What design strategies can my shop employ to make one-of-a-kind awards for each client?

Great design and layout might make an award unique; however, the ultimate service is to make any product truly identifiable as the customer’s.

You can accomplish this by using fonts that express an organization’s style such as a font or two used in their logo or that represents an event. I use a specific “flame” font for certain youth awards given by a fire department. I have also used it for them on pieces that are fun or for lighter purposes. They identify with this font. I would never use it on service awards or any formal award.

Decorative ornaments or separators are another great way to create design elements specifically for an organization. These design elements include corners and other graphics. I’m not an artist, but I have found tools in CorelDRAW and graphics that have allowed me to create simple designs such as ornaments. Here are a few I have created and use for specific organizations:

• Water drop separator for a water company;
• Feather ornament for a Native American tribe;
• Separator of diamonds for a city whose tag line is, “Gem of the Valley.”

I have another ornament I use for a city that has a downtown with a “craftsman” architectural style. There are many more I have created over the years. I have received many appreciative comments from clients regarding the effort in making their awards special.

-Bob Hagel, Eagle’s Mark