Publication design for The University of Manchester
Here’s our most recently published project – On Digital Trust – for the lovely folks in the Policy@Manchester team. This publication examines how our lives are being transformed by the digital revolution and is the latest in a series of ‘on…’ publications that we have worked on.
Graphic design and content marketing in Manchester – a little of our recent work
Looking for graphic design or content writing? Here’s a quick look at some of our recent work. Contact us for a quote – we’re nice and friendly.
Graphic design – recent work – Association of University Administrators
This is one of our recent design projects for The AUA. It’s is a 28-page publication that we designed for the Association of University Administrators (AUA). It’s sent out to its entire membership and summarises key AUA events over the last year and highlights the AUA’s key CPD services. We’ve been working with the AUA since 2011, designing many of its publications, brochures, leaflets, and display material. Can we help you?
Alliance Manchester Business School – publication design
Here’s one of our recent publication design projects for Alliance Manchester Business School. It’s a 32-page review of the achievements of the Health Services Research Centre (HSRC) published to coincide with the launch of the new Institute for Health Policy and Organisation (IHPO). Printed on uncoated paper.
On Materials – graphic design for Policy@Manchester
More lovely publication design work, this time for The University of Manchester. We’ve been working with Policy@Manchester for a while and have produced several in this ‘On…’ series, all following a similar design. ‘On Materials’ is a collection of policy recommendations aimed at the advanced materials community in Greater Manchester and across the UK. Brochure design
New school prospectus design for Loreto Preparatory School in Cheshire
Loreto Preparatory School new school prospectus design Loreto Prep contacted us, as they wanted to update their school prospectus, which was out of date for their needs. They needed something to present at a school open day, so we worked to their deadlines to produce a lovely new prospectus that they could use for prospective parents and pupils. We met with them at the school to discuss design, photography, and print options and worked with them on building the structure and content of the prospectus. After commissioning a trusted photographer, we attended the school with them to capture the essence of the school, its staff and its pupils, and presented Loreto with a suite of new images to use in the prospectus and for future marketing needs. Loreto put together a framework of content, which we finessed to come up with the final wording for the prospectus. One of the advantages of working with copper media is our ability to quickly react to the needs of our clients and we can also get remote jobs . We work efficiently, meeting the deadlines set by our clients and in a fluid way, without being precious about our work – your ideas are as valid as ours and we’ll always listen to what you want. It’s a real hands-on team effort; for this prospectus we went into the school, printed out the initial designs, cut the pages and arranged them by hand to make sure the structure was correct, the images were balanced and the narrative made sense. Our work is always a two-way process, so after attending another meeting to discuss the design and content, we took on board the tweaks that Loreto wanted to make to ensure that the school leadership team was completely happy with their new prospectus. Delivered on time and on budget, Loreto were very happy with their new prospectus. “They’ve arrived and look fantastic! The open days went well with lots of positive comments about the prospectus.”
Manchester brochure design. We can help!
Manchester brochure design Looking for Manchester brochure design? We can help! We’ve been working with clients for more than ten years, producing great brochure design. Our involvement ranges from full project management of brochures, including editorial contributions, content writing, interviewing staff and stakeholders, commissioning and accompanying photographers and of course full design services. We can be there throughout the project, or dip in for the support you need, when you need it. Have a look at some of our brochure design below: Association of University Administrators We’ve been supporting the AUA for eight years, and in that time have designed brochures and newsletters for its large membership. These include Newslink, AUA Conference Brochures and CPD training brochures. The University of Manchester As well as working in-house at the University for six years, producing prospectuses and guides, we have continued our relationship as suppliers. We’ve worked on 40-page marketing brochures including EPS News and Your Manchester as well as On Devo and Health Devo. Lee Westwood Golf School We supported Lee Westwood Golf School to provide brochure design for several of its courses. Here’s the BTEC brochure, and Golf Performance brochure. Schools We’ve worked with several schools in Manchester and Cheshire to design prospectuses and welcome guides. Claire House Children’s Hospice Our most recent client is Claire House Children’s Hospice in Bebington, Wirral. We are currently producing its supporter newsletter. Give us a call or drop us an email and we’ll be very happy to come to see you, discuss your project and provide a competitive price and a quality service.
copper media feedback. What do our clients think about our work?
