The Negative Impact of Amateur Signage Design on Brands
Digital signage is super-versatile. It provides an almost endless list of ways to represent your brand in-store or on the street. Digital signs offer visibility in large spaces – and, in part, this can be a problem.
If your digital signage content is strong, you provide the viewer with a high quality representation of what your brand has to offer.
But suppose your content is poorly executed, with low image resolution, illegible text, and a mash-up of visual clutter made worse with hideous bright colors and dark backgrounds. In that case, you can negatively impact your brand.
They say you can’t buy style, but you can learn the principles of good visual composition. This article is all about the negative impacts of poor brand content.
Why Digital Signage Design Matters
Graphic designers understand the semantics of visual design – it’s kind of in the job title, isn’t it? They know how to combine and contrast color, recognize the value of high contrast, and appreciate the priceless nature of a good template.
There’s no one-size-fits-all solution. What works for one business may not work for another. So, you might just want to use custom templates that do a lot of the work for you.
Or you might want to learn a little about good composition.
The Importance of Visuals
Humans are visual beings – 90% of the information that makes its way to the brain is visual.
Visual information is processed faster than any other type of information. We instinctively respond to good composition, and we naturally recoil from discord.
Your visual design is what people remember about your business – way more than the text. It creates a lasting impression that directly affects the success of your business.
46.1% of people determine a company’s credibility from the way it’s represented visually.
Think about it – that’s nearly half of all potential customers who judge your whole business based on its visuals.
That’s a lot riding on your design.
Good visuals stay with us
Digital signage has an astonishing recall rate: 47% of people can recall the visual content of a digital sign up to 30 days later. That’s double the recall rate of traditional advertising.
So, making a good impression counts.
Losing Business to Competitors
There are very few companies that offer a truly unique product or service. Most of us have competitors, and we’re all striving for the same customers.
One way to differentiate your business from others is through your digital signage content. Digital signs are more visible and memorable than traditional static signs.
But, remember, legibility matters.
Some guidelines to consider:
- The message is key, and your text needs to be seen. Avoid white text on light backgrounds. If your background images contain lots of contrasting colors, it can be difficult to see your copy.
- Consider the safe areas for your text content. In other words, ensure that your text is always visible within the frame of your digital display. Avoid zones around the edges of the screen, as these can be cut off when displayed on a digital display.
- Ensure that graphic elements of your content are framed within safe zones of the screen. And make sure that your display resolution enhances (rather than degrades) the image.
- Serif fonts can be bad for people with dyslexia. Use sans serif typefaces, such as Arial, Verdana, Century Gothic.
- Avoid Comic Sans font. It might feel like fun, but it looks totally unprofessional.
- Too much text is difficult to read. Keep to headlines and minimal lines of text – you’re not writing an essay!
Remember, poor design is worse than having no digital signage at all.
Poor Customer Experience
In addition to giving you an unwanted reputation, an amateur digital sign can make things harder for your customer.
If your checkout signs are poorly designed, your customer could have difficulty understanding prices or recognizing special offers and discounts.
Your point of sale location is the perfect place to advertise new products with digital screens attached to the back of your cash till. Make sure that your sales desk is clear of clutter – think about brand awareness in every part of your store; not just in your digital content.
Fewer Purchases
Good digital signage design can boost your average transaction value, while poor design can deter customers from purchasing.
In a popular FedEx study, 67% of people purchased a product because they noticed and liked an in-store sign.
Fewer Referrals
Even if your customers buy from you, amateur digital signage design can still hurt your brand; reducing the likelihood of customer referrals.
Unsurprisingly, good signage inspires people to refer their friends and family. 75% of the FedEx study mentioned that they would refer someone to a business because of the quality of their signs.
What Makes a Design Amateur?
Firstly, consider what your design needs to achieve. Good design conveys your message with clarity, attracting and engaging your audience.
Some more tips:
- No graphics. The principal rooky error: only using text. Most of us are visual learners, so a digital sign with no pictures is unlikely to be noticed or remembered. To attract attention, use great images.
- Consider aspect ratio. Your digital signage displays content at its best when the proportions of the image fit the screen. Are you trying to squeeze a portrait image into a landscape display?
- Errors in your signage. Typos and incorrect information are unforgivable mistakes and immediately put customers ill at ease.
- Avoid the Butcher’s apostrophe. Chip’s. Pie’s. The apostrophe is not needed. An apostrophe usually indicates possession rather than multiples of something. It’s Clare’s bag. Not Clares bag. It’s chips. Not chip’s. Avoid misspelled words and grammatical errors at all costs!
Learn the Rule of Thirds.
You know that grid pattern that overlays the camera feed on your cellphone? Well, welcome to the Rule of Thirds – a classical composition rule used throughout art history.
Those four lines divide the screen into thirds. They’re called Power Lines, and they help you to create better photographs.
It’s not always best to add the main subject of your image slap-bang in the middle of the picture. Try placing your subject along one of those Power Lines – the composition of the image changes and becomes more interesting.
The strongest part of the canvas is the Powerpoint – where the lines intersect. So add the most interesting part of the subject on a powerpoint, and, again, your visual content suddenly pops.
Boosting Your Brand With Good Digital Signage Design
Digital signage can bring a real boost to your business, but only when your content is well-considered. Hire a proofreader, a copywriter, or a graphic designer if you’re not confident in your own skills.
The investment will pay off.
With the right design, a digital sign can boost interest in your brand, improve the customer experience, boost sales, and give you a winning edge over your competitors.
Ready to get started with digital signage?
We’re always happy to help, here at Mvix. Try our content design service or get in touch with any questions.
Ask for a personalized software demo today.
