Print is not dead. Those who say it are may be companies that did not yield good results due to wrong strategies or digital natives (though, even digital natives read print). The strategy that you should be using for a print marketing campaign should cover the following qualities: aesthetics, groundedness, and engagement. If the trio is not complete, your print material is bound to fail.
In this guide, the first mentioned quality will be tackled comprehensively. Whether you are designing a brochure, a leaflet, or a pamphlet, you need to make sure that the effort is fulfilled with discipline and consistency.
Some art directors and even creative directors often take brochure design for granted. This should not be the case, though. Otherwise, you will run the risk of violating the first quality of print material, which is aesthetic. Regardless, below are some of the things you need to keep in mind when designing a brochure.
Know your target audience
Your personal aesthetic should not always be prioritized. Remember that you are writing and designing for your audience. With that, you should make an effort to find out the kind of designs and aesthetic your target audience may like. If you think that the design they want is too brutalist or disorganized, that is when you will incorporate your personal aesthetics. Do not be an elitist and a snob.
To find out the design they like, you may conduct a survey. Before executing or printing anything, you may want to do another round of survey where your customers can pick the best-looking design.
Choose the right typeface
Readability is one of the functional traits that your brochure should have. If your brochure is not readable, your target audience will just throw away your material. With this in mind, you should pick simple and suitable typefaces.
Flamboyance has no role in this particular aspect, so you should pick at least two simple typefaces. These typefaces should complement each other. If your brand is using a particular typeface, you may want to use it right away. Do not put too many typefaces, as your material may look campy.
Be visual
Your target market is usually composed of visual individuals. With this in mind, you should limit the words you are going to put into the material (so go talk to your copywriter about this matter!). As much as possible, use high-resolution and stunning images. If words cannot be avoided, you should break them into blocks of text or use bullet points to make the material easily readable.
Keep it simple
You may think that grandiose and eye-catching design always works. But you can always make your design eye-catching without putting in many elements. Keeping your material simple yet functional will attract customers and keep their eyes glued to the material. Make sure that the design is corrected by your final artwork department before working with a commercial printing company.
These are only some of the things to keep in mind if you want to design a nice brochure. Make sure that the design is well polished before having the material printed for release.
