For the past couple of months I have been working on creating a whole new collateral approach for the University of California. We worked over three weeks none stop to make three different options and prototypes. Well, we presented the prototypes and the client was blown away.
A week later we got called in back to the University to review the designs and get their feed back. Well turns out that ‘the powers that be’ said that the Brochures looked to nice and well done and that might scare off high roller donations into the department of Science. So we were told to revisit our existing designs and present a design that looked ‘cheaper’, a trifold brochure almost, the ones you pick up at a Hotel 6 just to pretend your reading something, then throw it away.
Their philosophy was simple “the nicer the brochure looks donators will think we already have a lot of money and thus they will not donate”
Personally I disagree. If you are the University of California and have some of the brightest minds in the country, should you not reflect that?
So we were told to revisit our existing designs and present a design that looked ‘cheaper’, a trifold brochure almost, the ones you pick up at a Hotel 6 just to pretend your reading something, then throw it away.
Their philosophy was simple “the nicer the brochure looks donators will think we already have a lot of money and thus they will not donate”
Thasts crap. Some philosophy.
You guys are probably fustrated as hell, after all that hard work.
If thats what they want, let them have it.
Maybe someone will pick it up and pretend to read it.
Personally, I’d rather donate to an organization that instills me with the confidence that the money will be used intelligently, by people who know what they’re doing. I’d rather give to some one who takes pride in what they do. Unfortunately, if they don’t want to project that image, it’s your problem. Think of it as an extra design challenge. Try to make it look superfinepeachysweet, without looking crazy expensivo.
If they have a hunch the “nice” brochure will negatively affect donations, maybe thay should consult a psychologist, and get some real answers. Otherwise, the best way to make it look cheaper is for them to pay you what you’re owed, and do it themselves! Good-for-nothins…
I know my alma mater always calls me for cash and sends me very nice, well designed brochures made by kids that have been kidnapped from the graphic design school.
However, the reason that I will never give them a penny isn’t because their brochures are too nice or their posters are too shiny, it’s because when I was a poor student and asked them for some financial assistance all I ever got were directions to the federal student loan office.
They wonder why none of the graduates ever give them any support and why no one will ever pay to have their name put on the building. The school and the alumni association can kiss my a&&.
I’m surprised that you’re surprised. My wife designed Annual Reports for a boutique graphic design biz that specialized in them. They frequently “intentionally cheapened” the design by printing with fewer colors or on matte vs. glossy stock. Annuals are all about message to the shareholders!
In some cases she had to swap out a picture of a smiling CFO with a “serious” version of the CFO when they posted a loss or had a bad year.
In extreme cases (frequent in the last couple of years) corporations forgoed the typical annuals and simply reported their standard earnings (required by law) via stapled newsprint booklets.
Your job as a designer is to communicate a message effectively. If that means newsprint, then it means newsprint–do your best!