Of the many new endeavors that CommunityLink has taken on in 2010, the MarketWise toolbox of free marketing materials that we’ve created for the industry has topped the list in terms of generating an interoffice stir. The task of developing ideas and spreading the word about MarketWise seems to have touched all of us here in some way or another, but it’s Josh Mueller and the CommunityLink design team that have been at the heart of the project from the beginning.

With over 90 designs available thus far and over 500 design requests fulfilled for chambers across the country, we think it’s time you heard from some of the people behind the scenes who have made all of this possible. Below is a Q&A with designers Josh Mueller, Amanda White, Joseph Goetting, Kacey Wolters, Kelly Friederich, and Matt Price about their MarketWise experience.

How does the group keep coming up with ideas for new MarketWise designs?

Josh: At first it was about trying to cover all of the bases in terms of our three main categories, and we were trying to come up with a lot of pop culture references and things like that. Once we kind of exhausted our initial ideas that way, we did a lot of interoffice brainstorming. Now that it’s in heavy use, we’re also getting a lot of good suggestions from the users.

What’s the creative process for coming up with ideas? Do you start with a visual image and then decide how to use it, or do you look for an image to fit an idea?

Kacey: I was finding quotes or coming up with ideas in my head and then trying to find images to fit that. For example, “Follow the Yellow Brick Road.” That was an idea that someone had said and then I had to find an image to fit that without copyright infringement or those kinds of things. That’s been my process, but it definitely goes both ways.

Joseph: Since we’re coming up with a lot of these ideas out of the blue, there are times that I’ll just search through photos and then come up with a marketing scheme for a whole postcard based on an image that I found. Everything ties together pretty well that way, too, so it can start with either an image or an idea.

Have you tried to balance the styles of the designs to be sure there’s something for every taste, or have the ideas just naturally lent themselves toward variety?

Josh: I think at first the focus was definitely on humor, cleverness, and being catchy, but as we’re getting feedback from people it’s molding our thinking about the new designs. Some clients may feel that the funny ones don’t reflect the image they want to project, so they want the more professional looking messages. We’re finding more balance between the catchy ones and the professional ones because the goal is to appeal to everybody. You don’t want to push anyone away.

Matt: The point behind MarketWise originally was to show chambers an alternative to what they’ve always used in the past, or at least what’s possible beyond just a plain letter or an email. So what started off as an example of a clever new approach is now becoming a big, big thing.

What are your personal favorites out of the designs so far?

Joseph: My favorite one that I did was “Offer You Can’t Refuse” – the mafia one.

Kacey: I like the “Come on Down” one. One chamber executive actually asked me about it on the phone and I wanted to say, “Yeah, I designed that!” A lot of them also like the “Yellow Brick Road” ones. I think they’re catchy but not too far out of the box.

Matt: I love the ticket design for events because they can use all of those if they host each of those events annually. Then, when the postcards get sent out over the course of the year, it starts creating an identity and a branding effect. The people who receive them will know right away that it’s a chamber event invitation.

Kelly: My favorite design that I worked on would have to be “Strength in Numbers.” It turned out a lot better than I originally thought it would. I also like the Take a Spin” templates. They seem to be one of the crowd favorites and most people can identify the “BEST GAME SHOW EVER!” That’s my opinion, of course.

Amanda: “Killer App” and “Green is Greener” are probably the most popular among clients. I would say the “Chicken Soup” one is my own favorite.

And now, friends and ChamberCentric followers, we’d like to hear from you. Which MarketWise design is your favorite? What’s your idea for a snazzy new MarketWise message? Brainstorm with us by commenting on this post. Who knows, someday you may be able to send a free, professionally designed message to all of your members and tell your board, “That was my idea.”

design, designers, marketwise

“Design is so simple – that’s why it is so complicated.” – Paul Rand

For all of the time and effort that goes into producing a quality publication, the amount of time it has to attract a potential reader can actually be very short. A fleeting glance may be all that’s given before a decision is made to begin reading or walk away. Great content will keep the reader once you have them, but design plays a huge role in getting them to bite in the first place. Below, CommunityLink production manager and professional designer Matt Price shares a few thoughts on the purpose, process, and pitfalls of publication design.

Purpose

The purpose of design is to grab someone’s attention and keep it long enough to communicate the message you want them to receive. It’s about relaying a concept in just a few short seconds and visually making a sale. This can range from selling a product to selling an idea or even a destination. If you think about it, graphic design and marketing is really all around us; it’s everywhere you look. That’s why the design behind your community marketing is so important, because it makes your message stand out and get noticed.

Process

Every designer develops his or her own method for design work, but almost every design starts with research. You have to know your intended audience and your subject before you can determine how to draw that audience to the content. This is usually followed by conceptualization and working with layouts to decide how you’re going to present your information. Personally, I like to lay out my content first before applying design elements such as colors and images to it – to build the car before I paint it. With that said, the paint is just as important. Color, images, and composition all have to be carefully chosen in order to relay the correct message, because something like a poorly chosen color can easily create the wrong mood or impression.

Pitfalls

A common misconception in the graphic design world is that you have to fill up as much space as possible. This can result in “gray pages” that have too much text or designs that are simply too cluttered. Sometimes a minimalist approach can be good, and a viewer should always be able to glance at a page and identify its headers and subheads. It really pays to put some trust and faith in your designer on these types of decisions because, like the audience, they typically see the project with a fresh, outside perspective. This is an advantage, not a disadvantage, and it most often leads to a better design.

design, Matt Price