Tom Pfeifer's Blog
June 30, 2017
My graphic design skills are minimal at best. Still, whenever I write copy for a client’s brochure, flier, or website, I sketch it out to make sure the copy fits. I attended Calibre Systems graphic designer Lauma Wingrove’s workshop this week, titled Build a Flier That Sells, to pick up some pointers to better sketch my ideas and better marry my copy to design.
There’s a psychology behind graphic design, Wingrove
said. Color. Placement. Font choices. Shapes. White
space. Photos. They all tell the viewer something on
a subconscious level and can make or break your
message.
One of the biggest mistakes designers make is to
cram too much text on a flier. “If it’s not absolutely
necessary, leave it out,” Wingrove told participants at
the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce Coffee
& Conversation workshop. Instead, she said, direct
the viewer to your website for more information.
When using text, confine it to a maximum of three fonts and consider the hierarchy, Wingrove said. The first level is read by the viewer and should be noticeable and in your face. It should be in a sans serif font. The second level is skimmed by the viewer. The third level is virtually ignored.
Make the text easy to read. All caps are difficult for the brain to decipher, as are drop shadows. Diagonal text draws the eye. Straight line text connotes stability and horizontal text connotes movement.
Being a word guy, my notes don’t reflect much on color or shapes. Wingrove did say to choose colors based on their emotional impact. Dark blue, for instance, signifies stability and confidence. Red, in addition to being the color of love, signifies excitement to the brain. Use yellow to be playful and orange to connote affordability. HubSpot has an excellent infographic on using color in graphic design.
Circles, not surprisingly, suggest unity to the brain. Squares and triangles signify stability.
Two other elements are critical to every design. First and foremost is your audience. Who is your audience and what do they need to know? What is going to attract them? Build your design with your audience in mind.
Also, make sure you have a call to action. After all, you’re building a flier that sells.
I won’t be designing brochures or fliers any time soon. My graphic designer, John Body of BodyShots, will continue to marry my words to a layout that sells. Unfortunately for him, I now have enough knowledge on design to be dangerous.
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Tom Pfeifer is the managing partner and chief strategist for Consistent Voice Communications and author of Write It, Speak It: Writing a Speech They’ll APPLAUD! Reach him at Tom@YourConsistentVoice.com.
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