We send you a PDF for your brochure and you look at the loooong mess of letters and numbers that is the file name. Why don’t they just name it ‘Brochure.pdf’? you wonder. There is a method to our madness, I promise.

Here’s an example file name —

Let’s break it down.

You weren’t completely clear on what “meme” meant but were afraid you’d look lame if you asked anyone? Data backup service Mozy answers that question with this huge infographic. Plus! “Ingredients of a Viral Hit.” Scroll for more…

It’s called parallax scrolling, it’s (one of) the hot new things in web design. Possibly gimmicky, when used thoughtfully it can create some amazing effects, as seen below. One thing is for sure: the era of rich visuals on the web is finally here, woo-hoo! We looked at Every Last Drop a few months ago, here are some more examples. Start by scrolling! And enjoy…

Spotify

Green Man

Oakley

Pitchfork Cover Stories

Soleil Noir

Sometimes I can’t believe how excited I get excited when I’m asked to design a brochure. It’s so rare these days! Most of the print we design is to be downloaded off the web and printed on an unknown laserjet printer somewhere in some office. So much for quality control! But when the client actually sends a piece we’ve designed to the printer, it’s a completely different experience. We get samples with that amazing off-print-press-smell, and it’s delicious.

The experience of riffling through a print brochure is completely different than clicking through a PDF or scrolling a website. We have the opportunity to captivate our audience, to draw them in through their senses. With the wonderful image assets and brand identity strength of Ecotrust, that was not hard to do with their organizational brochure.

Ecotrust Fresh Thinking Brochure Cover, Interior Spread

Here are a few more spreads to enjoy.

This fantastic infographic by British Design Experts is a great resource for understanding why we choose the colors we choose for you. It’s really not arbitrary, but an artful balance of brand execution, competitive advantage, and aesthetic appeal. All colors have positive and negative aspects, it’s how well you utilize them that makes the difference. Enjoy!

Infographic by British Design Experts and Marek Mis