Girl Scouts
A catalog redesign appeals to Girl
Scouts of all ages.
Design firm: Girl Scouts of Gateway Council's in-house team
When Girl Scouts of Gateway Council decided to
broaden the appeal of its catalog—originally sent
only to adult troop leaders and volunteers—to
include the girls, the in-house communications team
knew a fresh, modern makeover was a must.
The team started with a creative brief to identify
direction, key messages and desired results. Once
they agreed on a name, Discover, and positioning
statement, concepting began. Explains lead designer
Amber-Lynn Gusa, “Keeping the theme of Discover
in mind, I researched the target audience online,
searching websites and media targeted toward teen
girls, collecting ideas—images, graphics, typography
and colors that were popular and that I thought
might work or inspire the project.”
Gusa then began hand-drawing and sketching
concepts for the redesign before settling on a few
ideas to show to the internal clients. Once the concept
and color palette was decided, focus shifted to
what was inside, starting with making informational
charts easier to read and more uniform.
“I incorporated icons for certain information
that needed to stand out, giving it a graphical reference
to make it easier for the eye to scan and find
that information,” notes Gusa. “[It also served] to
create more of a flow and make it more aesthetically
pleasing.” In addition, since the catalog goes to people
in different age groups, sections were color-coded
so readers can find age-appropriate content quickly.
Like any project, there were limitations and
problems to overcome. For Gusa, main hurdles
included a limited budget and older equipment—Quark 5 and a six-year-old Mac.
And she offers this advice: “Research and draw
first! The computer is just a tool, and if you use it to
think, it will limit your potential and success. There
is nothing more powerful than pencil, paper and the
creative mind.”
Girl Scouts of Gateway Council
Lead designer: Amber-Lynn Gusa
Directors: Carrie Kashawlic, Nancy White
Client: Girl Scouts of Gateway Council
Contact: www.girlscouts-gateway.org
