Best bookmark
June 14, 2015 3:43 PM Subscribe
What tricky design makes you keep a promotional bookmark (or business card)?
The university department I'm working for wants to give prospective and new (Teaching) students a promotional bookmark (the same one). I get to design it. Just card, no die cutting. Rectangle. Regular size: 46mm x 210mm (1.8" x 8.2"). QR Code on front to relevant uni page(s).
What can I put on the back to make people want to keep it? Here's what I've got so far:
* measures (inches/centimetres), font point size, along the edges
* library catalogue sections numbers relevant to the degrees we're promoting,
* calendar
* APA referencing hints.
Added difficulty: 3 campuses, so maps won't fit. Low budget, so no freebie coffee purchase.
The university department I'm working for wants to give prospective and new (Teaching) students a promotional bookmark (the same one). I get to design it. Just card, no die cutting. Rectangle. Regular size: 46mm x 210mm (1.8" x 8.2"). QR Code on front to relevant uni page(s).
What can I put on the back to make people want to keep it? Here's what I've got so far:
* measures (inches/centimetres), font point size, along the edges
* library catalogue sections numbers relevant to the degrees we're promoting,
* calendar
* APA referencing hints.
Added difficulty: 3 campuses, so maps won't fit. Low budget, so no freebie coffee purchase.
Honestly, the only reason I ever show loyalty to a bookmark is if it has a pretty picture on it. If I want a ruler, I'll use a ruler. If I want information, I'll use my phone.
My favorite bookmark is detail from one of Van Gogh's self portraits. I do most of my reading on my kindle these days, but when I do pick up a physical book, I'll tear my apartment apart finding that bookmark so I can use it. That's how much I like it.
While that image in particular wouldn't be relevant for your use, a well composed photo of something iconic on your campus would be.
posted by phunniemee at 3:57 PM on June 14, 2015 [8 favorites]
My favorite bookmark is detail from one of Van Gogh's self portraits. I do most of my reading on my kindle these days, but when I do pick up a physical book, I'll tear my apartment apart finding that bookmark so I can use it. That's how much I like it.
While that image in particular wouldn't be relevant for your use, a well composed photo of something iconic on your campus would be.
posted by phunniemee at 3:57 PM on June 14, 2015 [8 favorites]
Nobody actually uses a QR code. Use a shortened URL instead.
Concise information and a bright, attractive colour scheme are the best things for a bookmark to be.
posted by a halcyon day at 4:08 PM on June 14, 2015 [6 favorites]
Concise information and a bright, attractive colour scheme are the best things for a bookmark to be.
posted by a halcyon day at 4:08 PM on June 14, 2015 [6 favorites]
Pretty much nothing. I'd rather use my phone for any pertinent information. I'd rather it be extraordinary at being a bookmark. So a nice image and thick enough to stand up to minor abuse.
posted by Aranquis at 4:18 PM on June 14, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Aranquis at 4:18 PM on June 14, 2015 [1 favorite]
Present this bookmark to our offices one year from now to be entered in a drawing for something really cool that we haven't thought up yet.
posted by myselfasme at 4:29 PM on June 14, 2015 [9 favorites]
posted by myselfasme at 4:29 PM on June 14, 2015 [9 favorites]
A huge part of it for me is card stock and color/visual appeal. If it feels flimsy or like something that was produced by a copy machine, I'm way more likely to recycle it.
posted by gemutlichkeit at 4:31 PM on June 14, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by gemutlichkeit at 4:31 PM on June 14, 2015 [2 favorites]
The only bookmark I have kept for longer than one book is one from City Lights, because it has a Neruda poem on it (English on one side, Spanish on the other) and, more importantly, measures 1.8" by 6" and is therefore short enough to comfortably fit in a mass-market paperback. When I think to read the poem, it makes me feel warm and fuzzy.
So what about some sort of lofty statement from a speech or work about education, or ideally about your institution? Maybe think of what you could do to inspire a feeling of loyalty to or desire for your institution, rather than just be useful.
posted by jaguar at 4:41 PM on June 14, 2015 [4 favorites]
So what about some sort of lofty statement from a speech or work about education, or ideally about your institution? Maybe think of what you could do to inspire a feeling of loyalty to or desire for your institution, rather than just be useful.
posted by jaguar at 4:41 PM on June 14, 2015 [4 favorites]
The only things that make me keep any promo giveaway item are use-it-all-the-time usefulness (e.g. a pen) and quality (e.g. a good pen).
