4 Secrets to Designing a Great User Experience for Print Marketing Materials

By Lauren D'Alessandro, August 21, 2018 | Marketing

When designing for print, have you ever stopped to consider user experience? A good web designer will organize the content on a webpage to create the best possible experience for the visitor, and print is no different. Whether it’s a sales brochure or a direct mail piece, the way that you organize the content can aide or hinder readability, comprehension, and the item’s ability to hold the reader’s interest.

Here are four simple points to help you design more effective layouts for your printed materials.

1. Intuitive Layout Design

When you are working with a folded format like a trifold brochure or a multi-panel direct mail piece, you’ll want to consider the way you arrange information from panel to panel.
Here’s a simple trick that I always use when I’m creating new marketing materials: grab a blank page and fold/cut it into your desired format. Then open and close the piece, examining your own interaction with it.

• What order do the panels open in?
• Where does your eye naturally fall as you open the piece?
• Sketch out the content with a pencil and see how the messaging unfolds from panel to panel, making changes as needed for maximum impact.

2. The Attention Grab

Craft a strong sentence or two (the more concise, the better) that will pique the interest of your audience. Make this content stand out in the design, and place it for optimal visibility.

3. Directional Prompts

Once you’ve caught their attention, you can use directional prompts like arrows and bait lines such as “See what’s inside!” to guide them throughout the piece. Sometimes, keeping someone’s attention is as simple as telling them exactly what you want them to do next.

4. Call-to-Action

Now that you’ve got someone reading your piece, you want to guide them to the very reason you’ve caught their attention in the first place: the Call-to-Action. What action do you want your reader to take after reading your marketing material?

It could be:

• Call today for a quote!
• Request more information.
• Visit our website or landing page.
• Visit our physical store location.
• Use this coupon or discount to make a purchase.

Make sure that the Call-to-Action is clear and that any information that supports this action (such as contact information) is clearly visible. Make it easy for the reader to follow through!