I went outside my comfort zone and didn't use publisher,but instead tried to follow the tutorial that showed how to create a brochure in photoshop (I have photoshop elements). This was much more of a challenge than I thought trying to get things aligned. Anyhow, I decided to go with a traditional JMU purple/gold, since we are a graduate department and house 8 graduate programs within. Figuring out what to include was the most difficult since each program has loads of information for and many are very different from each other (we range from counseling and school to assessment and measurement and cspa). I decided to try and go simple and basic and use various shades of purple with a touch a gold/yellow. I went with a textured background (cracked paint) and layered purple and gray over it in varying degrees of opacity. With it being spring break and snowy, I haven't had a chance to take too many photos, so this was the only one I actually took ,so I used it. I hope to try and get another. Any input would be great. As I mentioned, we have lots of programs and lots of info, so deciding what to include was super tough. I might take out the JMU settings, but I think grad students are interested in the region they are moving to, so I included this. Looking for what to put underneath, maybe a picture of the valley, if I can take one. As I said, 4 programs have their own brochures, I made one for another program so one for all 8 was a challenge. Each program is unique, but I think it would be great to have one that we could have for the department.
Taking a closer look, I am aware of the numerous spelling errors (that occur when you type without your glasses). I will fix these. In addition, I am not sure about the alignment. I don't want to center everything, but not sure how a mix looks. Also, wondering now if it is too purple. I like the variation and am not sure I want a gray background and think gold would be too much. Thoughts appreciated.
ReplyDeleteFor the top:
ReplyDelete-I like that your psi symbol spans two columns.
-I like the color of the psi symbols on the bottom better than the color of the top psi. The bottom colors seem to provide more contrast / pop.
-If you do or don't change the psi color, I would still increase the transparency of the psi symbol. The purple font is difficult to read over it at some points.
-I see what you mean about all of the purple. Could you use black instead of the underlined program titles?
-The middle and right columns are very text heavy. I understand that you're giving equal information for the programs, but they seem to run together. Is there any way to put more space between each program?
-The picture is very nice! It connects well with the quote and sets a good, welcoming tone. I like the purple border around it also. It also showcases nice weather. What prospective student doesn't want nice weather? haha :)
For the bottom:
-I like that the first things I would see when I open the brochure are the quote and picture right next to the program's mission, values, and accreditation. That is smart planning on your part! I think those things are really important to prospective students....feeling welcomed and feeling like my values and what I want out of something aligns with the department values and what it can offer me.
-The left column appears to have three separate font sizes. I would try to stick to one size.
-I agree that centering everything is overwhelming. In the middle column, you could left-align the top and leave the contact info centered.
-I like your logo and the pop of the yellow color.
-Great idea to include info about the area.
I agree, creating this sucker was much harder than I thought it would be! Good job for pushing yourself to try something new!