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Newsletter Archives
Judging Content: And the
Winner is…You!
On the heels of our
first annual content awards contest – the Visix Expression Awards –
several clients have asked us how they can improve their own messages
and media. As you look at your creations, it’s important to judge not
only the color or style, but to consider your overall communications
objectives and how they are expressed.
In this article, we take
you through the criteria we used to judge the Expression Awards, giving
you a valuable guide to judge the effectiveness, design and creativity
of your own content.
Communications Effectiveness
How well defined is/are
the communication objective(s)?
Before you create
anything, you need to determine some specific objectives for your
bulletin, video, etc. Your objective may be as simple as “increase
attendance at this event”, or you may delve deeper to define more
overarching goals, like “to increase attendance at this event by 25%,
specifically targeting students from the Liberal Arts College in their
first year.”
How thoroughly are
results measured against objectives?
If you set a goal, you
have to measure your success against it. Before you create anything, you
need to define not just your goals, but how you plan to measure them.
For example, if you are promoting a family day, simply thinking, “If
people come, we were successful” will not give you any real measurement
of your visual communications. If you are using several methods of
communication – email, printed flyers, digital signage, and text
messages – then you need separate ROI measurements for each of those
mediums. Surveys, click-through tracking and direct response measures
(visits to a specific web page, presentation of a printed coupon, etc.)
will give you more accurate and specific data than looking at overall
results.
How well does the
graphic or campaign meet the stated objective(s)?
Many times we hear of clients setting goals
but never comparing those objectives to measurable data to judge their
success. Once of the most basic ways of measuring the success of your
messages is to ask your audience. “How did you learn about this?” is the
most basic, yet effective, way to find out how many people saw your
message and were motivated to action by it.
For more tips on
measuring content effectiveness, see our article:
What’s the Point:
Measuring Your Messaging Success.
How well does the design
demonstrate an understanding of the target audience?
We all know that the
visual tastes of college-aged students are vastly different than that of professionals
over 40, and internal customers need to see different content
than external audiences. Consider the audience you are trying to reach
and use colors, photos, icons, text sizes and language that excites them
while working within their comfort zone.
Technical Design
How clearly are key
messages or themes identified?
Don’t bury the lead.
This is the cardinal rule of journalism and should be applied to your
visual communications. Remember that you capture more attention at the
beginning of a communication than at the end. People also tend to scan
messages for important information. Make sure you use clear, concise
headlines and don’t clutter your messages with unnecessary text or
graphics. Keep it simple and clean. (Referring people to web pages set
up for specific campaigns is a great way to keep your messages clean and
to track ROI.)
How well does the design
work in juxtaposition with other graphics?
Unless you are showing
only one visual at one time, you need to consider how your creation will
fit in with other screen elements. Many organizations display up to
three windows of content, some playing animations and video, as well as
a ticker, set on top of a wallpaper design. Consider your content in
relationship to other items on the screen when you are designing it.
Even if you are playing
only one bulletin or video at a time, consider the context of your
display. If your plasmas are hung in the midst of banners and bulletin
boards, you need to consider the visual confusion that can result.
How appropriate are
dimensions, resolution and format for digital signage delivery?
This is purely
technical. Know the resolution that your creation will be displayed at
and design to that spec. Stretching, crunching and distorting images can
ruin a great design. Keep the quality high – don’t use exploded images
that become fuzzy or pixilated. Obviously, you want to use file formats
that are supported by your content management software. Consider
designing in those formats first, versus converting, to maintain quality
and cut down on your workload.
How appropriate is the
overall design for the digital signage medium?
Remember that digital
signage is meant for messages, not movies. Keep animations and videos
short and sweet. Your organization should set out policies for identity
elements and what is considered “appropriate” content.
For more tips on
incorporating identity elements, see our article
Identify Identity: Continuity in Communications
Creativity
How well are elements
arranged within the design, in terms of spacing and juxtaposition?
Remember that people
often view your messages from a distance. Size and spacing of
graphics and text within your content should be adjusted accordingly.
Again, stress important information with large text or visual cues that
give your audience a clear understanding of the message you’re trying to
convey at first glance.
How well does the design
differentiate primary elements using clarity, visibility and focus?
Do you have text
overlapping an image, which makes it harder to read? Is three quarters
of the bulletin taken up by a graphic with only small text to deliver
your message? Make sure that you use proportion and positioning to
direct the eye to the important information.
How well are color,
brightness and contrast used in the design?
Remember the rules of
color and contrast at all times. Good contrast improves legibility and
understanding how the human eye perceives color is paramount. We don’t
see all colors equally, and different combinations of color and
brightness can help or harm your visual communications.
For detailed tips on
design, see our article
Visual Rules – Design for the Human Eye
To what extent does the
sample show creativity, imagination and innovation?
This is where you shine!
Be creative and keep your messages fresh by incorporating new ideas and
styles. Keep your imagination fresh by seeking out new styles, colors
and designs: buy a book of creativity exercises, visit art galleries,
look at award winning presentations and web sites on the internet. You
can’t stay sharp and fresh without inspiration.
Some great sites for
ideas are:
http://www.americandesignawards.com/
http://www.time.com/time/2006/50coolest/index.html
http://www.webbyawards.com/
To see our 2008
Expression Award winners and finalists, visit
http://www.visix.com/expressionawards.htm
Also, don’t forget about
our new Visix User Forum. We have posted some great client designs, and
you can reach out to others in your industry to see what they are doing
using this free online portal:
www.visixforum.com
Copyright 2008. Visix, Inc. All rights reserved.
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