A Palette of Circles for Someone Who Works With Colour
Designers show their taste in everything, including a letter. This letterhead uses a cluster of overlapping coloured circles in the header, a name in a clean typeface and a short role line. The sample shows a landscape designer, but the page works for interior designers, graphic designers, garden designers and illustrators. It looks playful without losing order.
How the Overlapping Circles Work
The page is 8.5 x 11 inches, portrait, one page. In the upper area, a group of circles in warm and cool colours overlap, like paint swatches or flower beds seen from above. The circles are graphics and sit behind the name. They draw the eye, then lead it to the name and title. The rest of the page is white.
The Name and Title Lines
The sample reads Micheal Angel with the title Landscape Designer. Note that the first name is spelled Micheal in the template, so retype it to your own name instead of leaving it as is. Replace the title with your own discipline, such as Interior Stylist, Brand Designer or Garden Planner.
Address and Web Lines
At the foot there is a single block with a street address, two phone numbers, an email and a website. Designers rely on a portfolio site, so the web address is the most important line. Make sure it takes the reader straight to your work, not to a general landing page.
Date Line and the Writing Area
A Date line sits at the top right. Below it, the writing area is wide and open. A designer’s proposals often include small images, such as a mood board or a sketch. Place a small image in the white space, and wrap the text around it by keeping it at one side.
Letters for a Design Practice
- Proposals with scope, stages and fees.
- Letters that confirm a brief after the first meeting.
- Supplier and contractor instructions.
- Letters of recommendation for assistants and interns.
- Invitations to a site visit or a presentation.
Staying Inside the Colour Scheme
The circles use several colours, so keep the text in dark grey or black. Do not add many more colours of your own. A single accent colour taken from the circles, for example the green of a heading, ties the page together.
Editing and Replacing Parts
Text boxes can be changed freely. The circles are fixed graphics. If you want your logo in the header, place it over the white area at the left, and keep it smaller than the name. The page is still a letterhead, not a poster.
Printing the Coloured Header
Use a colour printer and check the circles on a test page. On uncoated 100 gsm paper the colours look soft, which suits a garden or craft business. For a more vivid look, use a coated stock from a print shop.
For an agency page, see the creative agency letterhead. For a studio with red corners, try the creative business letterhead. For a portfolio page, see the creative portfolio letterhead. More are in letterheads.
