“Homemade” is great for meals, but not graphic design. When it comes to programs for special events, many schools rely on designs put together by overloaded administrative assistants or parent volunteers.
Students, parents, and grandparents often hold on to programs for plays, graduation ceremonies, etc. for many years. A program is a souvenir. One school we’ve worked with has a wonderful tradition the week of graduation: each graduating senior and his or her parents set up displays of special photos and mementos. Many students put out programs from high school concerts and drama productions in which they’ve participated.
Most “homemade” program designs aren’t atrocious, but they still might not reflect the excitement and beauty of the event as much as they could.
When we helped Cary Christian School redesign its graduation program, we:
- Retained the basic structure of the old design (made many years ago in Microsoft Publisher)
- Chose more fitting and readable fonts suitable to the occasion
- Removed unnecessary design elements
- Improved the arrangement of text and images
- Created a simple and elegant template in Microsoft Word that can now be easily updated by the school every year
A school year is a whirlwind of activity, and every special event is an opportunity for a school to share the best of what it has to offer with its parents, students, and community. Whether that event is a graduation ceremony, a kindergarten assembly, a homecoming event, or a Shakespeare play, a professionally-designed program can go a long way in highlighting that event’s unique importance in the life of the school.
(And who knows…it may very well end up on someone’s wall or refrigerator for a very long time!)
