Brochure Project
(CHEM 4203)

Explaining scientific and medical issues or information to individuals who lack a background in science and medicine is not an easy task. This skill is essential for individuals in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries, or any corporation that deals with the general public. For instance, healthcare providers struggle to find effective ways of disseminating information concerning diseases, treatment options and disease prevention to their patients without confusing or misleading them. Agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization have created numerous brochures to assist in this process (click here for some examples). Likewise, corporations who sell products/services or stock in products strive to develop successful communication strategies to explain how their product can benefit the public and/or sell in the market place.  Drug companies and environmental engineers have created a variety of ways to communicate their products to the public, including brochures, web sites and flyers. These communication devices are designed and created by a team of individuals who all have different talents (graphic artists, layout editors, copy editors and content experts). This team must cooperate to create effective communication devices.

Your purpose in this project is to work with a team to create a brochure that is meant to communicate to the general public about a scientific topic (a metabolic disorder). Your instructor will assign you to a team of three individuals. Your team will select a topic from a group of topics approved by your instructor (the 21 metabolic disorders discussed in class on 11/11). Since this is a science course, every member of your team will be expected to fulfill the duties of the "content expert". Each member of your team will select an additional role for him/herself for this project. There are three roles to choose from (see below for details).

Roles:

• Layout editor: This expert will arrange the text and art within the initial draft of the brochure. This role is great for an individual who has an eye for detail, organization and neatness. This individual will need to have some knowledge on how to use templates in basic word processing programs, such as Microsoft Word.
   
• Copy editor: This expert will write and edit the actual text boxes that are included in the brochure. This role is great for an individual who has exceptional grammar and spelling skills.
   
• Artist: This expert will either create graphics or simply find graphics on the web that can be incorporated into the brochure. This role is great for an individual who has graphic art skills. If your group lacks a "real" artist then this role can be fulfilled by somebody who knows how to identify effective graphics on the web and how to scale the graphics to the correct size for use on the brochure.

Some Guidelines:

• Your brochure should be visually appealing and not confusing.

• Your brochure should contain some graphics that help to represent what you are trying to get across (a drawing, a photo, colored text, etc.).

• Your brochure should use correct grammar and spelling.

• The information about the topic should be accurate and from effective sources.

• The information should be written at a 6th grade level and should not use any technical terms that a person with little education would not understand.

• You can use Microsoft Office Word or Publisher and choose a brochure template to get you started or you can use this template (from Word).

• It might be tempting to just use a brochure that has already been made on the web, but that is considered plagiarism. Do not copy another brochure in whole or in part. 

Schedule and Instructions:

Step One: In-class survey (5 minutes; 11/11)

• After the individual presentations on 11/11, the class will rank the metabolic disorders to determine the top 7 most interesting topics. Each group will be assigned one of these topics.

Step Two: In-class meeting #1 (10 minutes; 11/13)

• Get your assigned topic.

• Meet with your group members and determine each group member's role in the project.

• Brainstorm to determine what content needs to be gathered for the brochure. For instance, what do you need to find out about your topic? What resources are available for your topic? What does your group want to tell the public about your topic?

Step Three: Homework assignment (all)

• Content experts (all group members) are assigned to individually gather information for the brochure. Instructors may or may not designate specific resources to use. Each content expert should bring typed copies of his/her notes for every group member for the in-class meeting #2.

Step Four: In-class meeting #2 (10-15 minutes; 11/18)

• The group will merge the information gathered by the content experts and discuss the accuracy. The group will decide which information to actually use in the brochure.

• The group will also discuss graphics that can be included to make the brochure look appealing, more understandable and interesting.

Step Five: Homework assignment (copy editor and artist)

• The copy editor will create a draft of the text to be included in the brochure. This person will take the facts that were merged during the last meeting and will determine how the text should appear in the brochure so that the general public can understand the content. A draft copy of the text should be provided during the in-class meeting #3.

• The artist will decide (based on the facts gathered and the discussion during meeting #2), what photos, pictures or graphics to use in the brochure and bring samples to the group during the in-class meeting #3.

Step Six: In-class meeting #3 (10 minutes; 11/20)

• The group will look at and discuss the text and the art. The group should decide what art to use in the brochure. The group will make suggestions/comments to the artist and copy editor.

• The group should decide on a deadline (deadline #1) to have the final text and art sent to the layout editor.

Step Seven: Homework assignment (copy editor and artist)

• Copy editor should make any needed adjustments to the text and send this to the layout editor by the deadline #1.
   
• Artist should make and needed adjustments to the art and send the art to the layout editor by the deadline #1.

Step Eight: Homework assignment (layout editor)

• The layout editor should put together a draft of the brochure by integrating the text and art from the copy editor and artist. The layout editor should bring copies of a draft brochure for each group member to the in-class meeting #4.

Step Nine: In-class meeting #4 (10-15 minutes; 11/25)

• The group will look at and discuss the first draft of the brochure.
   
• The group needs to decide on a deadline (deadline #2) for the second draft of the brochure.

Step Ten: Homework assignment (layout editor)

• The layout editor should make any needed adjustments to create a second draft of the brochure. This draft will be created using the comments from the group at the last meeting. The draft needs to be completed and sent to all group members by deadline #2.

Step Eleven: In-class meeting #5 (5-10 minutes; 12/4)

• The group will discuss the second draft and make final comments/suggestions to the layout editor.

Step Twelve: Homework assignment (all)

• The layout editor will use the comments to make the final draft. The final draft of the brochure should be emailed to the group and the instructor, and the group should decide who will print it and turn it in. It should be printed in color and folded properly.

• The final printed copy will be given to the instructor at or before the final exam..

Step Thirteen: Homework assignment (all)

• The instructor should receive copies of the group evaluation at or before the final exam. Each individual should complete one rubric  for each individual in the group (including themselves) and give all rubrics to the instructor.

Grading Rubric