Brand discovery
A publication, like any piece of design, should be an accurate representation of a brand’s communications. Therefore, we take time before the start of a project to fully research the client’s brand guidelines and ensure that we are fully informed and consistent with the brand.
If a client does not have brand guidelines or wishes to express something different, then time is factored in at the start of the job to explore design concepts. This is done through a period of research and presented back to the client as moodboards and/or case studies. We research audience profiles and make sure that our proposed strategy is on target and effective. Once we and the client have reached an agreed direction we move on to the next phase.
Design
Publication design is a fundamental discipline of graphic design. It is taught to every design student as it contains every core principle of design. A good read on the principals of graphic design can be found here but we have compiled a quick summary below.
These 5 core principles of graphic design are:
- Alignment
- Repetition
- Contrast
- Hierarchy
- Balance
Alignment
Alignment is one of the most basic, but most important principles of design, as it allows our eyes to see order, which is quite comforting to a reader.
Repetition
Think of repetition as consistency. By repeating elements of a design, you immediately create a familiarity or identity.
Contrast
Contrast is the most effective way to create emphasis and impact with your design.
Hierarchy
Hierarchy creates a visual organisation to a design and gives the reader an idea of where to begin and finish reading. Each element that is part of the design can be given a ranking of priority.
Balance
Balance provides stability and structure to a design, either through symmetry or tension of elements.
Using these principles we can create any type of design from a super organised formal document to an off-the-wall contemporary art and culture book made by children. Whatever we design depends on the client’s desired goals and the intended audience, all of which are taken into account at the start of the design phase.
We use all of our collective skills including branding, typography, illustration and photography to create a publication that meets the client’s desired outcomes.
Project Management
We work with the client to determine a point of contact and set up timelines for the project, allowing time for feedback on design and proofreading* of the documents. We use project management tools such as Asana and Google Calendar as well as old fashioned emails and telephone calls to make sure that all projects are taken smoothly from brief to delivery of your great smelling, tactile, printed document.
*While we use our software to perform spell checks, Piquant does not offer proofreading as an in-house service however we do work with third party proofreaders if required.
If you want to chat to us about a publication project, feel free to call us, send an email, or message us on Facebook
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