The Summer in Nelson 2012/13 programme is finally out after we have been working on it for the past three months, and is a fresh, vibrant collection of events and activites to get involved in this summer. Here is the process we went through to come up with the imagery and design of this year’s booklet.

Colour, light, mystery and energy - welcome to the wonderful world of this year Nelson Arts Festival. This year the festival imagery, which is initially seen by the general public on the programme cover, needed to evoke the idea of a carnival. The process of coming up with this imagery was an absolute blast - we have shared some of the creative process here.

Botany Downs Secondary College needed a prospectus that captured the spirit of their school while promoting to international students, so we designed the prospectus folder for them. With two distinct audience groups - students from Asia and students from South America - we worked with them to make sure that there was a mix of imagery, colours and textures that appealed to both groups. We captured a sense of the lifestyle at Botany Downs, with images showing students interacting; and focussing on the wider Auckland environment.

Used correctly QR Codes can be a powerful marketing tool. “What is a QR Code?” you might be asking: they are a square barcode-like mark that you might have seen around, and when scanned with a smart phone, they direct a person to a specific webpage, contact details or a message. This avoids having to enter a long website address and directs a potential customer directly the page on your website that you want them to see. Here are six points worth considering before jumping on the QR Code bandwagon:

1. Is your audience using smart phones?