Now the fall out has settled from the
'Dot com' revolution business users are returning to the idea of tangible design
in support of online campaigns and internet commerce.
Corporate literature plays an important role in establishing a physical link between company and consumer something that cannot be achieved by internet delivery alone.
Committing as a company to a form of printed literature also shows a positive commitment to your client base. More importantly it can help to build to a
visual perception of company stature, performance and level of service.
Effective use of quality materials, print
finishes and design format can deliver
a document that will be retained by potential consumers until point of purchase and for future reference.
As an ideal corporate literature should be undertaken after establishing a strong brand identity and guidelines to the execution of the brand. This route will generate design themes from the identity that can be deployed into creating a company literature format that is consistent and in harmony with the rules set by the brand guide.
In cases where the current identity is
to be retained and revision is not a consideration, proposed literature should be sympathetic to the existing brand.
The identity colour palette should be reflected or compatible tones introduced.
Development may also be required into how the current identity could exist around new design themes and elements in order to deliver a solution where previous formats have failed or
become outdated.
One of the primary objectives when considering development of corporate literature is to achieve the right format. This refers mainly to the scale of the document in relation to the content it will house and how the information will be reflected within a layout that will deliver the desired message.
Our clients are often concerned that they have too little content to fill a company brochure or literature document. They often perceive the standard to be around 16-24 pages where as in most instances this is not the case.
It would be more desirable to produce a concise document within a 4-8 page structure on a quality stock than it would be to produce a 32 page document where the content is stretched to the point where a sparse layout could lose relevance or be detrimental to the company image.
Quality photography is the crux of all corporate literature that will feature imagery. Photography can occupy up to 70% of the content of literature it also has integral design elements within it that support the documents message.
It is therefore important the treatment
of photography is respected and recognised as a component of the
design from the outset.
The availability and fall of prices in digital cameras has led to a relaxed attitude towards the need for third party photography. Although indeed print quality imagery is now widely available from such technology, it is only through consideration towards art direction, lighting and environmental staging that a result can be achieved to support the surrounding design elements.
Investment in quality photography will lead to additional benefits within future design projects. The themes generated can be applied to all aspects of the brand including support of web based and multi media formats.
The resolution available from high end digital equipment also facilitates oversized production and exhibition panel usage without the need to re shoot existing material to meet quality requirements.
Literature stock material and additional print finishing are often overlooked or considered unnecessary further expenditure. The quality of stock material and additional print finishing plays an important role in supporting the literature itself and can even be viewed as a contributing design element.
The finish of the document is the physical contact between yourself and the client. The message has to be right, early perceptions are formed around the weight of stock and quality of material used these all reflect a company's attitude, commitment and financial status.
To highlight an example, we recently delivered a corporate brochure solution in which the actual content area occupied only 4 A4 sides. Although the design concept was strong and left no criticism open towards the companies abilities it was felt that the quality of stock and finishing was fundamental in cementing company performance and status with the literature.
A heavy pulp stock board was chosen that produced a very substantial feel to the document. The boards' characteristics created some bleed and flatness to the colour to give a unique almost illustrative quality to the images. The slightly coarse nature of the stock gave the document a texture which was complementary to the company's market area of road surfacing.
Diablo have a wealth of experience in providing clients with creative literature solutions around standard or unique formats. We have always worked closely with a select group of specialist printers in order to deliver a product of significant quality to your target market.
Corporate brochure design Documentation Brand guidelines Report and accounts/financial literature Promotional material/flyers/mailers Point of sale/retail/launch material Exhibition design and literature support
For further information or to receive a quotation for any of your literature requirements please follow this link.
Corporate brochure design 
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