Graphic Design That Works

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Job:12-84823 Title:RP-Graphic Design That Works

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brown medical school

Contemporary View on Tradition

With an increase in competition for both students and

funding, Brown Medical School was looking for distinction.

They wanted a bold, contemporary feel to their promotional

material that still respected the traditions of the university.

“The real trick was to balance the two sensibilities without

going too far either way,” recalls art director Matt Ralph.

“This piece also had to be flexible. They wanted it to help

them with fundraising, but they also wanted it for other

things, like student recruitment and public relations.”

To begin the project, research was conducted in the form

of interviews. “The writer and I spent a day at the school,

meeting with administrators, faculty members, and

department chairs and sitting in on a couple of classes,”

says Ralph. After getting a full understanding of the

institution and its students, an editorial approach was

set in motion. “In our research, Dr. Anthony Caldamone

came to our attention. He is a practicing surgeon who

had graduated from the school and now teaches there.

We wanted to do a feature and created this center gatefold

around him.” This day-in-the-life profile captures Dr.

Caldamone’s commitment to his practice and his patients.

To make the brochure interesting, various other visual

approaches were explored. “We looked at a lot of different

locations—identifying the people, where they were, and

what they were all about,” notes Ralph. “Rather than being

a shoot that was structured and art directed, I really wanted

a spontaneous, authentic storytelling feel. Going with a

journalistic approach, we could achieve that.” Throughout

the brochure, quotes and stories capture the reader’s

interest with bold and compelling imagery. Designed as

a complete package, this multipurpose brochure can be

customized in various ways to fit any desired purpose.

CLIENT:

Brown Medical School is part of

Brown University in Providence,

Rhode Island.

FIRM:

Plainspoke

ART DIRECTOR/DESIGNER:

Matt Ralph

PHOTOGRAPHER:

Len Rubenstein

C

OPYWRITER:

David Treadwell

ABOVE: The customizable brochure

includes cover letter stationery,

proposal stationery, and a series

of cards, which fit conveniently in

the back pocket, detailing various

aspects of the school.

Graphic Design That Works

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Job:12-84823 Title:RP-Graphic Design That Works

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ABOVE: In the center gatefold, an

inspirational story unfolds. The large

photos, printed in a bronze and black

duotone, were a challenge. Time had to

be built into the project to properly test

the sequencing and placement of the ink

to get just the right effect. Spot gloss

varnish is also used to achieve a nice

contrast with the matte finish paper.

What Works

This story-driven brochure uses text and image not only

to engage the reader but also to highlight the unique

characteristics of the school—the distinguished faculty,

the liberal medical education, the dynamic research

enterprise, and the network of teaching hospitals. “It was

successful in that it galvanized their efforts and gave them

a tangible piece that they could give to people to tell them

about what they were doing,” offers Ralph. “In the past,

they relied a lot on things they generated themselves.

This gave them a professional package that really helped

them get people’s attention.”

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