This print project is selected as a Watershed Moment Case Study for an example of professional client/contractor relations and procurement process. Gower Design Group came to Watershed Moment Communication for a brochure to advertise their sustainable home design services. Designer, John Gower, already knew the value of a written business strategy document and was able to provide this to guide the brochure design work. A short conversation determined the agreed value and cost of the brochure to fit the budget. An emailed proposal from Watershed Moment was approved as a start work order.
Supplied Content
Watershed Moment supplied draft brochure copy for client review, based on the business strategy document. Gower Design Group supplied a company logo and logotype, with a smart business slogan: ‘Small footprint homes that live large,’ and professional photo images and graphics with secured reproduction rights. This supplied image content allowed Watershed Moment to do a star turn on the design and keep costs within budget.
Watershed Moment suggested graphic elements from the existing business website be used in the brochure for consistency and a visual link to the website and business brand. Watershed Moment recommended customers’ testimonials be used to show the proven value of the Gower Design Group – to communicate their unique position in the home design market.
Design Considerations
The 6-panel folded brochure reads progressively from left to right and aims to show off the beautiful photos when spread open. The photos are arranged in a hierarchical massing – largest photos anchor the upper left and span the panel folds, while smaller photos reliably honour the underlying page grid and margins. Font choice and type styling is modern and unobtrusive, readable, appropriate and does not compete with the logotype or the images. Body text, heading, image caption, quote size, are set in a readable size and sensible relationship and use only one font family.
Attention to Detail
Every bit of this brochure design is intentional. The green leaf elements create a brand connection to the business website. The drop shadow under the leaves gives a layer dimension to the brochure and a subtle link from one side to the other – both closing off the lower right corner and reintroducing the back panel text on the other side.
Photoshop retouching removed small distracting elements, such as foliage and clouds, to make an even-toned sky background for text blocks on top and addition of soft-edge gradient vignettes that allow easier reading, pay attention to what happens at the edges and visual pinch points, to aim for a pleasing composition.
The quality of the photography really determines the success of this brochure. In this case, the unifying aim was to keep the design styling out of the way and to highlight John’s work. The photos have an evocative warm feeling of home – taken at that time of evening when the inside lights first go on.