We’re fortunate enough to work with so many lovely clients – both old and new – and we’re always blown away by the positive words they have to say about our work and about the process of working with us. copper media feedback is one of the best bits of our job. We recently asked some of our clients for feedback and we were delighted with their words. Here’s the copper media feedback from May 2017. “I highly recommend copper media. We have always been delighted with everything they have produced for us, from our quarterly membership magazine to more bespoke one off publications. “The creativity offered in the design work is always original, but keeps within our own brand guidelines and the customer service received from both Julian and Jo is exemplary, with them both going out of their way to meet our deadlines in delivering us a perfect product.” Kim Mellor, Communications Officer, The Association of University Administrators “I have worked with Julian on a number of projects over the past few years for our Multi Academy Trust. Julian’s ideas, attention to detail and the speed at which the projects are completed is second to none. “No matter how small the project, Julian is always happy to help out and we are always delighted with the results. I would not hesitate in recommending copper media!” Suzy Beecher, Kingsway Community Trust “It was a great experience working with copper media, they listened to my needs and came back with excellent ideas and proposals using the ideas I had, but enhancing them to a level I couldn’t have achieved without their assistance.” Sean Connors, Dancing in the Dark “Working with Julian at copper media is great. I provided a brief and ideas and he was able to create a brand identity very quickly which only needed a few tweaks to complete. “He is extremely creative and has loads of good ideas, as well as being able to point out any challenges in the proposed design. This professional advice is invaluable, providing the input of someone who has seen it all before! “I’d highly recommend copper media and I’ve already commissioned them to do another piece of branding work for me.” Leonie Thomas, Leonie Thomas Bid Writing Limited “As someone who has worked in visual & live communication for the best part of 30 years, I have to say that copper media are one of the very best companies that I have worked with. “It’s not just the end result achieved (which is always strong / focused / inspired) it’s the journey … it’s the delightful way we get there. That’s important and something that’s worth its weight in gold.” Alan Baker, Xprez Come to copper media and we’ll work hard to ensure that you’re as delighted with the results as our most recent clients. For graphic design, marketing or content support drop us an email.
Newsletter design – digital or printed? Both!
In May we were invited by CharityComms to speak to the North West Networking Group about our work with organisations on the design and content of newsletters. It was great to see so many people engaged on the afternoon and thanks must go to Charity Comms for their organisation and to Creative Concern for hosting. So, newsletter design – digital or printed? Sharing the floor with two charities, Mines Action Group and Nugent we explored different ways in which newsletters help build loyalty and stay in touch with audiences. A key issue covered was the relevance of printed newsletters in the digital age and how print can compete with fast, informal and inexpensive digital communication. There was broad agreement that a printed newsletter remains an important communication and marketing channel, as a tangible reminder of an organisation, and is more likely to attract meaningful attention over a longer period of time. Despite the impact of electronic communications on print, people still value the sensory experience, and print is the preferred medium for many readers. We worked through a quick checklist of questions you should ask yourself if you are putting together a newsletter: Who’s going to read the newsletter? Who is your audience? Customers, service users, funders, members or the general public? A narrow audience makes it easier to decide on your content, but for a wider readership you’ll need to ensure that there’s something in it for everyone. What format should the newsletter take? Now you know your audience, ask them how they would like to hear from you. Remember that although a printed newsletter is likely to be the more costly option, research shows that print offers a greater return on investment, if for instance you are fundraising or promoting an event or opportunity. Digital newsletters are a cheaper way to communicate quickly and informally with your audience. They have a direct impact on website traffic and can be managed in-house. But remember: they will be competing with a vast amount of digital content out there. What about the content of your newsletter? Make sure it’s appropriate for the format. A digital newsletter should feature a few shorter articles, directing readers to your website for further reading. A printed newsletter, with a mix of articles, photos and illustrations, offers much greater scope