Components of Brochure Design

Brochures are a very effective tool for marketing a business or organization. They can be used in a variety of formats to accomplish many different marketing goals from business image development to event promotion. As a common desktop publishing project, effective brochure design is an important skill for designers. This article offers three key components of brochure design to help you design a handout that works. Continue reading to learn more about incorporating a brochure's purpose, readability and appeal into the desktop publishing design.

When determining how to design an effective brochure, the first consideration is purpose. What goals should the brochure meet? When working with your desktop publishing client, be sure to inquire about specific expectations for the brochure. This will help you design a brochure that works. Consider the brochure target audience, how it will be delivered, if it will be mailed, what type of information will be imparted and what response the client hopes to elicit from the recipients.

The answers to these questions will help you determine an effective format for the brochure, the type of content required and the overall look of the piece. Possible goals for a company or organizational brochure might be to provide general information, to promote a specific event, to outline services, or to highlight products. Developing the design elements, text and imagery of the brochure desktop publishing project to address the specific purposes of the project will ensure its effectiveness.

Above all, making sure a brochure design is readable is paramount. Regardless of the design elements included, the primary goal of the brochure format itself is imparting informationl. When writing text for a brochure, consider converting paragraphs to bulleted lists to make the information easier to absorb. In addition, be sure to adhere to standard writing and grammatical conventions so the brochure exudes professionalism.

Also, make it easier for recipients to understand the hierarchy of information by using varying font sizes and colors to highlight what is most important. Be sure that graphic elements or background images included in your brochure design do not detract from the viewer's ability to read the text. Make sure the contrast of color and background/foreground is significant enough to facilitate a clear apprehension of the verbiage.

Finally, when designing a brochure, consider the appeal of the design. Design elements such as color choice, illustrations and photographs, and the arrangement of composition can greatly effect whether the brochure is appealing to the viewer and how much time he spends looking at the piece. Think about the specific target audience for the brochure desktop publishing project as well as the image the client is trying to portray. A brochure highlighting the reliability of an accounting firm will look very different from a piece showcasing the upcoming events at a local nightclub.

If your goal is to design a brochure that works, don't overlook these three components of an effective company or organizational brochure. Make your design decisions based on the brochure's purpose, readability and target audience appeal.