Designing effective billboard artwork is much different than designing artwork for brochures or websites. An effective billboard message must grab a person’s attention in a matter of seconds, tell a quick story or convey a message and then leave the reader with a memorable lasting impression.
When designing a billboard keep the following in mind. We know message content is of utmost importance. Billboard messages must be relevant to the customer, brief, to the point and visually engaging.
1. Simple Layout – The adage less is more is never truer than when designing artwork for billboards. The most effective messages are always the most simple. Your billboard should be clear and have a brief expression of one core idea or point.
2. Short Copy – Use short simple words with quick and easy comprehension. Limit or eliminate punctuation and edit down to the bare bones of your message. Think of the most effective even or eight words that will deliver impact. Make every word count.
3. Viewing Time – Does your message communicate effectively within a few seconds? Is your target audience sitting at a stoplight while reading the message or traveling past your billboard at 65 miles per hour? Viewing time truly matters.
4. Large Fonts and Text – We recommend using an easy to read font and simple words. Your goal is for people to read your message from as far away as possible. Bold, straight fonts work best. Avoid thin, ornate fonts. Sans Serif fonts work best with adequate spacing between letters, words and lines to improve readability. Many times drop shadows behind each letter can improve readability and thus message retention.
5. Contrasting Colors – High color contrast is the key to good readability. Black, white and bold, primary colors like red, yellow and blue tend to work best. Black text on yellow rates the highest in readability. Colors to avoid include brown, earth tones or pastels.
6. Single Image – Use one large image to attract the reader’s eye to the billboard For example, a single image of a beer bottle works better than having a package of six. Take a small object and make it large (like jewelry) rather than making a large object small (like a house).
7. Simple Background – Use a simple background that does not interfere with your image, copy or logo. Too much blank space isn’t a good thing. Graphic design rules relating to white or blank space, often necessary for effective newspaper or magazine ads, does not translate well to billboards. Use the blank space and make your fonts, image and logo larger
8. Call to Action – Is the call to action clear in the message? Does your target audience have the necessary information to respond to your ad?
9. Balanced Logo – There has to be a balance between the image and the logo. The logo is typically not as big as the image. One quarter to 1/8 of the board size is best for logo proportion to other graphics.
Design Principle One—Composition
Define Your Layout
The finished layout of any message will be the major driver of how much awareness the ad creates and its overall success. When finalizing the layout, it is important to prioritize your messages so your key points, or message, carry the highest emphasis. A good rule is to list all the key elements you want to communicate in order of importance and make sure the emphasis you give each element in your layout matches your priority list. Define the items (ABC levels) you want to communicate and prioritize each by order of importance according to the following information.
When finalizing the layout, make sure the words and imagesused to drive your message are clear and distinct. Overlapping text, visuals and complicated backgrounds contribute to overall clutter and reduce the ability to create emphasis on your key points.
Outdoor advertising is best when its big and bold. Use the design space wisely—but definitely use it. Large sections of white or inactive space on billboard layouts lower their effectiveness and readability. Make sure you use the design space available to maximize the main points you want to emphasize.
A. Start with a key image or photo, logo or lead text points. This is the central message of the ad and the primary piece of information you want to communicate to the audience.
B. Add brief and direct secondary information that supports or further describes your key first point or image.
C. Ensure your call to action is clear. What action do you want the audience to take? In some cases, it’s as simple as “Next Exit.” In others, it can be a place and time for an event or a way for a customer to reach you.
Design Principle Two—Text & Photos
The text styles and colors used in your ad are just as important as setting the priorities of your ad. Text should be bold and clear should be designed using fonts and styles that are big and bold and easily read by the audience at different distances. Avoid using script fonts as they will lose their effectiveness when viewed at a distance and in different levels of sunlight. As a general rule, using upper and lower case words is easier to read than text set in all caps. Keep in mind your audience is mobile. Ensure your layout makes it as easy as possible for the travelers to read and process the key message you want to communicate.
Using the correct color combinations is also key to an effective ad. Color is tied with emotion so choosing the right colors that complement the message you are communicating is important. Using contrasting colors creates the “pop” for your ad which gives the ad vibrancy but also supports the text style and helps drive the emphasis on your key point.
Design Principle Three—Color
Using Color to Create Effective Messages
Color and emotion work hand-in-hand. With outdoor advertising, we recommend letting vibrant color help convey your messages. Bright, saturated colors perform better than pastel colors and some colors tend to evoke specific emotions or ideas. Select colors carefully to ensure they support your message, service, product or idea.
Complimentary colors, such as red and green, are not legible together because they have similar color value. Contrasting color combinations work best for viewing outdoor designs at far distances. Avoiding white backgrounds as they tend to compete with or wash out your message (this is especially true of digital displays). Also, the old newspaper rule of having white space is not true in outdoor advertising. Having unused or white space at 300-500 feet is not recommended. Making your logo, messages or featured image larger will improve the effectiveness of your outdoor advertising campaign.
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