Designing content for digital signage displays can be a daunting task, especially when you’re dealing with large digital signage displays. To ensure your message reaches the right audience and resonates, here are 8 tips to help you create effective digital signage content.
1. Research your Audience
The first step in designing content is to understand who your target audience is. This will help determine what kind of messaging you should use, what colors or fonts work best, and how often the content should be changed up on display. Knowing who you’re targeting and their preferences make it easier to craft relevant messages they’ll pay attention to.
2. Keep it Short & Sweet
Attention spans are short and people quickly lose interest if there’s too much going on with a display screen. Avoid long blocks of text or too many visuals as this can make the screen look crowded and overwhelming. Sticking to simple sentences, including 1-3 visuals (maximum) per message, and having an easy-to-understand headline should keep viewers engaged with the message without being overbearing or complicated.
3. Use Quality Images & Videos
If using visuals in your content design, make sure they are high-quality images/videos that aren’t pixelated or blurry when viewed from afar – particularly important when using larger digital signage displays! Using stock photos won’t do – instead, opt for custom photography that reflects the brand identity and stands out onscreen without looking cluttered or overly busy. Aside from creating visually appealing content, imagery has been proven to increase viewer engagement and retention rates significantly more than text alone so don’t skimp on quality visuals!
4 . Choose Bright Colors Strategically
Bright colors draw viewers in, so incorporating them into your design can help grab someone’s attention more easily than muted tones, but choose color schemes wisely – use complementary tones that complement each other well, rather than clashing neon shades that might put people off looking at the screen altogether! Also consider background colors carefully, depending on where potential viewers may be standing – lighter backgrounds work better for daylight settings, while darker ones may be more appropriate for night-time viewing environments such as stadiums, airports, etc.
5 . Use animation sparingly
Animation can add energy and life to a static image, but too much movement will distract from the key aspects of your message, so use animation sparingly – think of subtle transitions between slides rather than complex graphics that could prove difficult to read/view at a distance on screens primarily intended for outdoor viewing! However, when used correctly, animation can add an interesting element that leaves people wanting more.
6 . Let your brand shine through
Digital signage is a great way to showcase brand identity by incorporating company logos, slogans, and visual cues into the design – just be careful not to overwhelm people with too much detail, as this could make it difficult for viewers to remember which company is responsible for the sign in question! Finding ways to subtly incorporate branding elements into different messages will help to increase recognition among passers-by without making signs seem overly branded or commercial.
7 . Test before you deploy
Whilst it’s not always practical to test multiple versions of a single message due to limited budgets/resources, it’s still a wise practice where possible as it allows you to identify any underlying issues prior to public launch (e.g. poor visibility due to lighting conditions, etc. Testing also provides valuable insight into how audiences interact with different versions of the same message based on layout/font size/color scheme etc. Invaluable information that can be used to inform future campaigns down the line!
8 . Monitor & adjust content regularly
Once deployed, it is important to monitor the performance of digital signage content frequently – check views statistics regularly and adjust accordingly if necessary (e g changing the frequency of updates, rotating messages every few days, etc. This will ensure that the campaign remains fresh and engages audiences over the longer term, rather than abandoning it after a month and leaving the screen blank until the next quarter rolls around!
In conclusion, these eight tips should provide some guidance when designing digital signage content, covering everything from researching target audiences, understanding visual aesthetics, testing local deployment, and monitoring results post-launch! Good luck creating great campaigns with Power Large Digital Signage Displays!
