Need critiques on a brochure cover

[shane-c]

I'm designing a cover for a "Celebrity Series" of dental instruments... Basically, it's just a series of very high-end instruments designed by nine of the best, most well-known people in their field. It's supposed to look high-end, classy, and sort of reflect the "celebrity" aspect as well.

http://www.am-eagle.com/images/celebrity-series.jpg

Some quick notes:
--It's still in the beginning stages, but this is basically the layout I'm going for
--The big left portion is the actual cover - the right side is going to be tabs for easy opening each of the doctors' pages in the brochure. (The right side, I think, needs some help)
--The photos of the doctors repeat - we've only got 4 on hand so far.
--The "American Eagle" logo & font is pre-existing. However, I can move it around, if need be.
--The faint "Celebrity Series" at the top in Zapfino type: I'm actually planning on having this just as a glossy varnish. What do you think?

I don't really have the type of deadline where I can totally start over - but please, don't hold back! Tell me what you really think!

Thanks!

[sekasi]

I like it : )

The area above the photos look very strange though. Very void with a ... perhaps not the best choice of font inside it. Midsection and lower part look fine to me.

Try and make the "cells" a bit more compressed on the right side, like alter height from 75 px 50 (you get the idea, no idea of the actual dimensions).

All in all good work

[doctor_funk]

I don't like that strange mouth photo. It doesn't make sense. The rest is fine I guess, very corporate. Are you sure this is the place to critique this kind of work? If it's corporate, it may not be something they want swimming around the net in odd places.

[will roberts]

i would take away the rounded left sides of the right column.

The mouth pic has got to go. maybe replace with somebody that is smiling as that just puts gloom on it.

Will look again once you have made changes if any :)

[shane-c]

Thanks guys.

It's a good-looking mouth = dentists...? Is that not obvious? Is it out of place/too abstract?

Define corporate... It is for a corporation, but it's not "sensitive information". They like the idea of other designers giving input on things before they go to press. Could you be more specific in your concerns? Thanks!

[Anogar]

I think the only thing I would change is the texture behind "celebrity series". I feel like that particular texture dates it for some reason, and that a better one - or perhaps none at all - would suit the comp better.

[shane-c]

Seems like people aren't diggin the mouth... Anybody else feel that way?

I tend to disagree... It is a "glamorous" looking mouth, smiling (but not too much), and eye-catching. If other people agree that it's bad, please let me know that I'm way off-base here...

will roberts: I agree. Those aren't really workin for me, either... It needs something, though, it looks odd plain... Hmm....

Thanks again!

[shane-c]

Anogar: I think you're right. I was messing around with different options besides a solid color at the top there, and I think I kind of forced that texture. I'll work on that. Thanks!

[manny2k]

I get the concept with the mouth although I think it’ll look better if you crop the nose out of shot, also I think if the picture finished at the line that comes off from the “better dentistry by design” box would help too

The upper “celebrity series” text looks to cramped left, right and baseline.

I’d try putting the rounded left corner of the nav over to the right (flip horizontal kind of thing) and see how that works.

A nice clean look though, like it


Manny 2k

[shane-c]

Thanks manny, I'll mess with it a bit!

[Ivebeen Framed]

It looks nice already but I would suggest changing the color of that green ornament under the "celebrity series" title. It looks odd to me because nothing else is that color. If you are working in Illustrator I think that is one of the symbols and you can't change the color of it so perhaps you could redraw something similar?

[shane-c]

Yup, it is an Illustrator symbol. You actually can change the color (that's not the original color it was) with the symbol stainer tool. I chose that color because I think it works with the other colors I'm using, but it's just different enough to be an unobtrusive accent... (I hope)

Just out of curiosity, anyone else think that color is wrong?

[Pasquale]

I'm designing a cover for a "Celebrity Series" of dental instruments... Basically, it's just a series of very high-end instruments designed by nine of the best, most well-known people in their field. It's supposed to look high-end, classy, and sort of reflect the "celebrity" aspect as well.

http://www.am-eagle.com/images/celebrity-series.jpg

Some quick notes:
--It's still in the beginning stages, but this is basically the layout I'm going for
--The big left portion is the actual cover - the right side is going to be tabs for easy opening each of the doctors' pages in the brochure. (The right side, I think, needs some help)
--The photos of the doctors repeat - we've only got 4 on hand so far.
--The "American Eagle" logo & font is pre-existing. However, I can move it around, if need be.
--The faint "Celebrity Series" at the top in Zapfino type: I'm actually planning on having this just as a glossy varnish. What do you think?

I don't really have the type of deadline where I can totally start over - but please, don't hold back! Tell me what you really think!

Thanks!
Square/clean-cut the nav, and and make the word "dentistry" more prominent.

[hybrid101]

the mouth looks awkward below the celebrity series text. could you try interchanging the position of the upper and lower halves?

really liking it btw:D

[shane-c]

OK, I tweaked the original a tiny bit (barely enough for a re-post, but what the heck). I also tried hybrids switching the top and bottom idea - I didn't really like how it turned out, but I'll post it anyway to see what you guys think. Maybe I just didn't play with it enough...

Anyway-

Tweaked original:
http://www.am-eagle.com/images/celebrity-series2.jpg

And the "flipped" version:
http://www.am-eagle.com/images/celebrity-series2-flipped.jpg

[tom314]

tweaked original is better imho

[shane-c]

Yeah, I like it better, too.

But if anybody thinks the "flipped" version has any promising aspects, I might try and work on it a little more...