According to a survey done by Creative Group around 34% of marketing and advertising executives anticipate increase in hiring. More than 50% people said they would increase hiring in website design and creative work which is extremely encouraging for the creative group! The study was done over a group of 250 senior professionals from 2000+ largest advertising agencies. This clearly indicates that companies are looking forward to increase their investments in advertising and marketing and are looking forward to growing at a faster pace.

Even a simple brochure can make you think so much more than some of the other simpler designs as brochure kind of brings the key messages, covers so many things and yet needs to be clear, concise and thematic and more importantly two-four pages which can just make the reader stand up … out of pleasure!

There are a few creADivity members working on a large set of brochures for a few clients in various verticals – analytics, hospitality and technology and some really nice brochures have been created in the past by these creatives! Based on conversation with a few of them during and after the completion of the process i could gather some key things which needs to be kept in mind while designing a brochure.

1. Purpose of the brochure – Its always good to define clearly the purpose of the brochure in around 25 words. That not only gives a direction to the designer but also helps in clarifying thoughts of client as well
2. Identify audience in a sentence or two. Also try to identify the secondary audience
3. Outline the essential topics and information which needs to be covered
4. Clearly mention the benefits or reasons behind each of the information point
5. Use high quality images
6. Write, Read and Re-read – Ensure theres no spelling mistakes and errors
7. Chose an appropriate font.

I am sure there could be a few more points which should be taken into consideration while designing a brochure but its a safer bet if the above are well covered!

Sometimes it gets so difficult to understand the client’s perspective and if you are a platform it becomes even more confusing some times …. there’s an advice coming from both the ends and its like firing happening with one bullet making you think the logo should be like this and the other forcing you to say this is better! But thats the fun of being a marketplace – there’s no dearth of innovative ideas and it truly is creativity unlimited.

But then there’s a set of people who would try to make most of the marketplace and try to get as much delivered as possible for as less as it could get – so then there would be a slew of contests with below par reward amounts and obviosuly if the reward is so less the creatives dont feel motivated enough to participated. End Result – the client doesnt get what he expects – the creative doenst get what he thought he would from the platform.

Key Learning – there’s no way you can get a dominos pizza with cheese topping and thick crust when you are paying for a local vendor pizza! No free lunches…! Good part of a marketplace is you will always find people will to put in good effort at whatever price but the minute you start pushing it down and down …the spark, energy and the fun of marketplace is dead.

So guys make a worthwhile choice on what you want to eat – dominos or local..both can be good but you cant complaint later!

There’s lots of buzz about Jessie Paul’s “No Money Marketing” which got launched officially (yesterday) and it was good to be there !!

It was a gathering of some of the best known names of the Indian corporate who’s who. Mr.N.R.Narayan Murthy (does he need an introduction anymore?) launched the book and said some very nice things and Mr.Girish Paranjpe (CEO, Wipro Technologies….he doesnt need intro either ) bought the token first copy of the book. The event was organized at Crossword Book Store, Residency Road, Bangalore.

Being an ex-Infosys employee and the current CMO of Wipro Technologies, Jessie was surrounded by well wishers on her big day! The audience had great fun when Mr.Narayan Murthy remarked that by coming out with fantastic ideas and innovation (in her book) Jessie had proven that “Once an Infoscion, always an Infoscion”. Mr.Paranjpe was, of course just as witty. He recounted a marketing conference that Jessie had successfully organized in the US as a Wipro employee. Wipro is known for its wonderful execution capabilities, he said and the fact that Jessie converted her ideas into a great book showed how she was a true “Wiproite”. ….clash of titans

The launch was followed by a round of drinks and heavy snacks and ended with delicious cakes.

Catch Jessie Paul’s “No Money Marketing” at http://twitter.com/home#search?q=%23NMM on twitter!

Creator of the world’s first underwater sculpture park, Jason de Caires Taylor has gained international recognition for his unique work. His sculptures highlight ecological processes whilst exploring the intricate relationships between modern art and the environment. By using sculptures to create artificial reefs, the artist’s interventions promote hope and recovery, and underline our need to understand and protect the natural world.

The sculptures are sited in clear shallow waters to afford easy access by divers, snorkellers and those in glass-bottomed boats. Viewers are invited to discover the beauty of our underwater planet and to appreciate the processes of reef evolution.

Check www.underwatersculpture.com to know more

Adobe has offered another tool for quite some time that should take its rightful spot next to Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, and Flash in our design toolbox. It’s called Kuler (pronounced “cooler” according to Adobe), and its name is certainly appropriate.

Kuler is a Web-based application that allows users to browse, create, and share color themes through the Kuler Web site, the Kuler desktop application (direct download link; requires Adobe AIR), or a Kuler widget for Mac OS X’s Dashboard (available for download from the Links page on the Kuler site). Of course, Kuler is also available inside your favorite Adobe CS4 desktop applications including: Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, Flash, and Fireworks. Kuler is available online for free, and you don’t have to be a CS4 user to take advantage of it.

The use of color is generally one of the most important aspects of any design. But not all designers are blessed with the ability to create color combinations that work well together. Most of us know a great color-combo when we see one, but couldn’t create one if our lives depended on it. This is where Kuler can help.