ST. VINCENT DE PAUL PARISH
DESIGN PROSE
Medium: Microsoft PowerPoint, Photoshop, Photography (DSLR)
Styles & Techniques: Print Design, Advertising
This creative exercise involved analyzing the existing two-page information pamphlet of St. Vincent de Paul Parish. The goal was to identify areas within the template that required updates and better adherence to modern design standards. Throughout the project, I actively considered improvements in imagery, photographs, colour schemes, and decorative accents. The aim was to create a version that is visually appealing and accurately reflects the parish’s true significance in the history of Ontario.
ORIGINAL VERSION
The original version had several design issues, including an inconsistent colour scheme, a lack of visual hierarchy, an overuse of font styles and sizes, awkwardly placed coloured text boxes, and low-quality, blurry photographs. Overall, a more organized, visually appealing layout is needed to effectively convey the pamphlet's important message: informing readers about the parish's history and relevant information.
Front Page
Inner Pages
Back Page
REVISED VERSION
Here are two versions of the final product: standard individual pages sized 8.5 x 11 inches, and a full landscape two-page spread also sized 8.5 x 11 inches. The landscape spread was created specifically because the original appeared to have been printed in said orientation. I recognized that if this version were to be printed, it would likely need to be formatted in the same manner.
8.5 x 11 (Two Spread)
Back and Front Cover
The final product features much higher quality photographs (taken by me), as well as a more consistent colour scheme that includes greens, browns, golds, and whites, mirroring the official parish website. Using the website as a template played a significant role in maintaining a cohesive branding guideline for the revised pamphlet. Usage of the parish's proper logo throughout was also considered in the name of brand consistency. Additionally, a serif font that resembles the font used in the parish's logo was selected as the main font for the pamphlet.
Inner Pages
The inner pages were especially in need of revision, including the addition of prominent header images, bold titles, and proper labelling of the information throughout the page. It was important that the revised version make it clear that this was an information pamphlet containing info and history on both St. Vincent de Paul and the parish. Each page was to clearly indicate its individual focus through imagery and text, allowing readers to navigate it more easily rather than be met with an overwhelming mound of text. This was particularly important for page 2, which outlines the parish’s history; suitable titles and decorative elements were used to construct a clear and organized timeline that readers could easily follow and recognize.
To enhance the decorative aspect of the pamphlet, I decided to feature several of St. Vincent de Paul’s virtues vertically along the sides of each page, positioned within the green sidebars that contain the page numbers. This choice was made to unify the theme and layout of the pamphlet.
8.5 x 11 (Individual Pages)
Front of Pamphlet
About St. Vincent de Paul (Inner Page 1)
Parish History Timeline (Inner Page 2)
Back Page
