More than 700 Cornell publications were scrutinized in a one-day display and opinion survey conducted Dec. 13 in Hollister Hall's McManus Lounge.

Publications came from 114 participants, representing departments, units and colleges across the Cornell campus, the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, and Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City and Qatar. They were grouped by their primary target audiences, such as alumni and friends, current students, prospective students and publications for outreach purposes or for staff and employees.

"We've been accumulating samples since August, and these coincide with examples in our communications survey," said Clive Howard, Cornell Publications and Marketing art director.

The display and related survey are a project of the Cornell Communications Review and a working group of more than 50 Cornell communications professionals who are studying communications needs and current efforts at Cornell. The review will produce a report in March 2008.

In addition to brochures and guides to everything from graduate programs to fraternities and sororities, Cornell Library and Cornell Dining, the items on display included capital campaign materials, DVDs, newsletters, posters and bookmarks, a hardcover Qatar yearbook and a luggage ID tag and passport case from the Einaudi Center for International Studies.

Survey questionnaires asked for overall impressions and how effective the publications were, based on visual presentation, use of color, typography, imagery, message and other criteria.

The committee conducting the survey also was looking for consistency, quality, use of the Cornell brand, and examples of duplication and redundancy, Howard said.

For more information, visit https://blogs.cit.cornell.edu/cucb/.