for analysis and insight. How often should it be published? There are a number of factors that will determine your publishing schedule, not least of which will be the resources available to you. A digital newsletter may take a day to write and send out, a printed newsletter may take a couple of month to pull together. How long should it be? If you’ve answered questions 1 -4 then you should have a good idea of the length of your newsletter. Do I have the skills and resources to do this in-house? Who will contact contributors and collate submissions? Research, write, edit and proofread the content? Who will design, illustrate and lay out the magazine? What about photography and print? These are just a few of the skills that you’ll need if you want to put together a newsletter that really shines, and that’s not mentioning administration and project management. You may want to commission someone to take on some or all of these tasks. How much will it cost? Decide on your budget and look at which skills need to be bought in, for instance writing, photography, design, print and fulfilment. How long will it take? Often longer than you think – remember to set clear deadlines for everyone involved in putting the newsletter together. Now you’ve answered all these questions you should have a far clearer understanding of how to pull together a newsletter that will be a clear voice for your organisation. Good luck! Whether you’re looking to put together a simple electronic newsletter or multi-page magazine why not give us a call on 0161 386 2106 to find out more about our design and content writing services, or drop us an email.
Brochure design – how to get the brochure you want without breaking the bank
Brochure design Clients often come to us with a vague idea of what they want in a brochure design, because they are in the first stages of developing the content or preferred look and feel. Ideas about the cover image, opening paragraph and call to action are important aspects of your brochure design, however thrashing out a fuller picture of what you want can save you both time and money, as you will have a clear brief for any designer. What is the brochure design for? Why are you producing a brochure? Is it to let clients know about a new product or service/to showcase your existing offerings/drum up new business in new markets? Your reasons for your new brochure are key in determining your messages and design. Get this right early and you can avoid several drafts of content and design ideas. What do you want to say and how do you want to say it? Once you’ve identified the market for your new brochure design it pays to take a little time to research your audience. Who are they? What other products or services do they buy? How do they usually engage with brands? How do other organisations speak to them? What language and tone do they use? What images appeal to this audience? Thinking about the answers to these questions early on in your brochure design process will give you a clearer idea of what you want to say and how you want to say it – in a way that’s more likely to appeal to your specific audience. Who will write the content? Although you may have written some notes, or more, for your brochure, take a step back and decide if you might need the services of an experienced content writer. Often, someone who is removed from your business can gain an insight into your products and services that would differ from yours – usually in a good way! It’s easy to get into the habit of describing your products or services in the same way, and a fresh pair of eyes can bring a new perspective. What will it look like? There’s nothing better for a designer than a client who comes armed with examples of what they like and don’t like in brochure design. It gives you time to work out what you ‘d like to see in your design, and gives the designer a much clearer idea of which direction to take your design. Go to a design meeting with as much example material as you can and it will again save you time and money during the process. Photographs, illustration, infographics? A good brochure design can fall down without the right accompanying images. If you want photographs, where will you source them? Does the designer have access to a good quality image bank or will you need to include additional costs for a photographer? Do you want illustrations and, if so, what type and who will do them? Does the idea of an easy-to-digest infographic appeal to you, where you can add lots of information? Cost If you’re unsure about the costs associated with brochure design, do a bit of digging. Ask people you know, get initial quotes from graphic designers, and don’t be scared to discuss prices. You may meet with a great designer whose work you love, but whose prices are too high. Generally, they’ll be happy to work with you on a price that works for both of you, and they know that this may be the beginning of a great working relationship. So, do your research, go in fully armed, have an open mind and don’t be scared to haggle! Do give us a call on 0161 386 2106 if you’d like to know more about our brochure design service, or drop us an email.