This document is a presentation on graphic design and branding for libraries. It discusses why design is important for libraries and establishing a visual identity. It covers barriers to good design like time, skills, and money. Core design principles like alignment, proximity, contrast and color are explained. The presentation also outlines the workflow process for design including seeking inspiration, adapting content for different mediums, drafting, setting a design palette, getting feedback and revising. Finally, it provides examples of tools that can be used for design including inspiration sources, color palettes, fonts, images and creation tools. Consistency and branding across different library environments and materials is also addressed.

1. GRAPHIC DESIGN
& BRANDING
FOR LIBRARIES
improving your library’s
visual communication

2. PRESENTED BY
Laura Horwood-Benton
Public Programming &
Community Relations Librarian
Portsmouth Public Library
lkhorwood-benton@cityofportsmouth.com
X k ?3B >7NHLA 2017

3. X k ?3B >7

4. X k ?3B >7
why is design important ?
7

5. X k ?3B >7
intentionality
B
why is design important ?
7

6. X k ?3B >7
barriers to good design
X
intentionality
B
why is design important ?
7

7. X k ?3B >7
barriers to good design
X
design principles
k
intentionality
B
why is design important ?
7

8. X k ?3B >7
barriers to good design
X
design principles
k
workflow & process
3
intentionality
B
why is design important ?
7

9. X k ?3B >7
barriers to good design
X
design principles
k
design tools
?
workflow & process
3
intentionality
B
why is design important ?
7

10. X k ?3B >7
barriers to good design
X
design principles
k
design tools
?
workflow & process
3
intentionality
B
consistency
>
why is design important ?
7

11. is design
optional?
X k ?3B >
WHY IS DESIGN IMPORTANT?
connection
visual
message
continuous
improvement
why design? 7

12. is design
optional?
is design
optional?
X k ?3B >
WHY IS DESIGN IMPORTANT?
connection
visual
message
continuous
improvement
why design? 7

13. PRESENTED BY
Laura Horwood-Benton
NHLA 2017

14. visual
message
X k ?3B >
WHY IS DESIGN IMPORTANT?
connection
continuous
improvement
design isn’t
optional
why design? 7
is design
optional?

15. visual
message
X k ?3B >
WHY IS DESIGN IMPORTANT?
connection
continuous
improvement
design isn’t
optional
why design? 7
continuous
improvement
is design
optional?

16. visual
message
X k ?3B >
WHY IS DESIGN IMPORTANT?
connection
continuous
improvement
design isn’t
optional
why design? 7
connection
continuous
improvement
is design
optional?

17. visual
message
X k ?3B >
WHY IS DESIGN IMPORTANT?
connection
continuous
improvement
design isn’t
optional
why design? 7
visual
message
connection
continuous
improvement
is design
optional?

18. X k ?3B >why design? 7

19. X k ?3B >why design? 7
friendly
mean

20. X k ?3B >why design? 7
friendly
mean
beautiful
ugly

21. X k ?3B >why design? 7
friendly
mean
beautiful
ugly
helpful
unhelpful

22. X k ?3B >why design? 7
friendly
mean
beautiful
ugly
helpful
unhelpful
😊

23. X k ?3B >why design? 7
friendly
mean
beautiful
ugly
helpful
unhelpful
😊
☹

24. X k ?3B >why design? 7
☹

25. X k ?3B >why design? 7
😊

26. X k ?3B >why design? 7
“Good design adds value of some kind
gives meaning, and, not incidentally,
can be sheer pleasure to behold; it
respects the viewer’s sensibilities and
rewards the entrepreneur.
Paul Rand, Design Form & Chaos
paul-rand.com/foundation/thoughts_quotes

27. B7
INTENTIONALITY
X k ?3 >intentional design

28. B7
INTENTIONALITY
X k ?3 >intentional design
$
Who is your
audience?

29. B7
INTENTIONALITY
X k ?3 >intentional design
$
Who is your
audience?
W
What’s
important
to them?

30. B7
INTENTIONALITY
X k ?3 >intentional design
$
Who is your
audience?
W
What’s
important
to them?
D
How do
they
communicate?

31. B7
INTENTIONALITY
X k ?3 >intentional design
$
Who is your
audience?
W
What’s
important
to them?
?
What are
you trying
to say?
D
How do
they
communicate?

