Professional Development: Brochure Evaluation & Analysis Report

This report presents an evaluation of an informational brochure, focusing on its effectiveness in conveying information. Interviews were conducted to gather feedback on various aspects of the brochure, including the compellingness of the message, the value of the content, the attractiveness of the design, the effective use of graphics, and the understandability of the language. The findings reveal mixed opinions, with strengths identified in content value and application of graphics, but weaknesses in message clarity, design attractiveness, and language accessibility. The discussion emphasizes the importance of tailoring the message to the target audience, ensuring valuable and relevant content, creating an attractive and user-friendly design, and using clear and understandable language. The report concludes that while the brochure has some positive features, improvements are needed to enhance its overall effectiveness in communicating information.

Findings
In order to obtain enough information regarding the brochure, interviews were
conducted. The participants were asked about their views regarding the brochure, and the
results were recorded. Some questions were formulated in order to obtain more information
on the correspondents’ views about the brochure. Information was gathered from ten
correspondents.
No. Question Response/Number of Responses
Yes No
1 The message in the brochure is
compelling
3 7
2 The content in the brochure is valuable 8 2
3 The design is attractive 4 6
4 The designer makes use of graphics
effectively
4 6
5 The language is easily understandable 3 7
When asked about whether the message in the brochure was compelling, three
correspondents answered in favour while seven respondents thought the message was not
compelling enough. One of the respondents said that the message was rather vague and
would not make someone to read through the entire brochure.
Regarding whether the information in the brochure was valuable, eight respondents believed
it was valuable while only two though it was not. Those who respondent in favour of the
brochure stated that the information is crucial, arguing that people need to understand how
the “My Health Records” is important. Understanding the benefits of “My Health Records”
will enable one to access critical information about one’s health. The two respondents who
thought the content was relevant are those who did not have any clue about “My Health
Records”. However, those who believed the content to be valuable argued that it was not
presented in a friendly manner. When it comes to the design of the brochure, four participants

liked the design while six participants did not like it. The proponents stated the design is good
enough since it makes use of graphics.
The opponents, however, argued that the design is not very attractive since, although it used
graphics, the images were not portraying the message being delivered through the brochure.
Another problem noted were the fonts used. The fonts are not audible enough and hence,
some people could not see the message properly.
A good language is one that even the layman can understand. When asked about whether the
language used is understandable, seven stated that it was not easily understandable while
three said that it was understandable. When assessed closely, those who stated that the
language used is understandable had some medical or science background. The opponents
argued that the language is too technical for one to understand. The possible consequence of
this is that the recipients can easily misinterpret the information.
Discussion
A brochure is a critical tool for sharing information or for promotional purposes in
marketing. A brochure is a powerful tool for conveying a message in a competent,
trustworthy and with authority. When properly designed, a brochure can influence many
readers (Fiell et al. 2003, p. 3). It should, therefore, be used to convey a positive image in the
most effective manner.
It is apparent that the brochure designs differ based on the designer.
According to Schmitt (2000), a brochure is supposed to have the right message to the
target audience. Based on the findings, the message should be written and sent to the right
people, having in mind that the message might be misinterpreted if sent to the wrong people.
This implies that, before preparing a brochure, one needs to research to understand the target
audience so that they can write a message that is relevant and understandable to the intended
users.

Content value is another crucial feature of a brochure. It is imperative to note that the
content is what makes a reader get acquainted with the information provided (Harvey 2004).
The audience is attracted to the brochure design and graphics, but the content is what will
make them decide whether to continue reading or not. Valuable content should be able to
address the questions that the readers seek to know the answers.
Attractive design should be incorporated in a brochure since it is a critical feature that
audience are seeking. It is the design that will attract readers to a brochure. It is the design
that will influence a reader’s decision to look at a brochure or have the urge to go through the
brochure’s contents. This implies that a brochure should have a sleek design regarding
readability, easy to understand and attractiveness. Different features such as graphics, layout,
and paper texture should be blended to create a unique and attractive design. As revealed
from the findings, the first feature that people look for in a brochure is the design. It is
apparent that the current brochure design has some of these features which make it a fairly
good. However, based on the findings, it is apparent that it still needs some improvement
especially the fonts and graphics. The graphics used should portray the message being
communicated. Although images and graphics have been used, they do not portray the
message that the brochure is trying to convey. As such, such graphics are useless because
they do not serve the intended purpose.
The current brochure has, however, met some of the features such as the relevance of
the content and application of graphics. More creativity is required to make the brochure
more attractive than the current one. The content also seems unique and distinct, and it is
valuable for people who want to access important health information. The current brochure
requires a good structure of the text and improvement of the overall design. All aspects about
"My Health Records" should be incorporated into the content.

List of References
Fiell, C., Fiell, P. and Safavi, P., 2003. Graphic design for the 21st century: 100 of the
world's best graphic designers. Taschen.
Harvey, W., 2004. The Best of Brochure Design 7. Rockport Publishers.
Schmitt, B.H., 2000. Experiential marketing: How to get customers to sense, feel, think, act,
relate. Simon and Schuster.