Hints to Help You Write Effective Handouts
 
 
 
 
 
 
  Are MedicalBrochures
Worthwhile?
 
  What Makes an Effective
Handout?
 
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A) Content   B) Illustrations   C) Design   D) Production
 
Design is the glue that brings together the text and the illustrations.
 
Some brochures are read. Others are opened, quickly scanned, then filed away. Unfortunately, if a brochure's first impression causes it to be quickly refolded, the odds are that it will never be read. Let's look at a few aspects of effective design.
 
Color:
 
Color can be used in illustrations, design elements (lines, bars, etc.), the paper, and/or the ink. Using color can have an enormous impact, but remember: Sometimes using just a bit of it is more effective than color everywhere.
 
Readability:
 
Your text is made more readable by the use of short words, short sentences, short paragraphs, and white space.
 
Fonts:
 
Desktop computers have made it easier than ever to quickly switch back and forth between different type styles (known as fonts). Be careful. Just as with the use of color, less is usually better than more. And be careful using the fancy fonts that are available. For a party announcement, they're fine; for a patient education handout, they're inappropriate...
 
There are a number of excellent books available that will help you design effective handouts. Consider the following titles:
 
Creating Brochures and Booklets
by Val Adkins
published by North Light Books, Cincinnati, OH ($26.99)
 
Everyone's Guide to Successful Publications
by Elizabeth W. Adler
published by Peachpit Press, Berkeley, CA ($28.00)
 
The Non-Designers Design Book
by Robin Williams
published by Peachpit Press, Berkeley, CA ($14.95)
 
 
 
The Web is also a great source of ever-changing information on design. For starters, look at Chuck Green's site:www.ideabook.com
 
A) Content   B) Illustrations   C) Design   D) Production
 
 
 
The Power of White Space
 
White space is the unused area in a brochure or booklet. It may seem like a waste if this space is not filled with words, but the opposite is true. Include white space between paragraphs, at the bottom of pages, at the end of sections. Let your text stand out by using lots of white space.
 
 
 
 
 
 
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