32. B7
INTENTIONALITY
X k ?3 >intentional design
$
Who is your
audience?
W
What’s
important
to them?
?
What are
you trying
to say?
D
How do
they
communicate?
n
Match the
media to
the message

33. B7 X k ?3 >intentional design
$
Who is your
audience?
D
How do
they
communicate?
3sarts.org danblakeslee.comliteraryhoots.comjonklassen.tumblr.com

34. B7 X k ?3 >intentional design
W
What’s
important
to them?
?
What are
you trying
to say?

35. B7 X k ?3 >intentional design
n
Match the
media to
the message
davidwhitepond.com
librariandesignshare.org

36. 7 k ?3 >design barriers XB
BARRIERS TO GOOD DESIGN

37. 7 k ?3 >design barriers XB
BARRIERS TO GOOD DESIGN
J
time

38. 7 k ?3 >design barriers XB
BARRIERS TO GOOD DESIGN
J
time
J
skilllevel

39. 7 k ?3 >design barriers XB
BARRIERS TO GOOD DESIGN
J
time
J
skilllevel
J
money

40. 7 k ?3 >design barriers XB
BARRIERS TO GOOD DESIGN
J
time
J
skilllevel
J
money
J
institutional
restriction

41. X k7 ?3 >design principles B
DESIGN PRINCIPLES

42. X k7 ?3 >design principles B
DESIGN PRINCIPLES
x
A
p
Lorem Ipsum
Lorem Ipsum
A

43. X k7 ?3 >design principles B
DESIGN PRINCIPLES
x
A
p
Lorem Ipsum
Lorem Ipsum
A
alignment
typography
color repetition
contrast
proximity

44. X k7 ?3 >design principles - alignment B
ALIGNMENT A
‣ Every item has a visual connection.
‣ Alignment gives order & sophistication.
‣ Use the grid!

45. X k7 ?3 >design principles - alignment B
A
printwand.com

46. X k7 ?3 >design principles - alignment B
A
buzzfeed.com

47. X k7 ?3 >design principles - proximity B
PROXIMITY
‣ Group like items together!
‣ Proximity creates unity.
‣ Use the white space!
A

48. X k7 ?3 >design principles - proximity B
A

49. X k7 ?3 >design principles - contrast B
CONTRAST
‣ Difference between elements.
‣ Contrast creates dominance & differentiation.
‣ Contrast can be between:
‣ Space
‣ Color
‣ Text
‣ Position

50. X k7 ?3 >design principles - contrast B

51. X k7 ?3 >design principles - repetition B
REPETITION
‣ Reusing an element of design.
‣ Provides meaning & consistency.
‣ Creates a pattern.
x

52. X k7 ?3 >design principles - repetition B
x

53. X k7 ?3 >design principles - color B
COLOR
‣ Color choice matters!
‣ Use colors thoughtfully and sparingly.
‣ Choose your palette.
‣ Pay attention to color mood.
p

54. X k7 ?3 >design principles - color B
p
thelogocompany.net

55. X k7 ?3 >design principles - color B
p

56. X k7 ?3 >design principles - typography B
TYPOGRAPHY
‣ Keep your audience and purpose in mind!
‣ Use differing fonts sparingly.
‣ Vary sizes (in moderation).
‣ Consider font psychology.
Lorem Ipsum
Lorem Ipsum

57. X k7 ?3 >design principles - typography B
Lorem Ipsum
Lorem Ipsum
typographyforlawyers.com

58. X k7 ?3 >design principles - typography B
Lorem Ipsum
Lorem Ipsum
crazyegg.com

59. X k7 ?3 >design principles - typography B
Lorem Ipsum
Lorem Ipsum

60. X k7 ?3 >design fail B

61. 3kX7 ? >workflow & process B
WORKFLOW & PROCESS

62. 3kX7 ? >workflow & process B
WORKFLOW & PROCESS
sseek
inspiration

63. 3kX7 ? >workflow & process B
WORKFLOW & PROCESS
sseek
inspiration
e Cadapt to
medium

64. 3kX7 ? >workflow & process B
WORKFLOW & PROCESS
sseek
inspiration
e Cadapt to
medium
odraft &
brainstorm
e

65. 3kX7 ? >workflow & process B
WORKFLOW & PROCESS
sseek
inspiration
e Cadapt to
medium
odraft &
brainstorm
e
Wset design
palette
e

66. 3kX7 ? >workflow & process B
WORKFLOW & PROCESS
sseek
inspiration
e Cadapt to
medium
c
bcdget feedback
& revise
odraft &
brainstorm
e
Wset design
palette
e

67. 3kX7 ? >workflow & process B
WORKFLOW & PROCESS
sseek
inspiration
e Cadapt to
medium
c
bcdget feedback
& revise
odraft &
brainstorm
e
Wset design
palette
e
rgo!
c

68. s
3kX7 ? >workflow - inspiration B
SEEK INSPIRATION
‣ Keep up with design trends.
‣ What do you like?
‣ What don’t you like?
‣ Inspiration can come
from unlikely places!
blog.fidmdigitalarts.com

