This might be my favorite project -- it holds a special place in my design heart because it was the culmination of a lot of hard work, and one of those projects where the final product ended up very close to my initial ambitious vision, despite not having professional production facilities (I printed and assembled the samples myself in WCC's fabulous Production Center).
The assignment (2018) was to produce a brochure and at least two other promotional materials for Guys Read, a website that encourages boys to read more. I produced two brochures (one for boys, the other for adults), a cootie-catcher insert, and a poster, that all fit together in one neat final package. I decided to use a little reverse psychology on the cover to goad boys into taking a peek, then engage their attention with silly/gross jokes and ideas about all the different ways reading can be fun.
The assignment (2018) was to produce a brochure and at least two other promotional materials for Guys Read, a website that encourages boys to read more. I produced two brochures (one for boys, the other for adults), a cootie-catcher insert, and a poster, that all fit together in one neat final package. I decided to use a little reverse psychology on the cover to goad boys into taking a peek, then engage their attention with silly/gross jokes and ideas about all the different ways reading can be fun.
My favorite part of the project is the cootie-catcher that acts as a toy/game to engage boys attention and get them excited about what to read next. I designed the cootie-catcher with colorful pieces of transparent plastic so boys would dive into their brochure's list of book recommendations to decode hidden book titles. A list is boring; a hunt is fun! Because a cootie catcher is a game they'd play with friends, it has the added benefit of spreading the word about Guys Read.
![The whole shebang](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4fe376c3-016c-488a-afd5-34eee798bc6e/e850ea26-2aa2-4a25-a918-b1faf7cc3ae3_rw_1920.png?h=e9ed1c74e40629a01f0e4f2e55bb9a56)
The whole shebang
![pulls apart to two different booklets.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4fe376c3-016c-488a-afd5-34eee798bc6e/65bb3a34-acf8-4904-a21b-34db93e693cc_rw_1920.png?h=a97591ce26ff9aa205cf609fe24f1b18)
pulls apart to two different booklets.
![This one's for the Guys.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4fe376c3-016c-488a-afd5-34eee798bc6e/893ac9ab-a70e-470d-8e3b-2c725ea7044f_rw_1920.png?h=889aee32f9e51928296e367159770c49)
This one's for the Guys.
![Knock knock...](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4fe376c3-016c-488a-afd5-34eee798bc6e/931e7dd1-a1d2-40a5-8957-be9856e41dd1_rw_1920.png?h=77400c7440afbbb0251e788ef5b1cd99)
Knock knock...
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4fe376c3-016c-488a-afd5-34eee798bc6e/dd5907d4-a3b7-4d36-891e-03bd9e382856_rw_1920.png?h=4d4144b534cbc22950c8652fe916ef8b)
![What's this in the middle?](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4fe376c3-016c-488a-afd5-34eee798bc6e/b6f98535-3946-4c05-b21b-34b97d591eb1_rw_1920.png?h=e46f68ead7ce8c92a4a2c744e434a77d)
What's this in the middle?
![Let's unfold it,](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4fe376c3-016c-488a-afd5-34eee798bc6e/6f6b6dfd-ad0b-4d79-a865-2738d3cf088f_rw_1920.png?h=6f3f6cc81b32c5a90b057afc1d2e16d4)
Let's unfold it,
![...and take that middle page out.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4fe376c3-016c-488a-afd5-34eee798bc6e/dee3c5ff-b4a4-4489-9cf0-01fcbc0ff5cc_rw_1920.png?h=82b06b316fdfe7731127f35abf8d8468)
...and take that middle page out.
![(but a back view first)](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4fe376c3-016c-488a-afd5-34eee798bc6e/97842519-cdbc-49ca-812f-6a269f7bc0ed_rw_1920.png?h=247e0279ec7062b66cc0a96b85ebd1cf)
(but a back view first)
![It folds into a cootie catcher!](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4fe376c3-016c-488a-afd5-34eee798bc6e/d79b9946-61e8-44dc-905b-f3a55a0ec6cd_rw_1920.png?h=b7c9f5839b820eeee7dae2467bdb6ea5)
It folds into a cootie catcher!
![Play the game and](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4fe376c3-016c-488a-afd5-34eee798bc6e/760550a8-186e-4773-99fb-c543e882f587_rw_1920.png?h=4ef1a2b1fc0a81a31d05315a55f7dcad)
Play the game and
![pick a number, to use](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4fe376c3-016c-488a-afd5-34eee798bc6e/650124c3-5f8e-492f-97cc-4f7cff89f406_rw_1920.png?h=f66f7110aef159e1809a9c39a96c1a79)
pick a number, to use
![the decoder and find your next favorite read from](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4fe376c3-016c-488a-afd5-34eee798bc6e/f6ad07d0-dabe-4845-96c2-0defeed04c73_rw_1920.png?h=2b781655a8aa46b98a6a4a2a03458a5c)
the decoder and find your next favorite read from
![a big list of books!](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4fe376c3-016c-488a-afd5-34eee798bc6e/ac0a5487-6d4e-4875-b059-5f21162e5805_rw_1920.png?h=d4eb63891f133155c333ea8f20ca6605)
a big list of books!
![Keep it going, pass it on](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4fe376c3-016c-488a-afd5-34eee798bc6e/640bcc2f-c65e-4237-9d59-b74f18595bfa_rw_1920.png?h=63c1c8208a9dd62a0931563c9e0440fe)
Keep it going, pass it on
![and start a Guys Read club!](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4fe376c3-016c-488a-afd5-34eee798bc6e/006fc6e4-641e-4a76-9648-58048bcb8cf0_rw_1920.png?h=36c149194e377679dc32e601f2a1e828)
and start a Guys Read club!
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4fe376c3-016c-488a-afd5-34eee798bc6e/12c28f15-d628-4181-8ce6-643c5aa8d4bf_rw_1200.gif?h=92df2b13dcd90a686344211fe4e462eb)
Booklet to toy to treasure hunt
![Now onto the second booklet](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4fe376c3-016c-488a-afd5-34eee798bc6e/458c4beb-66a5-4687-9eb6-f69bb2778d4d_rw_1920.png?h=b14e602191da97d81d7b08dc6d6b919e)
Now onto the second booklet
![for the Adults](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4fe376c3-016c-488a-afd5-34eee798bc6e/405fd802-3b58-4825-9f7a-f2a2c2ee460b_rw_1920.png?h=853a71ad4c268cec09daf2c26b7bfc37)
for the Adults
![What's the deal with](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4fe376c3-016c-488a-afd5-34eee798bc6e/f012fbb3-1629-4616-a431-9fac4c0cdbdb_rw_1920.png?h=d5230d9dc32338515bd0e561e67e9e13)
What's the deal with
![Guys and Reading anyway?](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4fe376c3-016c-488a-afd5-34eee798bc6e/61189fb4-8707-439e-b42b-a6dd965d95f6_rw_1920.png?h=2702b818e2b00ef59a49b31767fce866)
Guys and Reading anyway?
![And what can we do for them?](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4fe376c3-016c-488a-afd5-34eee798bc6e/5c3918d0-2d97-4d5c-a6b8-c71aaee259ec_rw_1920.png?h=604b81be985334ae7379cf93918ed5bc)
And what can we do for them?
![Get thee to the library! (or bookstore)](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/4fe376c3-016c-488a-afd5-34eee798bc6e/14413bf7-3d34-4638-8389-d86cd56dcd91_rw_1920.png?h=43f0679eca2eece5b59a2a1383ffb770)