The best leaflet is the one the reader uses, not just looks at. When, instead of another slogan, you give them a tool - a list to tick off, a step-by-step instruction or a small planner - the material stops being an ad and becomes a helper. And a helper is not thrown away, it is kept within reach. It is the cheapest way to bring your brand back before someone's eyes every day.
Three formats - a checklist, an instruction and a planner - share one thing: they give the reader something to do. Yet each follows its own design rules. Below we show how to build each of them so it is genuinely useful, and how to choose the print so the leaflet survives daily use.
- A checklist, an instruction and a planner are leaflet formats a customer actually uses, so they want to keep them.
- A checklist needs boxes to tick and a logical order of points.
- An instruction leads step by step - numbered stages, one step at a time, simple language.
- A planner requires space to write in - fields, lines, grids - and a sensible division of time.
- Thicker paper, a matte finish and a well-chosen format make the leaflet withstand daily use.
Why a functional leaflet works better
An ordinary leaflet talks. A functional leaflet invites action - and that changes everything. When the reader ticks something off, does it or writes it down, they engage physically, and this builds a far stronger bond than passive reading. A material that gets used stays on the desk, on the fridge, in the calendar. Every time someone reaches for it, your brand reminds them of itself at no extra cost.
It is the same principle that makes materials with a real function last longer. We wrote about it in more detail in our post on how to design a leaflet the customer will keep for later. A list, an instruction and a planner are the three simplest ways to put that principle into practice - because they give a concrete reason not to throw the leaflet away.
A checklist - order that calms
A checklist works wherever something needs to be seen to: preparations for an event, steps before ordering, things to pack. Its strength lies in simplicity - the reader sees the boxes, ticks them off one by one and feels in control. It is a satisfaction they then associate with your brand.
- Clear boxes to tick - little squares or circles to the left of each point. They are what turns reading into action.
- A logical order - arrange the points in a natural sequence, the way the reader will carry them out, not at random.
- Short, concrete phrases - one point is one task. No lengthy sentences that break the rhythm of the list.
- Grouping by sections - if there are many points, divide them into stages with headings. A longer list stops being overwhelming.
A good checklist is also a great way to discreetly show competence. If customers in your industry fall into the same traps, the list helps them avoid these - and along the way builds the image of a brand that knows its stuff and thinks about the reader.
Leave one empty line at the bottom of the list labelled "Your point:". The reader will add their own item and thereby make the leaflet more their own - and personalised things are kept longer. It is a small gesture that strongly raises the chance the material stays within reach.
An instruction - step by step without chaos
An instruction answers the question "how do I do this?". It works for assembly, operation, preparing something for shipping, a first setup. Its main enemy is chaos - which is why everything depends on clearly guiding the reader one step at a time.
Numbering and one step at a time
Number the stages with large, clear figures. Each step is one task - if a point contains the word "and", it can usually be split into two. The reader should be able to complete a step, look away, come back and immediately know where they left off. Numbering here is like a handrail on the stairs.
It is worth supporting the text with simple icons or arrows that show the direction of action. Keep the language as plain as possible - the imperative mood ("fold", "press", "check") works better than descriptive sentences. The rules of a readable layout that guides the eye we described in our post on how to design a readable leaflet that encourages action - many of them translate directly into instructions.
For longer instructions, folded leaflets work best - you can spread successive steps across separate panels the reader uncovers one by one. Unfolding the folder itself creates a sense of progress, which fits the logic of an instruction well.
If you are building an instruction from scratch, work through it in this order:
- List every task - write them out in sequence, the way they actually happen.
- Break up complex steps - wherever a step contains an "and", split it into two separate points.
- Number them and add icons - large figures plus arrows or simple symbols to guide the eye.
- Test it on someone - ask an outsider to follow the steps and point out where they get lost.
A planner - the space where the customer writes themselves
A planner is the most engaging of the three formats, because the reader does not only read or tick off, but writes their own content. It can be a weekly planner, a meal plan, a training schedule, a table for goals. When someone records their own affairs in it, the leaflet becomes personal - and personal things are not thrown away.
- Space to write - lines, grids or empty fields. Leave real room where content can be comfortably written in with a pen.
- A sensible division of time or categories - days of the week, times of day, project stages. The structure should match what the reader is actually planning.
- Air between the fields - do not cram everything in. A planner that is too tight is uncomfortable to use and quickly ends up in a drawer.
- Room for the brand without pushiness - a logo in the corner, a subtle footer. A planner is meant to serve the reader, with the brand accompanying them in the background.
A planner works best when it answers a real need of your customers. A hairdressing salon can offer an appointments planner, a health food shop a meal plan, an accounting office a calendar of tax deadlines. The better you hit the reader's everyday life, the longer the leaflet stays in use.
Print and format, or how to make a leaflet survive being used
A functional leaflet is meant to be touched, carried and filled in, so its build has to withstand that. Thin paper quickly falls apart, and a glossy finish makes writing difficult. A few technical decisions genuinely extend the life of such a material.
- Thicker paper - a stiffer sheet survives being carried in a bag, pinned up and consulted many times.
- Uncoated paper - choose an unlaminated, uncoated stock such as our eco line, because a pen smudges on film, and a list or planner has to be filled in.
- A well-chosen format - a list and an instruction like handy formats, while a planner often benefits from a larger writing surface.
- Margins and bleeds - leave a margin at the edges so the tick boxes and lines do not run off when trimmed.
The size is worth considering separately for each use - we expand on this in our post on which leaflet format to choose. Before you send the project to print, check the files step by step following our file preparation guide - this way the fields, lines and numbering come out exactly where they should, and the finished leaflet looks professional.
A checklist, an instruction and a planner are three simple ways to make a leaflet stop being paper to throw away and become a tool the customer uses and that reminds them of your brand every day. Choose the format that suits what you do, look after legibility and solid print - and take a look at our leaflet offer or write through the contact form if you want to prepare such a material with us.
