Question

Topic: Branding

Critique My Company Overview Brochure Cover

Posted by nchazan on 12/30/2008 at 8:33 AM ET 125 Points
Having a bit of a hard time with this brochure cover. We're a "building interiors" firm specializing in furniture, laboratory casework, architectural products (walls, floors),commercial lighting, and facility services for the education,corporate office,pharmaceutical, and healthcare industries (mouthful). Please critique (harshly!) these covers for our company overview brochure. It is a 6x6 square, which will be included in a sales kit binder with more sheets of specific information by industry. Will also sometimes be handed out individually. I've included a sample of the interior pages as well. Thanks a lot !

cover 1 - [inactive link removed]
cover 2 -
[inactive link removed]
cover 3 -
[inactive link removed]

interior 2 page spread 'tab' -
[inactive link removed]
followed by this page -
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Thanks for all your help. I'm not an expert in graphic design and really trying to capture the PEOPLE using our product more than anything else.

[Moderator: Inactive link removed from post. 2/14/2011]
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by kevin.shoesmith on 12/30/2008 at 9:59 AM Accepted
    I'm not a graphic design expert either, but I work with several and consult on design projects occasionally. Here are my quick thoughts:

    Covers 1 and 2 look too busy with the blueprint and don't really say anything about your company or culture. They look like you print blueprints for a living. In addition, none of the three covers highlight your tagline: Interior Design Solutions.

    I like cover 3 the best. However, I would use a few less photos, with one larger focal photo. Then also make your company name and tagline larger so they standout more within the design.

    For what it's worth ... thx.
    Kevin
  • Posted by Mikee on 12/30/2008 at 10:27 AM Accepted
    I too like #3 better. I think people in an image are a good touch, but the man with his arms crossed does not have anything to do with building interiors but us the first image I a drawn toward. I agree with Kevin that the company logo needs to be larger.

    The thing I do like about the first two is the centered logo. I think it gives the company better visibility. Perhaps the 3rd could be reworked to have the logo a little larger and in the center with the various images around it.

    Mike
  • Posted by nchazan on 12/30/2008 at 10:38 AM Author
    thanks for all the input. I did post this same issue way earlier in the process on a Graphic Design Forum. I did get a lot of good reviews on the "people using product" direction I was headed in, but as a multi-faceted business it was very difficult for me to arrange several photos in a 6x6 box without getting frustrated or hating the design. I guess I should stick to the photos and see if I can rework them to look better with less clutter
  • Posted on 12/30/2008 at 11:47 AM Member
    Try combining the elements of all three covers! Use the center logo presentation of option #1, with the diagonal blue print of option #2 with some of the "people using products" photos of #3. I think all three designs have some great features!
  • Posted by nchazan on 12/30/2008 at 12:28 PM Author
    D4 great comments! I would like to note that we are not a small business, we are a 180 year old corporation who serves many fortune 100 pharmaceutical companies. We don't need to convince them to use us, because they arent walking into Staples anytime soon. That being said, I absolutely love and agree with your comments on copywriting. I will look into some revisions and will post new images when i'm done
  • Posted on 12/30/2008 at 1:17 PM Accepted
    I actually like your 1st cover with the blueprint. To me, it's simple and makes me want to open to read more.

    On the inside, I'm not a big fan of the people shots because they look very generic- like you got them from iStock. I would prefer to see pics of people in the interiors you have constructed/designed that look like real people. Send a photographer out to get pics of some of your work. Maybe I'm completely off and those are actual pics, so correct me if I'm wrong. Ha!

    My hubby is a graphic designer and I do marketing, so I'm used to critiquing things like this. Take it or leave it, but good luck to you! Looks like a great company.
  • Posted by nchazan on 12/30/2008 at 4:31 PM Author
    H.P. thanks for the tips. Yeah unfortunately some of these are istock masterpeices , lol . I don't think we have the budget to get a photographer out to any of our clients (many also are high-security pharmaceutical companies). At least I don't think we do....I guess I don't even know the cost of using a photographer. Our suppliers do have incredibly high resolution photos which are used throughout to show many environments, I didn't go forward with istock throughout the whole brochure, only when needed. Many of the smiley stupid people were taken out and replaced with more creative, relevant photos.
  • Posted on 1/5/2009 at 6:59 PM Accepted
    I think #3 is best...and I love the idea of centering your logo and putting images around it.

    Why not get close-up shots of your products -- make them look "sexy" if you will, or at least beautiful. I've seen some park benches that have clean lines actually look pretty stunning with the right shot!

    On the inside I'd definitely use real shots of real interiors (include people if possible; we are drawn to faces)...it will make a difference plus show that you have been around for a while. Right now, with all the stock photos, it almost lends itself to being for a new company, IMHO.

    I've got 8+ years of marketing & graphics behind me and understand it's tough to get the right balance.

    Any questions, feel free to contact me directly. Good luck!!
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