The Best of Brochure Design 12

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Structure and creativity

Guto Evans

Elfen

Cardiff Bay, Wales

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Structure and creativity

Guto Evans

Elfen

Cardiff Bay, Wales

A brochure is just one output of a project. Rarely these days does Elfen get commissioned to design just

a brochure, because its role has changed. For us, it is now part of the communication jigsaw; it needs to be

special rather than mass produced.

For National Theatre Wales, each project has a brief that is part of the wider communications package for

productions. We always start with the brief—what the particular director wants to communicate, and who the

potential audiences are. Then we discuss what the communication package includes. There is always a differ-

ent mix—online, offline and say, outdoor advertising, for example—which influences the creative direction.

As a studio, we collaborate heavily with our clients in the initial phases of a project. With National Theatre

Wales, meeting directors and artists is a really important part of our process. We map their theories and

ideas onto ours. This process allows us to immerse ourselves in ideas—to investigate with no preconception

of what formats and visual directions to take. The creative direction is driven by collaboration, and creative

production is part and parcel of the overall solution. We have a very robust process that allows a project to

be realized on a practical level—particularly in regard to time and money—there is no point in having a great

idea and selling it to the client if it’s going to blow the budget!

Having prescribed phases for every project helps our clients—some may be inexperienced in commissioning

design. Providing a structure to work within gives them confidence in our creative process. If you work with

any company or supplier and they have all the processes in place it really helps, whether you’re buying online,

designing a garden, or getting a suit tailored. If I am getting my suit tailored, I want to know the cost, how

many appointments I will need, what each one will be about, how long they will take, will I need to supply any-

thing, and when will it be done.

So phases are mapped out for the client. Initially, we gather information via questioning them, which is

followed up by a variety of workshops which map out thoughts and objectives. We then have ideation ses-

sions where we share ideas and look at initial design directions. This is where we try to inspire the client with

directions and options. In the case of brochure design, we look at lots of different influences with the client.

Inspiration can come from anywhere—there are no rules. For example you can use a piece of furniture that

folds really differently as inspiration for a brochure—it doesn’t have to be print related. At Elfen, we continu-

ally research design and production methods, keeping libraries of different formats, materials, architecture

and so forth, so that when we have sessions with clients we have lots that we are excited about to share

and discuss.

Being creative within a budget is a key skill—it’s not about wild ideas that are impossible or too costly to

produce. To do this we need the knowledge and expertise of knowing how different production methods work.

For example, anticipating how an inline varnish unit on a particular press offers a great opportunity. Asking

do the stitches come in different colors, at the same cost? On smaller runs, paper costs per sheet are not

such an issue, but on large runs, it can make or break a project. Knowing when a certain quantity makes one

press more expensive than another is important, like when a large run could work on a web press. Familiarity

with parent sheet and press sizes can maximze pagination and work to your benefit, giving clients extra space

for design and content at no extra production cost.

The final phases of design are how our collaboration with our client and our expertise with production come

together. The investment in the early stages always pays off when you get the brochures back from print.

Small details, when they come together, really do make a difference. A brochure is a bespoke product, tailor-

made for your client. With a lot of printers trying to standardize print, we need to try even harder to make the

finished piece unique and well crafted.

Guto

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