A couple of years ago, I wrote the brochure copy for a small non-profit that provided free “telecounselling” to local citizens.
The key objective of the brochure was to promote the client’s many helpful services—referrals and counselling, among others—to a wide range of ages.
Writing the copy was the easy part. The challenge came when I was asked to review my words in layout.
At first glance, the brochure looked good. The design was clean, and there was a nice balance of text and visuals on each panel. The client and graphic designer were pleased with the outcome. But upon taking a closer look, I had some concerns.
In essence, the photos and graphics did not support my text nor the main objective my client was trying to achieve. For example:
- On the inside of the brochure, the client had selected a photo of an elderly man holding a phone. There was no way to determine if this man was supposed to be a caller or a volunteer. Moreover, his face registered nothing but ambivalence; this did nothing to illustrate the “friendly” or “helpful” image the client wanted to portray.
- The cover was another story. The client had opted for a photo of a young, attractive woman wearing a suit jacket. Sporting a headset, she looked professional and efficient. The main problem was that the photo was “too corporate.” Someone in need of counselling would likely walk right by the brochure, mistaking it as an advertisement for a business call centre.
Moreover, sad to say, there are a lot of sick people out there. The last thing the agency needed was for lonely men to call their free 1-800 number, hoping to speak to this woman or others who looked like her. (By the way, in case you hadn’t already guessed, the woman was a model from a stock photo website)
- The agency also had a very outdated logo: a rotary phone, with curly cord intact. To be fair, some elderly callers still use rotary phones. However, the elderly only comprised a part of a very diverse caller base including youth and post-secondary students. Add the logo to the photo of the elderly man on the inside of the brochure, and the client was about to alienate anybody under the age of 60.
Thankfully, the client took my concerns to heart and—with the help of the graphic designer—made changes to better meet its objectives and match the copy I had written.
So what does this story tell you?
Reviewing text in layout is not just about looking for spelling errors. It involves looking at the entire product with an analytical eye, ensuring it meets the client’s objectives and that the visuals “match” the words and that everything "meshes" on the page. Some may call this a value-add, but I believe it should be integral to professional writing and editing.
I believe my client deserves a high quality of customer service—and therefore, I deliver it.
Thank you for reminding writers that words are part of the customer's message and that pictures speak a thousand words. When we look at the entire product to evaluate how it meets the client’s objectives, including photos, captions, and even paper stock, we are integrating all modes of communication. Indeed it is part and parcel of our role in the process.
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