What to do when the budget only allows for stock images and not original photography? Don’t fret. Use this as an opportunity to bring your Photoshop and Illustrator skills to the forefront.
Tip: We’ve found that collage is one of the most effective ways to use stock images. A collage (done well) takes stock imagery out of the realm of being mundane and uplifts the visual to a unique piece of art. This was the case for a collage Lazzaro Designs did here conveying the many hospital areas that benefited from a donor’s legacy of giving.
Resource: Here are some of our favorite stock houses:
– thinkstock.com
– iphoto.com
– shutterstock.com
– sciencephoto.com
– sciencesource.com
– gettyimages.com
> Too much to figure out on your own? Give Lazzaro Designs a call or shoot us an email. Maryellen can research stock images and create design solutions that are beautiful and budget-conscious.
There are lots of topics to communicate to your staff beyond those that can be covered in a regular employee newsletter. Several of our clients have turned to us to produce cogent, attractive and easy-to-read handbooks on a variety of things, such as ethic codes (as shown here for a health insurance company), or the ins and outs of big facilities (holidays, payment procedures, cafeteria hours). Instead of Human Resources issuing a slew of photocopied loose sheets that get easily lost, an employee handbook can be a cost-effective way to make sure your staff knows what’s what. In one case, we produced a manual that was contained in a pocket-size, three-ring binder for hospital House Staff (resident physicians). The often updated information was easily replaced page by page. In another case, a bound book with a back pocket for updates served the employees of an extended-care facility. If an organization has the ability to use a digital system that all employees can access, even better; guides can be created in digital form.
> If you need help creating a handbook or guide, give Lazzaro Designs a call or shoot us an email.
It’s a delicate thing asking for money. A direct appeal letter needs to quickly capture the readers’ attention, answer why they should support this institution, ask just the right amount of times, and ask clearly in a call to action, all the while being engaging, warm and straightforward.
Recently, we created a direct appeal letter for Cohen Children’s Medical Center, a renowned stand-alone pediatric hospital on Long Island, New York. What was unusual about the letter was that it was highly designed, as well as carefully written. Through content and visuals, the letter accomplishes a lot—it alerts the reader to the national standing of the hospital and features an innovative neurodevelopmental division. It also provides some history to this extraordinary facility and provides an attached reply device. Design-wise, it further echoes a larger advertising campaign, featuring some of the tag lines and photos from that marketing campaign without merely mimicking the ads themselves.
> If you need help creating a direct appeal, give Lazzaro Designs a call or shoot us an email.
The Founder’s Society of the North Shore-LIJ Health System Foundation wanted a direct appeal that invited current and potential donors to recommit to and hopefully increase their annual giving to the prestigious health system. Lazzaro Designs was asked to create an actual invitation that served to also outline a new list of membership benefit levels. We created an elegant invitation, along with all the collateral materials (response device, envelopes and cover letters), that prettily conveyed the key messages with clarity and grace.
> If you need help creating a direct appeal, give Lazzaro Designs a call or shoot us an email.
