BROCHURE DESIGN PROJECT

PROJECT SUMMARY

A collateral design created before the formation of the marketing team, providing sales managers with a polished tool for trade shows and client meetings during the critical pre-opening phase

In June 2016, as The William Vale, a 21-story luxury lifestyle hotel in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, prepared to open, the sales team urgently needed a professional collateral piece to present at road shows and trade events. With no marketing team yet established, I took ownership of creating the hotel’s first sales brochure that captured basic introductions of the hotel’s amenities and offerings. As most of the functions were not available at the time as it was fresh out of the construction phase, it was important to balance what was planned in the next 30 days instead of what’s in the indefinite future. The brochure needed to contain what was going to be offered.

2 weeks before the important client meetings and tradeshows, the sales managers needed brochures to present the hotel with. Working closely with the General Manager and the sales managers, I identified and prioritized the hotel’s key selling points—183 private-balcony rooms, the 60-foot rooftop pool (the longest in New York City), Vale Park, dining options, a wedding and event venue, and striking architecture. Within two weeks, I transformed raw materials (renderings, photos, architectural notes, early press coverage) into a polished brochure that positioned the Vale as Brooklyn’s first design-driven luxury destination.

TIMELINE

June 2016 (2 weeks)

TOOLS

Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator; Google Workspace

TEAM

Solo responsibility

MY ROLE

Concept lead, designer, and producer

WHAT THIS PROJECT DEMONSTRATES

Design initiative under constraints – filling a marketing gap in the absence of a dedicated team.
Strategic storytelling – shaping the hotel’s identity by consulting leadership on selling points.
Creative execution – delivering a professional-grade brochure in a compressed timeframe.
Stakeholder alignment – ensuring GM and Sales Manager priorities were reflected in the final product.

Link to Brochure

PROBLEM CONTEXT

The William Vale was preparing for its debut, but lacked marketing assets to convey its distinctive value in a crowded New York market.
Competitors had well-established branding; the Vale had only raw visuals and architectural descriptions.
The sales team needed a portable, polished piece to use in road shows, meetings, and pitches.
Without collateral, the Vale risked underrepresenting its uniqueness to media, planners, and clients.

DESIGN REQUIREMENTS

Brand consistency: Match the blueprint collection’s clean, architectural style and color palette for a cohesive look.
Interim use: Keep design simple and functional since this was a temporary sales tool before the marketing team’s official launch.
Future flexibility: Structure content so images or details can be easily updated later.
Sales-focused layout: Organize info logically (location → rooms → amenities → dining → events) for quick reference in meetings.
Balance aspirational & practical: Showcase lifestyle appeal while including key facts (room count, event sizes, access).
Print ready: Ensure clear legibility and high contrast for easy on-the-go use at tradeshows.

DESIGN RATIONALE

The brochure was created as a sales enablement tool for sales managers to present at tradeshows and customer meetings. It needed to introduce the property clearly and persuasively using only the information and images available at the time, ensuring the team could communicate the hotel’s value even before the full asset library was complete.

Highlighting Iconic Manhattan Views
- The William Vale’s unobstructed skyline views are a signature differentiator in Brooklyn.
- Including images of the Manhattan skyline from guest rooms immediately conveys the premium positioning and urban lifestyle appeal.
Showcasing Room Types & Luxury Options
- Prospective partners and guests needed to understand the range of accommodations — from standard balcony rooms to the Vale Garden Residence.
- Featuring room types builds trust and helps sales teams sell both everyday rooms and exclusive suites.
Summarizing Core Offerings & Amenities
- A clear “At a Glance” section quickly communicates the property’s scale, features, and premium services (event spaces, Vale Pool, concierge, access).
- Gives sales managers a concise way to introduce the hotel without needing to recall every detail.
Elevating the Dining Experience as a Key Selling Point
- Dining was a major differentiator, with diverse concepts by Andrew Carmellini’s NoHo Hospitality Group.
- Featuring Leuca, Westlight, Mister Dips, and Vale Pool service positioned the hotel as both a destination for travelers and a vibrant local culinary hub.

