I'm doing a series of designs for 33"x80" retractable banners (the ones that roll up into their stands, and you can carry them around in a gym bag-ish case). There will be a banner for each of the college's "mission critical" dimensions: Research, Patient Care/Community Service, Education, Continuing Education, and Alumni, as well as a general UF College of Dentistry banner.
We are going to make them available for faculty members going to conferences, alumni events, college events, basically anything where we can open them up and get our name out there, so they need to be usable in a variety of situations, hopefully without being generic. They should also be able to be used together or separately, which is why I'm developing a common theme for them.
Any comments/suggestions are appreciated, as well as technical advice on designing for print. A couple of the issues I've run into so far:
Finding high-quality photos (preferably free) that are large enough Fighting the urge to over-use photos of Century tower and alligators Adding texture and depth without using photos (drawing is not my strong point)
Thanks! Sarah Zachrich Jeng (Webmaster, College of Dentistry)
"Finding high-quality photos (preferably free) that are large enough" - Check out http://sxc.hu (create an account) for free high quality stock images, graphics, and photos. I love that site and the service they provide. Make sure you read over the terms and conditions just to familiarize yourself with the rules.
Your design(s): I say push them more. Use scaling of design elements to your advantage. Small, medium, and large design elements. Try moving away from the ridged grid your using and go more "free flowing". Make use of textures and shades of color. The banners you are designing will be flat, but that doesn't mean your "design" has to be. Reach into the composition to create depth.