Any company, sooner or later, will need branded design materials to help promote its purpose or product. Investing in well designed materials is certainly an expense that  will pay off in the long run. Before you start spending on your marketing materials, be sure you dedicate your budget towards the right collateral.

Here are some things to consider when researching the type of collateral you may need:

Medium type:

There’s a wide range of marketing media that allows us to share information, so which one will give the best results for your needs (i.e. using a printed brochure versus an electronic one)? Based on your business marketing dynamics and target audience, put more than a little bit of thought on choosing your medium – since, what is it worth to invest time and money in a great design if it won’t reach any relevant party?

Type of project:

We are surrounded by design, so projects can range from: icons, logos, posters, brochures, illustrations, presentations, patterns, menus, albums, animation, websites, banners, tradeshows, catalogs, image retouch, flyers, business cards, letter heads, envelops, info-graphics, templates, billboards, splash-screens, mini sites, loaders, interface, fabric, education material, cover pages, business plans, power points, books, postcards, greeting cards, ads, sings, covers, packages, brand theme, brand colors, fonts, symbols, t-shirts, e-mailers, blogs… Well you get the idea.

Choosing a format:

While some projects have clear preset formats (i.e. “I need a poster for my booth with a 10’ backdrop…”), others can have less obvious scenarios that you may need to take into account. Take a printable brochure for example, where part of the size configuration should be based on distribution: would you send it by postal service inside a regular envelop, or will it be carried inside a company folder, or should it fit in a shelf holder, and so on.

Your personal style:

Design projects can be tough since there isn’t just one single outcome possible, thus making it as objective as it gets. If you ask 100 people about one particular design, you will get 100 different answers if not more. So what does your gut tell you? Share with us in words or even better, send us examples of what you like and dislike, so we can have a better understanding of your personal style preference.

Know your Target Audience:

Instinctively you will most likely guide the project to your personal style, but you should definitely consider your target audiences’ preferences first (if the target audience is indeed a third party). Our challenge will always be to find a good balance between both. Lets take for example, you, being a hip young guy or gal, while the project’s target audience is a much older crowd… You might prefer a more modern, urban or dynamic look, while they might prefer a more conservative one.

Technical Specifications:

Every project has at least three stages: conception, design, and production. While the first two are open to our wildly creative imaginations, the production stage comes with technical limitations. For this sole reason, production specifications should be presented prior the whole process. Considering the specifications (i.e. from the print house, packaging, software developers, etc) will let the conception and design stages be more efficient in maximizing the option outputs despite limitations.