Tips for Outdoor Design
Less really is more...
Message
10 words of copy is ideal, with no more than 5 words in the headline.
The message is more important than the details. The message is the word, phrase or image that engages the viewer. Details are things like phone number, web-site, and address. Use as few details as possible as the more you have, the fewer the viewer can remember.
Images
When deciding on an image, choose one that generates the strongest emotion related to your product or service. For example, an image of people having fun creates more emotion than a picture of a Coke can. Consider what the viewer is really buying; with Coca-Cola they are not buying brown sticky liquid, they are buying refreshment and an experience.
Images need to be high quality and high resolution. Images are increased greatly in size and will pixelate if the resolution is too low.
Use bold colors with high contrast.
The best billboard designs are simple, invoke emotion and often use humor. It is important to remember that billboard design is completely different from other advertising mediums and is best used for branding purposes. You cannot simply put up a billboard and expect the phone to start ringing; not everyone that sees your ad will need your service at that specific time, but when they do your company will be at the top of their mind. Think about Coca-Cola: do you buy a Coke product every time you see their ads? Probably not, but chances are good that when you get thirsty you will.
To simulate what your design will look like while driving, look at it from 15 feet away and show it to someone for only 5 seconds. If you can read it from that distance and someone can understand the message in only 5 seconds, your design will be readable from the road.
We will guide you through this process during your design consultation. Contact Renfroe Outdoor.
A great article on billboard design:
http://matthom.com/archive/2009/04/12/billboard-design-101
