This is a guest post from Andy Clayton of printing.com Lincoln & Newark.
So you’ve written – or had someone else write – some great copy all about your business, ready to go into print. The question now is how do you make this into a leaflet / brochure / flyer / booklet (delete as appropriate)?
This is where design comes in, and where things can start to go wrong. The common myth is that design is all about making things look pretty, but this is far from the truth. Design is fundamental to the success of a print marketing exercise: it’s about making the copy work, creating mood, attracting attention and initiating an action. For this reason, the first thing you need is someone who is skilled at acheiving these ends, and the next thing you’ll need is a good, clear design brief.
The following are the six questions I go through with each client before commencing any design work:
Who are you targeting?
Be specific – think about who this is actually aimed at. Every sector is different and designers will know the best way to attract the attention of different people whether it be by industry / role / gender / age. The worst answer any marketeer can hear is ‘everybody’ or ‘anyone, really’ as it is impossible to produce any material that targets everyone successfully.
What is your corporate identity?
You need to supply details of any relevant logos, images, fonts and colours so that the designer can keep to your business identity. Consistency is key in marketing. If you constantly change your image, you will dilute and weaken your message.
How do you wish to appear?
This is about how you want to position your offering in this particular piece; do you want to be seen as traditional or modern? professional or informal? luxury or budget? With this information, your designer can look at the appropriate fonts, images and colours to make sure the perception is correct.
What is the purpose?
Is this aimed at attracting new businesses who are unfamiliar with the brand or is it to give information that has been requested by clients? Designers need to know the purpose of the material so that the design can be maximised to that effect. It will dictate how the content is laid out and the focus throughout the piece.
How are you distributing?
Will you be posting, handing out or taking to an event? It is important that the design is done to the correct specification from the start as it saves time at the end. For example, if its to be posted then you need to remember the rates go up after A5 so therefore you need to either keep to that size or if it’s to be folded then it needs to be designed in such a way that the fold looks right.
What is the expected outcome?
You need to decide what you want people to do, as this defines your call to action. You need to spell out what the readers should do next and the designer needs to know this so that the design can emphasise and draw attention to the preferred action or point of contact
The questions above are there as a guide to help you create the best possible brief. By taking the time to collate the relevant information, you can reduce the time taken to produce designs, ensure your designer incorporates all relevant aspects, and therefore increase your chances of achieving success with the final piece.
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