So, in your case, card stock, thickness, print quality, etc.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 4:51 PM on June 14, 2015
So, in your case, card stock, thickness, print quality, etc.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 4:51 PM on June 14, 2015
Is there a way to gently tease the student or campus using a popular tv star or an internet meme?
posted by jander03 at 5:10 PM on June 14, 2015
posted by jander03 at 5:10 PM on June 14, 2015
For me: heavy weight, ruler, and a good picture. Avoid a well known stock photo of your campus.
I Oren have need of a little ruler for various little questions that need answering when I am not at my desk. Agree about thu URL vs the QR code. Those QR things are a pain in the butt.
posted by SLC Mom at 5:11 PM on June 14, 2015
I Oren have need of a little ruler for various little questions that need answering when I am not at my desk. Agree about thu URL vs the QR code. Those QR things are a pain in the butt.
posted by SLC Mom at 5:11 PM on June 14, 2015
Truly beautiful art. Maybe a gorgeous black-and-white woodcut of some meaningful symbol of the organization, perhaps an apple tree or an octopus. The art must have no words on it. No words.
Something truly original and beautiful (in the "pretty" sense of beautiful) would be nice. If there's an artist teaching at your campus who does amazing work, maybe something by that person. Since you're printing it at a small size, you might be able to get a deal. Still no words, though -- mention the artist's name in small type on the other side.
posted by amtho at 5:12 PM on June 14, 2015
Something truly original and beautiful (in the "pretty" sense of beautiful) would be nice. If there's an artist teaching at your campus who does amazing work, maybe something by that person. Since you're printing it at a small size, you might be able to get a deal. Still no words, though -- mention the artist's name in small type on the other side.
posted by amtho at 5:12 PM on June 14, 2015
Response by poster: A bit of a problem with the URL: this university has terribly long URLs. The shortest URL option (in this case) is 59 characters, the average is 92. I know, I know. There is no way around this. I know you think there is. But there's not, according to uni rules (including branding).
No money for celebrities, artists, specialist photography. Three campuses for this particular department, so no one iconic campus image.
Some great ideas, thank you - I wish I had the money for a lot of them.
posted by b33j at 5:19 PM on June 14, 2015
No money for celebrities, artists, specialist photography. Three campuses for this particular department, so no one iconic campus image.
Some great ideas, thank you - I wish I had the money for a lot of them.
posted by b33j at 5:19 PM on June 14, 2015
Hours and locations of places to eat on campus.
posted by that's how you get ants at 5:23 PM on June 14, 2015
posted by that's how you get ants at 5:23 PM on June 14, 2015
Use paper that is embedded with wildflower seeds. Most people will never plant it, but also won't throw it away because it has potential value.
posted by oxisos at 5:31 PM on June 14, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by oxisos at 5:31 PM on June 14, 2015 [3 favorites]
I just recently kept a transparent business card because the stock was intriguing (and I rarely keep cards anymore). Examples. Check out #23 - can you do something "interactive" like that?
posted by evilmomlady at 5:37 PM on June 14, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by evilmomlady at 5:37 PM on June 14, 2015 [2 favorites]
Can you ask students to design some for you? Maybe make it a contest for a Starbucks gift card? (And their name on the back.) That way you could get a really beautiful bookmark AND show what your students can do. I would have totally designed something that would have been handed out and been proud to see my artwork around. I also agree with nice cardstock.
In fact, I did enter a contest to make taglines for the summer courses available, and I got mine picked! Which meant a free t-shirt! Astronomy 101: Tour the Universe! (There were other parts of the contest too, such as the grand prize being tuition money, but I just wanted a t-shirt with my tagline on it.)
posted by Crystalinne at 5:47 PM on June 14, 2015 [2 favorites]
In fact, I did enter a contest to make taglines for the summer courses available, and I got mine picked! Which meant a free t-shirt! Astronomy 101: Tour the Universe! (There were other parts of the contest too, such as the grand prize being tuition money, but I just wanted a t-shirt with my tagline on it.)
posted by Crystalinne at 5:47 PM on June 14, 2015 [2 favorites]
A quotation related to your field of study. Humorous, inspiring, or both.
Department calendar dates. Last day to add/drop, symposium dates, exams, etc. I would like to have those handy.
posted by valannc at 6:08 PM on June 14, 2015 [1 favorite]
Department calendar dates. Last day to add/drop, symposium dates, exams, etc. I would like to have those handy.
posted by valannc at 6:08 PM on June 14, 2015 [1 favorite]
Seconding a quotation. If the bookmark was attractive, and the quote meant something neat related to my work, I'd tack it on my bulletin board above my desk, since I use an e-reader.
