Who Says Brochures Have to Be Plain? These Designers Don't!

Organic Doesn't Just Pertain To Chemistry.

The design elements in this brochure flow together to create not only an aesthetically pleasing piece, but something that contains a lot of information in a compartmentalized and concise manner. Starting with the outside panel of the brochure, the deep blue accented with lighter streaks of blue give an aura of class and elegance to the feel of the brochure. Also, the rich colors used are attention-grabbing to the eye as opposed to using just one solid color or pattern. The flow of white helps transition the viewer to the graphic used on cover, which is also clever because the blue from the sky and the accents of lighter blue complement each other to make the color palette calming and symmetric.

Focusing on the inside panel, there is a lot of text but it is broken down into small paragraphs, bulleted lists, and subheadings making the extent of information easier to digest. Each panel is different but the designer nails the design hierarchy aspect because each panel has small things in common that make it look interesting yet still unique. For example, each panel has a picture located across the top, the same symbol residing above the body copy, and the same cool, calm colors that enhance the picture as well as pop on the page.

The text that was chosen for this brochure is successful because it is clear and concise, no fancy serifs or wacky fonts that get in the way of delivering the intended message. The size of the text does not overwhelm the graphics nor do the graphics overwhelm the body copy, the two are harmonious in this design. The designer achieved creating an eye-catching brochure while incorporating a lot of info which is hard to do with so many competing elements.

The most successful aspect of this brochure is how the designer used a lot of white highlights to make the colors more vibrant and not allow the darker text to feel so heavy on the page. The designer was able to capture a glow, which is especially apparent on the front cover where the colors seem to glow because of the stark contrasts of the rich dark blue and light blue. Overall, this brochure has excellent composition and really allows the reader to focus on the text while still being a beautiful graphic piece.

Who Said Social Media Can't Be Clever?

The first glance at this brochure brings the eye to the puffy clouds and the eye-catching title of the brochure which was a smart choice in the design plan because if that is the first thing a reader notices, if it is a topic they are interested in they will pick that up and examine further. The simple yet bold text on the front panel allows the point to be made without adding shadows or callouts to the title that would hinder how attention grabbing the cover really is. The text underneath the title is a little small and would have been beneficial to be enlarged just slightly because the callout of the title really dwarfs whatever is trying to be said.

The use of all the small graphics of each different social media platform resting on a cloud is a very clever creative element on the designer’s part because the social media world is all in the “cloud” and is where each has its home. The pop of all the colors really makes the piece fun and breaks up the amount of blue that is used on the brochure. Lastly about the front panel, how the blue clouds are layered by gradient show great attention to detail as well as sophisticate the theme from what could have been slightly childish to quite artsy and cleverly laid out.

Like the brochure above, there is a ton of body copy that could easily have ruined the ethereal feel of the design but is enhanced through subheadings in colors that match the design and break up all of the black text, as well as the use of more graphics and charts to substitute for text. Not only is the text very organized, but the spacing between the paragraphs helps break up the extent of text.

The design hierarchy used in the inside panels all coincide together in a way that doesn’t jumble all of the information and graphics together. Making the information easier to read and understand through charts and percentages is an aspect the designer really nailed.

Lastly, incorporating the social media bubble graphics from the front cover gives the whole brochure a well thought out and polished feel. Overall, this design could have been extremely elementary but through complex design elements and clever body copy, the design is truly impacting and attention grabbing.