Initial Discussion
We met with Bob Glim of Church Extension Investors Fund to discuss their need to communicate the message and practices of CEIF. Their mission is to assist local churches in the United States and Canada with facilities development. While a majority of the day-to-day function of the company revolves around finances, the heart of CIF is ultimately the life-change that can happen in a person’s life when they are part of a healthy church.
The Problem
The challenge was to communicate the information for potential investors, which at times can be dry financial data, while at the same time expressing the heart of the organization. Additionally, there is information that is specific to the U.S. and to Canada, so a solution needs to be used that can easily distinguish between the 2 countries, while still clearly a part of the same family.
The Fresh Solution
As we considered what visuals would best address the identified challenge, we determined that illustrations would help to make the content accessible to the reader.
We explored a number of looks for illustrations and found a series of stylized illustrations with fluid lines would work well with the content. We paired the illustrations with watercolor textures to unify the pages while creating an additional layer of visual interest on the frame of the page.
The main content of the brochure used the san-serif font Lucida Grande. The solid structure of the font helped to bring the professional tone that is present in 40 years of experience. The varying weights of the font helped to create hierarchy on the page for headlines, subheads and information that was highlighted for readers benefit.
We also used the font Melanie for callouts throughout to create additional visual interest and highlight certain content. This handwritten font reflects the organic style of the illustrations and gives a more warm and personal feel to the information.
The final problem of differentiating between the two countries was resolved by adjusting the color palette. When pulling together information to send to a potential customer or donor, a CIF employee would be able to quickly identify which brochure they needed by just looking at the cover color.
Here’s What the Client Had to Say
“I have been working with Fresh Folio Design for years, and they never disappoint. Rebecca always uses her creative gifts in order to provide us with fresh, innovative designs.”
| Bob Glim Vice-President Marketing/PR Church Investors Fund |
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