The holiday season is upon us, which means you might be preparing for Christmas services and events. Impactful graphics and designs play a key role in setting the spiritual tone and conveying the most wonderful story of Christmas.

Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at how Dustin, one of our designers and Squad Leads at Church Media Squad, created custom holiday graphics. Keep scrolling to see his Christmas theme "Profound Humility" and read his insights into his creative process.

When asked about his font choice, Dustin explained, "Knowing I was heading in a collage-heavy style, I wanted to balance that with a font that felt festive, but not overly script.”

For our fellow designers out there, the font is called GLAMY. We love how he blended Christmas cheer with this modern, simplified typeface.

Dustin also touched on his use of color, symbols, and imagery. "The colors are not typical Christmas colors which I really love. Also, with this being a collage, we were able to pull imagery that communicated the subtitle well 'Profound Humility.' The lamb being the most prominent of the symbolism." The unique color palette and meaningful icons reinforce the Christmas message in an original way.

Of course, designing compelling collages comes with challenges. Dustin noted, "Finding the right elements and images to connect, while not overtaking the main title so that the message is clear." But his expertise shone through, resulting in a cohesive, engaging graphic.

When asked what he would change, Dustin said, "Including more 'analog style' cut-out elements so that it felt more handcrafted." We love this idea of adding tactile, artsy qualities while retaining a modern aesthetic.

Dustin also explained why this design stands out from past holiday projects: "It's refreshingly different. The C-Squad pulled some great inspiration to build off of from their Visual Direction, so executing that style was the focus. It's not traditional Christmas colors, and the setting of the scape is not overly Holiday traditional." This originality is what makes custom designs so powerful!

His personal favorite element is the lamb, which grabs focus while blending seamlessly into the collage style. It's a perfect merging of aesthetic appeal and symbolic meaning.

Spreading Christmas Cheer

Dustin created some fun mockups for Instagram stories. Posting to stories is a perfect way to engage your church community throughout the Advent and Christmas season.

We had the Communication Squad share a few ideas for what you could post leading up to your Christmas services:

• Share weekly Advent reflections or devotional thoughts. These reflections prepare hearts for celebrating the coming of Christ.

• Post daily Advent prayer requests. Invite viewers to submit prayers through the question sticker and join in prayer.

• Highlight symbolic elements of Christmas with info on their biblical roots. For example, the history of the Advent wreath.

• Spotlight Christmas traditions at your church and invite viewers to share their traditions.

• Countdown to Christmas Day or your Christmas services with Instagram’s countdown feature.

• Promote any special Christmas events or activities your church is hosting.

Utilizing Instagram stories allows you to share meaningful content as well as spread holiday cheer in the weeks leading up to your Christmas services and events. Get creative with quick videos, question prompts, polls, Advent devotionals, and more - the options are endless!

Preparing for Christmas and Beyond

At Church Media Squad, our Squad pours thoughtfulness and care into every design to enhance your church's message and create better church media. We hope you feel inspired to envision what custom graphics could do for your upcoming Advent and Christmas services.

And hey, if you’re not a member yet but are liking what you see, give us a shout! We'd love to chat about how we can make this holiday season and new year extra special. Let's connect to start planning an unforgettable season.