Creating the brochure was difficult for me. You might be surprised, but writing about myself feels like homework. When I sat down to consult with Malia (the awesome head of our agency's Outreach Program), she could tell I was struggling with this part. She gave me some suggestions and I managed to get through it, but I was never very happy with my inability to express all the things I wanted to convey about us in a 6 page brochure. One thing she suggested that helped was to ask hubby to write my bio, and for me to write his. It really did make that part easier.
For the design, I opted to use a canned design from VistaPrint and manipulated it to work for an adoption brochure. It turned out okay in a clunky, cluttered kind of way. But for me, it was all about the turnaround mission: get these suckers to the agency so we could actually be presented and officially become a "waiting family."
Fast-forward six months or so, and so much had changed in our lives that I felt a brochure refresh with a more personal design was due. And I knew the perfect person to help me: Lindsay from A Touch of LA! Lindsay had helped me with a few previous projects, including the cutest party decor you've ever seen. Just look at this gorgeous invitation she created for my goddaughter's first birthday!
We worked together for a week or so gathering photos, updating text, and getting the layout just right. It definitely helps to have someone easy and responsive to work with. I showed her some other examples of brochures I liked, and she used those ideas to create something uniquely us!
Here is the spread of the brochure. It's a tri-fold, printed on high-quality glossy card stock. I chose tri-fold rather than the usual 8-page most couples at our agency were opting for to make it unique. We're sometimes presented among up to 10 other prospective birthparents to the expectant mom. Less space also made me more intentional about what I said in the brochure and what photos I chose.
I love how many photos we got in without it looking cluttered.
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| Outside of the brochure. This folds in to thirds to create a tri-fold. Click to enlarge! |
I love the little list items about our favorite things and what we can't wait to do with our child.
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| Inside. I love the spread with our bios. 💗 Click to enlarge! |
If you're looking for someone to help you with your adoption brochure, I highly recommend Lindsay and A Touch of LA. She's fun and easy to work with and so talented! Check out her Creative Services page for current pricing, and don't miss all her other fun projects she's shared on her site (follow her on Facebook to see projects in real time!). I cannot wait to use her services for our child's Welcome Shower and birthdays. Is it too early to think about themes?
Stuff to consider
- What material did your agency require you to produce?
- Did you find any aspects of this process difficult?
- Who did you use to create your material? Or did you make it yourself?
- Any advice for others who are creating their adoption book or brochure?
