6-Panel Impact: Get Noticed with the Ultimate Creative Brochure

Megan Ogren, senior director of marketing and communications at Buena Vista University, needed to print tri fold brochures that gave students a lay of the land, so she turned to Bonfire Marketing & Web Co. Creative Director Jordi Gerking for design help.

Gerking let the environment dictate the concept. “Our design inspiration was rooted in adventure and capturing the nostalgia of lakeside living,” she said. “We felt like the 6-panel brochure was the perfect format for a hands-on, authentic, map guide.”

For Ogren, the design earned top marks. “This map of Storm Lake serves as a valuable resource for prospective students and visitors, offering a clear overview of the amenities and attractions in our community,” she said. “It provides an engaging introduction to the neighborhood, while reinforcing the BVU brand and the welcoming atmosphere of our campus.”

Top marks, indeed.

The power of a great brochure design is that it can make your products and services look exciting no matter what they are. And with the help of the 6-Panel Mega Brochure’s sheer size, Lana Bannow, designer at Hey Charlie Creative, was able to do just that.

“My client, The Port of Longview, provides a huge breadth of services, so we wanted to create a piece that showcased that, as well as a map for reference,” Bannow said. “[It] was initially used at a trade show, so the team was able to actually discuss the operating berths, access points, etc. It served as a very useful resource!”

As a designer, Bannow knew the importance of testing for a specialty fold like this. “I first organized the content so it would flow with the way the brochure opened. I wanted to unveil little bits at a time to keep the viewer’s attention,” she said. “I printed a few tests while I was developing it, [which] helped visualize and harness the experience.”

Not a designer like Bannow? Create your brochure design online with these six steps.

Standing out on a trade show floor isn’t always easy, but West Edge Graphic Designer Nicole Everhart knew a creative brochure like the 6-Panel Mega Brochure would help her client do it. With starry sky imagery and an expansive map with detailed points of interest, her tri fold brochure design made the right impression.

“Our client asked us to create a map of Wyoming manufacturers for use at a trade show, and the 6-Panel Mega Brochure made the perfect canvas,” she said. “We were big fans of the way the final design stood out and made a much bigger impact than your typical tri-fold brochure.”

Whether you’re using one of our brochure design templates (find them under Layout Guides on the product page) or your own, the 6-Panel Mega Brochure is a fun one to create. Everhart advises thinking about the order in which the panels will be viewed so your info makes sense before printing.

“The ratio of ‘amount of information we could fit on one print piece’ to ‘ability to be handed out and carried without hassle’ was a huge win for us, and for our client,” she said.

What do you like most about the 6-Panel Mega Brochure? What makes it so impactful?
Trish Witkowski: “This fold offers the luxury of space and the surprise of scale. It has presence when folded down, but it’s hiding the fact that it’s practically a poster when unfolded. You can make a statement with large imagery and bold color or leverage lots of gorgeous white space for your content to breathe.

“The folding itself is also simple. Like most designers, I love a challenge, but sometimes you don’t have time to figure out something more complex, and [this one] won’t hurt your brain to envision and design.”

What are some ideas for how to use custom brochures like this? What type of content is most effective?
“I love this format for self-promotion. I’ve seen gorgeous promotions for photographers and artists, business services and more. It’s also great for showcasing a product line – kind of like a catalog without the binding. This format is really just a big, folded-down tri-fold, so it’s intuitive to open and easy to fold back down. Just about any type of content can perform well in this configuration. I could easily see it for higher education, real estate and events, too.”

What advice or tips do you have for designing print for tri fold brochures like this?
“The most important thing to keep in mind is to understand the placement and direction of the mailing panel (if you’re self-mailing) and the cover. Everything else should be pretty intuitive. This is not a complicated format, which makes it a great choice when you’re in the mood for something simple but still exciting.”

What are your tips for mailing direct mail brochures like this?
“The biggest tip I have for mail is to always know the rules and budget of what you’re designing for early in the process. This format can self-mail, but it will classify as a USPS Flat, so make sure you know what that means for your budget, and if it works for you, go for it!”

Want even more panels? This one has nine.