OUGD504 - Brief 1 - Secondary Research: Leaflet Design

OUGD504: Brief 1: My Design Process

Secondary Research: Leaflet Design  

Having researched a range of different folding styles and created a range of mock up test pieces in the folding workshop I was interested to see if any of these folds had real life commercial applications. I chose to research a range of existing leaflet designs to gain inspiration for my initial ideas and help narrow my focus on folding styles and aesthetic of my leaflet. I began by researching a range of leaflets and some notable examples I analyse are documented below. 

The first leaflet design I analyse was part of a promotion series from University of the arts London which uses a cut out on the front of the design to create an engaging speech bubble that will be more engaging and interactive with an audience. I liked this features as it allowed be to consider more than just standard folds within my leaflet. Although blue and yellow are contrasting colours I feel the colour palette is not that engaging for a specialist arts institution and feel this could be improved however seems to work well with the text as it is still perfectly legible. I feel this leaflet design is innovative and interactive in regards to its construction however felt the aesthetic choices could have been more tailored to an arts specific target audience. 

I then analyse a leaflet design for Helvetia which I was instantly attracted to through the use of bold shapes filled with vivid imagery to create a contemporary aesthetic that works well against the white stock. This design uses a triangle pattern throughout. It works on a number of panels and nicely ties in all of the information in a cohesive manor. I especially liked how the imagery worked in the folded leaflet but also came together when folded out to  almost create a full poster full of edgy geometric shapes. I liked the aesthetic of this design and felt I could work along this aesthetic however could try to experiment further with the physical construction of the leaflet. 

Finally I analysed this bold blocked colour accordion folded leaflet which although looks simple by design I found it highly effective in communicating its content. The  large photographs are really engaging especially how they are all positioned on the right to the folds to create a bold synergy when stood up.  There is a nice colour matching between sides to tie the design together although I personally would limit the colour palette this works well in context. I like the bold simplicity of this leafed style, I think I could develop the accordion fold into my initial ideas as I like its extending mechanism which could lend its self well to visually representing a process (from a to b). 

Having analysed a range of leaflets and combining with with my folding research  I feel confident I have a detailed understanding of leaflet design and feel confident in starting to create some initial ideas. I have found interesting design features in all of the leaflets I have analysed and am eager to start experimenting with initial ideas and combining some of the successful features documented above to create an engaging piece of design that will visually communicate the design process in an innovative aesthetic fashion.