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Two judges share their observations from this annual communications awards program BY CAROL A. SENTE AND DEB KORB
The Agency Showcase Awards recognize quality communication pieces produced by park districts, forest preserves and recreation departments. The pieces judged include seasonal catalogues, annual reports, facility and special programming brochures, plus logo design. Web site design and newsletters.
Some Words on Web Sites
With the addition of the new showcase category of Web sites in 2001, the judges were pleased to see even more entries submitted in 2002. There has been a growing sophistication among the park districts in the design and quality of their Web sites, which came across in the submissions. We saw greater depth and breadth in the information the districts were sharing with their communities, more use of color and photography, and Web sites that, in general, have a more professional and interesting appearance including the use of flash images. The more appealing Web sites start with a strong presence on the home page. We liked home pages that blended a dynamic design with a relatively uncluttered format including a clear path to get deeper into the site through the use of well-labeled categories and buttons. The judges found a marked difference between Web sites that had a "homegrown" look and those that seemed to demonstrate the design talents of a Web or graphic specialist. In this Internet age and with the proliferation of Web sites, creating a budget to hire a Web specialist is well worth the return. Just as with a brochure piece, the Web sites design in totality creates a lasting impression and a strong overall image of the park district, good or bad. Once moving past the home page, navigation around the site played a very important role. Where the judges were looking for simplicity and logical thought was in navigation. Web sites where the overall layout was easy to follow and had foolproof buttons to get to the main and subcategories were clear winners. Judges wanted to move from page to page and back again through easy to find shortcuts, tools and quick-moving screen loads. When reading copy, it was great to start with a little copy as a teaser and offer progressively more as the reader has more interest and as one moves deeper into the site. Rather than explaining everything in the main category, let a Web site user click on "more" if you've peaked their interest. By presenting the copy in this way, pages could more often be limited to an average monitor screen page length and thus allow the reader to move through the Web site without a lot of scrolling. There were many well-written frequently asked question (FAQ) pages and well-written sites in general. However, again the judges found some districts hired either in-house our consultant talent to write the copy and the improved results were dramatic. While looking for simplicity in navigation, we looked for creativity in all other areas such as graphics, photography, writing and page creation. For a district truly concerned with customer service, the judges liked those sites that asked the visitor to "tell us what you think about our Web site" and many convenient direct links to staffs' e-mails. The entire group enjoyed and laughed as they came to a banquet facility page and the wedding march came over the speakers as one checked into the cost of a wedding reception, just one of many ways to grab attention and be creative. Specifically addressing photography, some sites had panoramic interior views of facilities so the site visitor got
March/April 2003 45
a true sense of the space without having to leave the comfort of their home or office. We saw this as a very creative way to market the use of district facilities. It was also nice to see photos of the district board of commissioners, although care should be taken to use high quality photos whenever used throughout the site. We found some photos of such low-grade pixel quality that they really seemed to lower the overall quality of the Web site's design. The best suggestion we can offer to districts that either have a Web site or are planning to create one is to look at the sites of this year's winners because you will find some wonderful ideas to spruce up your site. Some ideas are big and others are small finishing touches. If, after reviewing a sampling of sites, your own site leaves you feeling a little outdated, it could be time for a face-lift and heavy-handed editing. Best of luck.
CAROL A. SENTE
Most Effective Marketing Brochure or Program Guide
As a first-time judge for the Agency Showcase, I was impressed with the overall design and content of the brochures I reviewed. I've been asked to provide my observations and suggestions as to what, in my opinion, did and didn't "work." Here goes. • A small budget doesn't always predicate an inferior design; a large budget does not necessarily ensure a superior one. • A good design concept, executed poorly, is still a badly designed brochure. • No photography is better than bad photography. • Are you promoting fun, elegance, new experiences? Define your "message" first, then make sure it's clear and consistent in your design and in your text (including fonts used) and even the paper you print on! • Keep a Design Reference File. When you come across a printed piece—brochure, ad, direct mailer—that appeals to you, file it. Keep building your reference file and when you're ready have your next brochure designed, review your file for ideas and inspiration. • If you can't afford to have a professional photographer to do your cover shot, consider royalty-free stock photography. There are some great photos available at reasonable prices. Check online at Corbis or Getty, which are two of the bigger stock photo houses. If your budget is really tight, you might want to visit www.freeimages.co.uk. The images are free as long as you include the photographer's byline when using their photo. Congratulations to the winners of the 2002 Agency Showcase. Best of luck (and design) to all of you in next years showcase!
DEB KORB 46 Illinois Parks and Recreation |
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