MESHING UP DESIGN
By Alexa Smith
International Partnerships and Programs Coordinator
University of Kansas Medical Center
March, 2022
International Partnerships and Programs Coordinator
University of Kansas Medical Center
March, 2022
As individuals who host events, we have been there: we need a compelling flier to promote it. Go-to templates can be great but what if you want to change it up a bit?
Since this is my first MIG article, I would like to share my background before I dive into fliers. My degree is in Integrated Marketing Communications-Creative Concentration and Theatre. Now I am at the University of Kansas Medical Center’s Office of International Programs. I work in both Outbound & Inbound Programs, manage International Agreements, and facilitate Educational & Exchange Programming.
One of my favourite aspects of my job is when I get to tap into my graphic design background. For the record, I am not a graphic designer, I just know graphic design. (A story for another day.) I am a bit unusual in that my preference is to use my own images rather than others. A few years ago on Adobe Illustrator’s Facebook page, this article on the gradient mesh was shared, and I have enjoyed putting it to use by designing some backgrounds for fliers. The gradient mesh in Illustrator allows you to make the image your own. If you are like me, you could lose track of time as you experiment!
The article example uses four colours but my preference is to stay with two or three. I generally am using this design for a special event with an international guest. When we had presentations by guests from Spain, Zambia, and Ethiopia, I chose colours from their country’s flag. For an upcoming roundtable between our nursing school and a partner in Japan, I selected one colour from each university's logo.
Once I am done creating the background, I export the file to an image. When it is time to make the flier all I have to do is place the image into my Adobe InDesign project. Aside from adjusting transparency once the text has been added, nothing else needs to be done. Here are the final fliers mentioned above.
Since this is my first MIG article, I would like to share my background before I dive into fliers. My degree is in Integrated Marketing Communications-Creative Concentration and Theatre. Now I am at the University of Kansas Medical Center’s Office of International Programs. I work in both Outbound & Inbound Programs, manage International Agreements, and facilitate Educational & Exchange Programming.
One of my favourite aspects of my job is when I get to tap into my graphic design background. For the record, I am not a graphic designer, I just know graphic design. (A story for another day.) I am a bit unusual in that my preference is to use my own images rather than others. A few years ago on Adobe Illustrator’s Facebook page, this article on the gradient mesh was shared, and I have enjoyed putting it to use by designing some backgrounds for fliers. The gradient mesh in Illustrator allows you to make the image your own. If you are like me, you could lose track of time as you experiment!
The article example uses four colours but my preference is to stay with two or three. I generally am using this design for a special event with an international guest. When we had presentations by guests from Spain, Zambia, and Ethiopia, I chose colours from their country’s flag. For an upcoming roundtable between our nursing school and a partner in Japan, I selected one colour from each university's logo.
Once I am done creating the background, I export the file to an image. When it is time to make the flier all I have to do is place the image into my Adobe InDesign project. Aside from adjusting transparency once the text has been added, nothing else needs to be done. Here are the final fliers mentioned above.
