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The Library & Information Science Professional's Career Development Center |
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Making a Visual Impact: A Former Graphic Designer's Guide to Creating
Library Publications |
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As an undergraduate art major who formerly worked as a graphics editor, I surprised my friends and family by going on to receive an MLIS. They felt that going from graphic design to librarianship was a drastic change. The truth is both fields call for ample doses of creativity. In the course of working in a library, a librarian may have to release his or her inner artist at one point or another. Whether you are putting together a poster presentation, taking over the design of a library newsletter, or adding signs to the latest exhibit, having some basic design know-how can help you successfully market your institution and your skills. With the availability of desktop publishing software, writing and designing newsletters, posters, flyers, and brochures is becoming easier than ever. The downside is that many librarians have not been trained in areas involving design. Large institutions may have a graphic communications department or a group of in-house designers you can utilize to churn out presentation materials. But what if time is of the essence and you must tackle the project alone? Or what if your library unfortunately does not have a communications department and the task of designing an eye-catching poster is all on you? How does a librarian don the hat of a graphic designer? If you ever learned to write a research paper, you’re already there. Most of the work has to be done before you even start to create. Know Your Purpose Like any good piece of writing, successful publications have an obvious objective. Think of it as an argument for a research paper. Frame your intent before you begin by writing it out. Perhaps you are designing a flyer to advertise a new service. Your written goal might be: “We want the students and faculty to be aware of the virtual chat reference service now offered through the library’s web page”. With this goal in mind, you can focus on the creative aspects. Which brings me to my next point…. Know Your Audience You most likely want your publications to have mass appeal, but in reality, most publications are designed with a distinct target group in mind. For instance, perhaps you want to create a sign to promote your public library’s story hour—your primary target audience might be families with small children. Or if your academic library is offering a poetry contest, you may determine your target group to be faculty, students, and English and writing majors. Think of your audience in terms of what they would wear or what predominant values they share. If you are hoping to appeal to a tech-savvy Generation Y crowd, use high-tech fonts and imagery. Also keep in mind that if you are using images of people or families in your publications you should attempt to include individuals from a variety of cultural backgrounds. Know How You Will Distribute Your Information How will others see your publication? This will often determine its size and the materials you will use. It’s best to think about this beforehand so that, for instance, your brochure will fit into business-size envelopes or your sign will have enough impact for the average passerby to read. Determine how you are going to distribute your information. Would the information be better distributed as a button or other freebie than as a sign? Is there an unconventional or surprising way to distribute your message? Librarians are always coming up with unique ways of marketing their services through publications. If you see brochures or fliers that were successful at sparking your interest or had an interesting design concept, keep them and store them in a file for future reference. The following websites may give you some ideas on unique ways of distributing and creating your publications.
Less is More A downside to the easy access to desktop publishing software is that, with the abundance of fonts available, those without design expertise can sometimes go overboard. Be subtle with the size and boldness of your fonts to maintain a level of sophistication. As a rule of thumb you should stick to no more than two different fonts throughout your publication. Also, if you are working on a comprehensive publication like a newsletter, seek to set and maintain a distinct look and feel that carries through to every page. Being consistent is easier now with the use of desktop publishing software. By creating a template, all of your pages will have a similar and consistent look. Instructions on creating a template are available in the help sections of most software programs like Adobe Indesign. Know the Rules and Regulations Set Down By Your Institution If your library is part of large institution, there will most likely be set graphic standards you must adhere to at all times. For instance, normally the logo of the institution or library must look a certain way before you publish it. Most institutions have a clear set of these rules publicly available for you to view on their graphics or communications department’s website. Check with your administration beforehand to know your limitations or requirements before you even begin. You don’t want to finish a project and discover you have misused your institution’s logo. Seek Training If your resources permit, seek out training and workshops. Librarians at large academic institutions may have access to training sessions on graphic design software such as QuarkXpress, Adobe Indesign, Adobe Illustrator, and Adobe Photoshop. If your institution does not offer these types of workshops, seek classes at community colleges and public libraries. From my experience, these training sessions cover the basics and are not too overwhelming for the inexperienced. A bit of design know-how will give your marketing and presentation efforts an added edge and also add to your set of skills for your résumé and CV. Recommended Reading Ingram, Patreese D., Marney H. Dorsey, and Sanford S. Smith. 2004. Tips for Designing Publications for Underrepresented Audiences. Journal of Extension [Online], 42 (4). Available at: http://www.joe.org/joe/2004august/tt2.shtml Ligaya Ganster received both her BA in Studio Art and her MLIS from the University of Pittsburgh. She is currently the Jean Blackwell Hutson Resident at the University at Buffalo and is involved with outreach and instruction. Article published Dec 2006 Disclaimer: The ideas expressed in LIScareer articles are those of their respective authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the LIScareer editors.
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Page last updated
11/27/2006
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