitally important. We are bombarded every day by an amount increasingly larger with printed materials. This visual competition imposes to your brochure to separate itself from the rest of the pack. Impact on the potential client must be immediately and strongly. You will not get a second chance to make first impression.
But what are the elements that create a positive first impression? It’s simple. The only mystery in terms of developing a good brochure is that so many people think that making a design is a mystery. There’s no mystery involved. We are all designers and we make design decisions every day. Choosing a green tie with white ding instead of dots is already a design decision. The same is and how you arrange your bookshelf or how you comb your hair. All we are born with a certain sense of design. But in most of us, this feeling remains latent / undeveloped. But with practice and persistence, you will develop these skills design. And you can create brochures that look good, effective and bring money, if you have a good sense and if you learn to give attention to detail and not afraid to experiment.
There are no clear or simple rules when it comes to good design. What fits very well for a design can be totally wrong for another. However, there are certain elements that are essential in creating brochures with a good design.
These elements can be summarized as the following secrets:
- Look – and only then try to see.
- Keep the design simple
- Attention to bars and boxes
- Do not forget about “nothing”
- Less is more
- Proportions
- Adequacy
- Color
- Paper
- Details
Advice #1: Look – and only then try to see
Always collect brochures that you like and you do not like, for study. Try to see just what you find attractive in design and what seems repugnant to another. As you get used more to analyze and see what you look, the more you will develop a feel for good design.
Advice #2: Extreme simplicity
Keep it simple! Many extraordinary designs for brochures were dropped only because this so simple element was overlooked, ignored and forgotten. Incorporates only what is essential for effective communication of your message. If a particular graphic primarily serves only as an ornament, ask yourself if it helps you to direct and focuse the reader’s attention or is just distracting gift.
Advice #3: Bars and boxes
Be more reluctant to use bars and boxes in your design. Do not get me wrong. Boxes, edges and bars also have their purpose, such as directing attention and the separation of the occupied areas – but too much can make the design look like a … box of bars and boxes – dense, packed, heavy and static.
Advice #4: Do not forget the “nothing”
This is one of the least appreciated elements of graphic design. “Nothing” is the entire hollow space that lies between and around objects graphs, and text lines that define their relationship to one another and to bring the spotlight to their distinctive mark on the page. The amount of “nothing” in a design affects the overall tone and brightness of the load. Nothing ensures best moorings and rest for eye as crossing on “somethings“.
Advice #5: Less is more
You have to organize and crystallize your message to be able to create a design effect for brochure. Put as much planning in your booklet on how much you put in any other major project. Carefully defines her goals and create a hierarchy of the different components of your message. The more you are clear about their policy and their importance, the designs will be better / successful. Make sketches and various elements move in different positions. Do not be afraid to experiment. Spotting an item can radically change your design. And do not forget to be as simple. Be ruthless and cut all unnecessary things that does not help you in communicating your message.
Advice #6: Proportions
After making a hierarchical list that sets and sequences relative importance of particular elements of your message, you’re ready to consider how you will treat each component of your message. The most important elements that are found at the beginning of your list will have to receive the greatest attention from the reader, must therefore be larger, bold, “shiny”, made in any other way to stand out from your entire post. There is a constant tension between consistency and symmetry versus contrast of the entire selected objects to stand out and give the gift of movement and life design.
Advice #7: Adequacy
Your message is funny, authoritative, classic or friendly? Choose a type of character to express the “air” of your message and that does not intersect with the clarity of communication. Do not use more than two or three such types of characters. Too many distract and mislead the eye. The size of the individual components of the design should be determined by their relative importance in the brochure. The space between lines is as important as the words and lines itself. But beware of too much emphasis.
Advice #8: Color
Color makes the size of your budget to grow. Some of the best brochures are made only in two colors. White and black are often more dramatic than color. There are hundreds of paper colors available. You can use a dark blue ink instead of black or green that can be applied in different tones / shades to different parts of your brochure, thereby providing a greater variety and richness.
Advice #9: Paper
Paper exists in all sizes, colors, shapes, and textures. Glossy paper will give your brochure more shine and depth. Check also the synthetic and recycled paper. There are many types available, and looks really good. Recycled paper is very good for business and it is good also for nature.
Advice #10: Details
Differences between line thickness, color and space may be the only difference between a mediocre and a great brochure. And do not forget – you can never enough to check your material before sending it to the printer. Best designers happened to a final shape to sneak a mistake. Once your brochure was given to the press, it is too late to correct the mistake.
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