69. 3kX7 ? >workflow - inspiration B
s
pinterest.com/laurahorabora/design-inspiration/

70. 3kX7 ? >workflow - inspiration B
s
librariandesignshare.org

71. 3kX7 ? >workflow - inspiration B
s
Alex Yeske, Madewell
designsponge.com

72. 3kX7 ? >workflow - inspiration B
s
digitalcollections.nypl.org
buzz16.com harmlessharvest.com

73. C
3kX7 ? >workflow - medium B
ADAPT CONTENT TO MEDIUM
$
Who is your
audience?
W
What’s
important
to them?
?
What are
you trying
to say?
D
How do
they
communicate?
n
Match the
media to
the message
‣ Identify location of the design.
‣ Think about the purpose.
‣ Remember your audience!

74. 3kX7 ? >workflow - medium B
C

75. o
3kX7 ? >workflow - draft B
DRAFT/BRAINSTORM
‣ The old-fashioned method works.
‣ How do you want the
overall design to look?

76. W
3kX7 ? >workflow - palette B
SET A DESIGN PALETTE
‣ Colors, fonts & other design elements
‣ Style Guide
‣ Branding

77. 3kX7 ? >workflow - palette B
W
design-seeds.com/home/entry/color-fog

78. 3kX7 ? >workflow - palette B
W
wesandersonpalettes.tumblr.com/

79. 3kX7 ? >workflow - feedback B
GET FEEDBACK AND REVISE
bcd
‣ Coworkers/supervisors/staff
‣ Librarian Design Share
‣ Focus Groups/customers
‣ Facebook/Twitter (ALATT)

80. B ?7
DESIGN TOOLS
X k 3 >design tools

81. B ?7
DESIGN TOOLS
X k 3 >design tools
:inspiration
>

82. :Acreation
tools
B ?7
DESIGN TOOLS
X k 3 >design tools
:inspiration
>

83. :Acreation
tools
B ?7
DESIGN TOOLS
X k 3 >design tools
:#colors
:inspiration
>

84. :Acreation
tools
B ?7
DESIGN TOOLS
X k 3 >design tools
:#colors
:[fonts &
typography
:inspiration
>

85. :Acreation
tools
B ?7
DESIGN TOOLS
X k 3 >design tools
:#colors
:[fonts &
typography
:,
images &
icons
:inspiration
>

86. INSPIRATION
design tools - inspiration B ?7 X k 3 >
:> ‣ Librarian Design Share
‣ Designspiration
‣ Pinterest
‣ Behance
‣ Smashing Magazine
‣ TheDieLine
‣ WalkingPaper
‣ Facebook Groups

87. :# COLORS
design tools - colors B ?7 X k 3 >
‣ ColourLovers
‣ Colorzilla
‣ Adobe Kuler
‣ DeGraeve
‣ design-seeds

88. :[FONTS/TYPOGRAPHY
design tools - typography B ?7 X k 3 >
‣ Type Connection
‣ Dafont
‣ Open Font Library
‣ Font Squirrel
‣ Daily Dishonesty
‣ losttype

89. :,
IMAGES/ICONS
design tools - images B ?7 X k 3 >
‣ Flickr
‣ Morguefile
‣ Microsoft
‣ Wikimedia Commons
‣ Unsplash
‣ The Noun Project

90. :ACREATION TOOLS
design tools - creation B ?7 X k 3 >
‣ Illustrator & InDesign
‣ Photoshop
‣ MS Publisher / Powerpoint
‣ Canva
‣ Over

91. design tools - creation B ?7 X k 3 >
CANVA

92. design tools - creation B ?7 X k 3 >
CANVA

93. ? >
CONSISTENCY/BRANDING
consistency & branding B7 X k 3
‣ Establish a presence in the consumer’s mind.
‣ How do you balance innovation & variety with
stability & recognizability?
‣ Consistency within series and across web,
print & in person.

94. ? >consistency & branding - special B7 X k 3
mdanderson.org/library/
MD ANDERSON RESEARCH
MEDICAL LIBRARY

95. ? >
PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY
consistency & branding - academic B7 X k 3
Brandon Scheirman | librariandesignshare.org/2014/06/25/now-in-concert

96. ? >
CAMBRIDGE PUBLIC LIBRARY
consistency & branding - public B7 X k 3
cambridgema.gov/cpl.aspx

97. ? >consistency & branding - public B7 X k 3
PORTSMOUTH PUBLIC LIBRARY
cityofportsmouth.com/library

98. PRESENTED BY
Laura Horwood-Benton
Public Programming &
Community Relations Librarian
Portsmouth Public Library
lkhorwood-benton@cityofportsmouth.com
X k ?3B >7NHLA 2017