I was recently inspired by the Design Makeover piece in Layers Magazine that I came across a few days ago. The brochure was redesigned by three designers, and each of them had a different take on the client’s requests. Looking at three different designs for the same brochure reveals the subjectivity in design. However, I think they all got it right in one way or another. Some of the things they did right can be carried into any brochure printing design. Some of the ideas they used really stood out to me as a lesson in brochure makeover for the rest of us designers out there…

1.    All of the designers kept the client’s wishes in mind. Keeping with the hometown feel of her business was important to this client. Just as in any brochure printing, the design should reflect its business’s design.

2.    The client asked that they create a more professional look to her brochure printing. Just by unifying the color schemes, the designers were able create that professional look.

3.    Each designer also created a more defined cover for the brochure. They made the cover stand out and invite readers in, while giving them a clue what they could expect.

4.    Richard left room for the brochure design to be carried into the design of this company’s other materials. By using Open type fonts, he allowed for future designs to implement the fonts with ease.

5.    Choose the folds of your brochure printing before you begin design - this is what Caryn did. She chose to design the brochure within the folded format she created. This allowed her to make sense of the brochure’s design. The brochure was divided so that the information could be more easily digested.

6.    Hannah chose colors that would soften her brochure design. She used very professional photographs to incorporate the professional aspect that the client requested. For the down-home aspect, she used the soft colors and a curved line with flowers.

7.    Finally, all of the designers kept the font styles simple. Brochure printing can get too messy and confusing when too many fonts are used, and each of these designers understood this important concept.  

Check out the blog for yourself to see just what amazing transformations these designers were able to create. It’s inspiring to witness how each one took a brochure printing mess and turned it into a professional design that accurately fit the client’s image. Which recreation is your favorite?