Spreads from the Novarx Brochure

Okay. Maybe I’m making too much of this, but we just finished up a patient information brochure for Novarx Corp. in San Diego. They are working on an entirely new way to fight cancer. And it looks like they could really make an impact.

When we met them we were all awestruck at what they were doing - and the results they were getting. Each of us at Plumbline have been affected by cancer in one way or another. So we had a lot of ourselves invested in the project.

As many projects do, this one came with twists and turns. Politics, personnel changes, requests for revisions from multiple sides, etc. We got through it, as we always do, by just focusing on making the client happy and providing them with a product that they could be proud of.

Just last week, the brochures came off the press. The client was really thrilled, which of course makes all the headaches worthwhile. But this time, we were given and extra dose of gratitude. Someone, I can’t remember who, said that “this brochure will save lives.”

That is one of the nicest things anyone has ever said about the work that we do.

That simple statement got me thinking about the real importance of graphic design. Yes, we sell. But we also entertain. We persuade, but we also inform. When it’s done correctly - and for the right people - graphic design can actually change a nation. Are you picturing the Obama “O” now? Sure, we have done “better” work, but this experience really helped solidify the idea that graphic design is not just about making things look pretty. It’s about communication, problem solving, and delivering the right message to the right people in the right way.

I really hope that as I continue in my humble career, in my corner of the universe, I will feel this proud more often.