Direct mail can be an effective way for businesses to contact current and prospective customers, especially about special offers and promotions. Some of the advantages of using direct mail are the highly targeted audience, the personalization options and the data that can be collected based on responses. Because of these benefits, it is understandable why many companies choose this type of marketing, but for a designer, this can be an extremely challenging project.

The most important thing to remember when creating direct mail is that the first impression is everything. Think about it: what do you do when you are flipping through your mail and among the bills and letters you come across a postcard from a local business? If you are like most people, you probably instantly deem it “junk mail” and toss it. Unless of course it is able to somehow catch your attention, before it reaches the trash can.

As the designer of a direct mail postcard, my job is to create something that is eye catching, whether it be with a strong visual or a bold statement. With Vision Equity, I knew we needed to use both in order to get their investors to take notice. I decided to show a picture of a foreclosed home with the words “The Market’s Loss Is Your Gain.” While this is a fairly simple statement, it will have a strong impact on the investors it is intended for because foreclosures can be major opportunities for them. I wanted to use minimal text on both sides of the card to ensure the message wouldn’t intimidate the reader, so I limited the back side of the card to a short checklist of ways Vision Equity generates returns, a row of icons explaining the process and their contact information.

Overall this project was a challenge for me, but at the same time a good exercise in minimalistic design. I learned that when it comes to direct mail, less is definitely more.

Vision Equity