As technology evolves, some forms of communication age better than others. (Voicemail, you’re looking a little grizzled.) The best and most useful forms evolve with the times. Enter the humble flyer. The concept of the flyer has been with us since the dawn of the printed word, but it remains one of our most effective and versatile forms of communication. At its most basic, the flyer is a call to action, a short notice designed to grab attention and give essential info in order to inspire and facilitate follow-up activity. In today’s content-saturated landscape, it is more important than ever that flyers are visually striking and deliberate in the copy and imagery they deliver.
Today we’re going to explore what makes a flyer design successful with 8 remixable Spark templates that will have your club, company, or team announcements soaring above the rest whether you post them online or print them to post on bulletin boards or around campus.
Thematic imagery
One of the highest-impact ingredients of an effective flyer is a supporting graphic or image that expresses the theme of your event or cause. These sort of thematically aligned visual cues can boost comprehension and help cement retention of your messaging. In the examples below, note how the imagery of the ball and school supplies provide instant context. Make sure to choose something simple that will look good on a small screen or will grab attention from down the hall. Icons in Spark Post work well for applying clean graphic elements to your design. In the school supplies example, bold shapes mixed with a stock image creates an eye-catching background, while the dodgeball poster relies on a consistent color palette and one bold icon to make an impact.
High-contrast, on-message colors
Remember that flyers are meant to be bite sized. They are like the appetizer giving readers an idea of what to expect when they show up for dinner. It’s important to be deliberate and economical in what you include with the understanding that every decision you make should support and enhance your message. Color is no exception. Choose colors that convey the feel of your event or cause, and that pair well for legibility. See the example below for science camp. Colors in the red family are energizing and stimulating, much like science camp should be for young minds. Before you’ve read the copy abut “jumpstarting your child’s brain,” this flyer has jumpstarted your mind with a vibrant color combo.
If your flyer is on behalf of a brand or team, try working your brand or team colors along with your logo or mascot into your design, like the following flyer for rugby tryouts.
The basics, organized by importance
Not unlike the formula for a successful book report in primary school, successful flyers typically include an iteration of the five Ws: who, what, when, where, and why. But unlike a book report, a flyer is just one page. These ingredients need to be organized in the most clear and succinct manner possible. Use fonts and text size to create visual heiararchy and to help your reader determine which information is most important. Give your readers clear calls to action about what they should do next, who they should contact, what they should bring, or how they can prepare. Remember, the purpose of this document is to move people to action. Give them what they need to participate.
Personality
If brevity is the soul of wit, then wit (in all of its inspired brevity) might be the soul of the flyer. Don’t be afraid to have a little fun with your designs and inject some personality into your announcements. Small whimsical, emotional, or artistic touches are often the things that resonate with viewers and capture their interest. Whether that means turning a standard back-to-school orientation notice into a cause to jump for joy or using playful colors and imagery to invite some light-hearted career-path daydreaming, have some fun with your creations and see where the template takes you.
Check out more flyer templates!
Read more about what sorts of content your club or organization needs to be successful.
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