Image Strategy:

Exterior Image – Conversation starter showing architecture, layout, and location; positions the hotel as a modern urban resort.
View from Guest Room – Highlights rare Manhattan skyline views and reinforces premium appeal.
Biggest Suite – Showcases the most profitable, event-ready accommodation for VIP and high-value sales.
Vale Pool – Features one of Brooklyn’s largest hotel pools, underscoring lifestyle luxury and unique amenities.

RESEARCH & VALIDATION

Over 2 weeks, I consulted with the General Manager and Sales Manager to define and validate the key selling points through 4 meetings.
Reviewed architectural plans, early renderings, and neighborhood positioning.
Analyzed competitive properties in Manhattan and Brooklyn to understand how design and amenities were marketed.
Incorporated coverage from design and hospitality media, highlighting features like the rooftop pool and private balconies as well as meeting and event spaces with its unique selling points.

EXECUTION & TIMELINE

Week 1 – Concept Development & Content Planning

Meeting #1: Reviewed newly delivered photos and available visual assets. Matched images with appropriate descriptions to create the most impactful first impression. Drafted a rough outline of what the brochure should communicate.
Meeting #2: Defined overall brochure structure — brand identity, rooms & suites, dining experiences, key amenities, and community context.
Meeting #3: Drafted initial copy aligned with the GM and Sales Manager’s sales priorities for tradeshows and client meetings.
- Explored including corporate rental and retail space information, but dropped the idea since it did not support hotel guest decision-making.
- Considered a room-type–focused brochure, but deferred this approach as the first version needed to introduce the hotel broadly before targeting qualified buyers.

Week 2 – Design & Finalization

Designed layouts in Adobe InDesign, selected typography to complement the blueprint room layouts, and curated the most compelling images.
Meeting #4: Iterated with GM and Sales Manager feedback to refine narrative and visual flow.
Finalized print-ready files and a digital PDF version for immediate sales use at tradeshows and customer meetings.

OUTCOMES

Delivered on time: Produced the hotel’s first official sales collateral ahead of pre-opening, enabling sales activity before the marketing team was established.
Print & distribution: 500 copies printed in week one; distributed to sales managers for tradeshows and client meetings. Within two weeks, shared with Front Desk and Concierge, leading to an additional 300 copies printed for guest and group inquiries.
Adoption & usage: Used by 100% of the sales team and later adopted by 3 other departments (Front Desk, Concierge, Events) for customer-facing communication.
Sales impact: Equipped the team with professional materials that supported early group bookings and corporate sales pitches before brand-wide marketing assets existed.
Brand foundation: Established the visual and narrative framework later used by the new marketing team to develop the hotel’s full official brochure.

REFLECTION

Taking Initiative

This project highlighted the importance of stepping up in an early-stage organization. Although brochure creation was outside my official role, the absence of a marketing team and the urgency of pre-opening sales made it necessary. By taking ownership, I delivered the hotel’s first sales collateral and expanded my skill set beyond business development into design and brand storytelling.

Stakeholder Collaboration

Close collaboration with the GM and Sales Manager ensured the brochure was not only visually compelling but also strategically aligned with sales priorities, from tradeshows to client pitches. Their input shaped what to include (rooms, views, dining, amenities) and what to exclude (retail spaces, niche offerings) for the first launch.

Scalable Impact

The brochure quickly became a cross-departmental tool, adopted by Sales, Concierge, Front Desk, and Events to communicate consistently with partners and guests. It also established the brand narrative and visual tone that later informed the official marketing collateral once the marketing team was formed.

Future Opportunities

Work more closely with internal teams (marketing, operations, photography) to access and curate stronger imagery.
Gather direct feedback from Front Desk and Concierge on what guests ask most to refine content.
Develop alternative formats, such as one-pagers for quick sales pitches or more detailed booklets for high-value clients and event planners.

Overall, this project demonstrated my ability to step outside my defined role, respond to urgent business needs, and expand my skills into design and communication, while combining sales strategy, stakeholder input, and execution under tight deadlines to deliver a launch-critical tool that shaped the hotel’s early brand presence.