"GIVE IT SOME STYLE."
Executive Women International's (EWI) Chairwoman approached me in early 2012 with a mission. She wanted to upgrade the suite of promotional materials typically sent out to companies and individuals that might participate in their scholarship golf tournament.
Her instructions were simple: design something sophisticated and upscale-something that will grab recipients' attention and let them know that this tournament is important, that it's been organized by people who really believe in the scholarships they're supporting.
Easy enough.
Her instructions were simple: design something sophisticated and upscale-something that will grab recipients' attention and let them know that this tournament is important, that it's been organized by people who really believe in the scholarships they're supporting.
Easy enough.
"THIS EVENT IS IMPORTANT–THE BROCHURE NEEDS TO COMMUNICATE THAT IMPORTANCE."
To achieve this goal, I thought about my own experience with the golfing industry. Specifically, my experience with my father, who loves to golf. What would grab his interest? Better yet, what would grab the interest of his company's owner, who also happens to be an avid golfer?
First, this piece needed typographic options that would communicate the spirit of golf...the quietly composed, unassuming air of its players and the comfortable humor that accompanies every game. I chose a combination of slab serif and script typography. The slab serif grounded the design and provided it with an air of masculinity. The script contrasted nicely, adding an element of delicate playfulness while echoing the course's pristine landscaping.
The color palette needed to reflect this pristine, organic setting. To that end, I selected a monochromatic color palette utilizing two shades of green. I selected a deep pine green to provide depth, and a bright, saturated green to further enhance the playfulness of the script typography.
The typical approach–a white, #10 envelope–just wouldn't do.
The men and women targeted by EWI receive piles of mail each day, and a standard white envelope would find itself tossed into the waste bin with all of the other white envelopes. With this in mind, I planned to create a folded brochure that could double as its own envelope. As an added bonus, I knew this decision would help to trim EWI's production costs and timeline down a bit further since there would be no need to match an envelope.
With the elimination of the envelope, funds were freed up to allow for a higher quality paper. I felt that a subtle texture would align well with the design's color scheme and typography. After several test prints on a variety of options we had in stock, I decided on Finch Vanilla Linen paper, in 80lb text weight. The texture hinted at a subtle luxury while complimenting the slab serif typography's strong, angular lines. The weight communicated a feeling of importance–further enhancing the overall message that this item would be worth the time taken to open it.