Here's a nice teaching-related quote:
"Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid."
(often falsely attributed to Albert Einstein)
posted by SuperSquirrel at 6:23 PM on June 14, 2015
Here's a nice teaching-related quote:
"Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid."
(often falsely attributed to Albert Einstein)
posted by SuperSquirrel at 6:23 PM on June 14, 2015
Three campuses for this particular department, so no one iconic campus image.
Is three different bookmarks an option? Does your college have a PR department that provides free, nice looking photos for free to the departments?
To re-frame the question - what problem in your students' lives are you trying to solve with this? You can sometimes get people to keep items with a pretty picture or useful saying, but mostly being something that will help them solve a problem is what will cause them to keep the item. I agree that digital native students are going to find things like library card catalog information too old school to be interesting.
As a student, I rarely found myself wanting for a bookmark. Almost any old piece of paper could do the trick. What I did need and use was post-it type products that I could use to annotate books I didn't want to write in, flag specific pages or chapters, etc. with.
So perhaps a different but similar branded product is a better solution.
posted by Candleman at 8:53 PM on June 14, 2015 [2 favorites]
Is three different bookmarks an option? Does your college have a PR department that provides free, nice looking photos for free to the departments?
To re-frame the question - what problem in your students' lives are you trying to solve with this? You can sometimes get people to keep items with a pretty picture or useful saying, but mostly being something that will help them solve a problem is what will cause them to keep the item. I agree that digital native students are going to find things like library card catalog information too old school to be interesting.
As a student, I rarely found myself wanting for a bookmark. Almost any old piece of paper could do the trick. What I did need and use was post-it type products that I could use to annotate books I didn't want to write in, flag specific pages or chapters, etc. with.
So perhaps a different but similar branded product is a better solution.
posted by Candleman at 8:53 PM on June 14, 2015 [2 favorites]
I've just finished Teacher training, and I never used a bookmark; reading was either on a tablet or textbooks covered in post-its. I certainly wouldn't have carried around a bookmark just because it had a phone number or library opening hours on.
A nice quote about Teaching and a simple design would have made it go in a box for later rather than the bin. A bookmark is not a flyer for filling with info.
posted by chrispy108 at 12:29 AM on June 15, 2015 [3 favorites]
A nice quote about Teaching and a simple design would have made it go in a box for later rather than the bin. A bookmark is not a flyer for filling with info.
posted by chrispy108 at 12:29 AM on June 15, 2015 [3 favorites]
I use bookmarks a lot. I would lose/dispose of a business card in a hot minute. If it's supposed to be a reference piece I'd consider
- URL (sideways if it's long)
- phone/email/twitter contact
- hours of buildings
- calendar list somewhere but not ugly/bulky
Then a nice color photo of something cool and/or quotation and then make it on sturdy paper and glossy. Card stock creases. Anything less than card stock isn't worth it. You have a laminator?
> library catalogue sections numbers
I love the library so much I'd gladly live in it but this is likely not something students care about. However it would make a nice design element as a sort of ephemeral aspect to it.
posted by jessamyn at 10:19 AM on June 15, 2015 [1 favorite]
- URL (sideways if it's long)
- phone/email/twitter contact
- hours of buildings
- calendar list somewhere but not ugly/bulky
Then a nice color photo of something cool and/or quotation and then make it on sturdy paper and glossy. Card stock creases. Anything less than card stock isn't worth it. You have a laminator?
> library catalogue sections numbers
I love the library so much I'd gladly live in it but this is likely not something students care about. However it would make a nice design element as a sort of ephemeral aspect to it.
posted by jessamyn at 10:19 AM on June 15, 2015 [1 favorite]
I worked at a religious institution for a couple of years and found a bookmark that listed the books of the Bible once (it looked like this, but with cheesy illustrations) and found it really helpful. Although I was probably the only person who worked there who didn't have that info memorized...
posted by jabes at 12:17 PM on June 15, 2015
posted by jabes at 12:17 PM on June 15, 2015
This thread is closed to new comments.
Emergency numbers (fire, police, rape crisis hotline...).
Ombudsman / student representative contact information.
"Coupon" for Unlimited Free Information.
posted by Etrigan at 3:48 PM on June 14, 2015 [2 favorites]