While there will always be those who relish the idea of being presented with a blank canvas and letting their imagination run wild, the same represents an absolute nightmare for others. Take for example, those in the business world who are planning to stand a trade show or expo and need to come up with a series of display signs and banners. With no signs or even sign holders in their possession, it’s a case of starting from scratch and with no experience to help the process along. Suffice to say it can be a pretty foreboding prospect, given the importance of the signs when it comes to brand representation.
Of course, there is always the option of hiring the professionals to get things sorted on your behalf, but on the other hand it is always quite satisfying to do things yourself. So for those who are setting out to create their own masterpiece banners and signs for any given business purpose, here’s a quick introduction to some of the most important tips and guidelines from the professionals:
Know What You Want
Before even considering putting pen to paper or even dreaming up an image in your mind, you need to know what it is you want. More specifically, you need to know what it is you want to achieve at the event or expo where the posters and signs will be used. For example, if you are looking to network with other businesses, then the chances are you’ll need to take a very different direction than you were looking to sell products directly to customers. Likewise, the nature of your target audience will determine pretty much every aspect of your posters’ style and design elements from the ground up. Suffice to say, you need to know what you want before you can hope to get it.
Grab Their Attention
Never forget that the primary purpose of these kinds of posters and signs is to simply grab the attention of your target audience and bring them in for a closer inspection. Like the headline on the front of a newspaper, it is a case of giving them a snippet that in some way appeals to them or interests them and encourages them to investigate further. So when it comes to poster design, you should be looking into the various ways and means of grabbing their attention and making them crave a little more information.
Who You Are, What You Do
In terms of the actual information your poster does need to contain, bear in mind that not everybody who takes an interest in you will have the time to speak to you at the expo. As such, you need to make it pretty clear via all your posters and signs as to who you are and what you do. If it is in any way unclear what you do as a brand and who you are by name, you cannot expect them to show any real interest in you or to even remember who you are. Include the obvious basics – this is who we are and this is what we do.
Keep it Simple
One of the most important rules in the book when it comes to poster design is that of keeping it simple and not getting carried away. Simplicity and elegance will almost always win the day of complexity and needless showing off. The simple fact of the matter is that your post technically has a very simple role to play, albeit an important role to say the least. Focus on what you need to say and how you need to say it, while keeping the garnish to an absolute minimum.
Make Them Want More
Try to think of your posters and signs as something of teasers to tempt your target audience and make them want more. Don’t tell them your life story and literally everything there is to know about you, but rather give them a reason to want to know more about you.
Show Them the Way
Last but not least, it is of absolutely crucial importance to ensure that every single one of your posters and signs features the necessary information should your prospects wish to get in touch with you at a later date. They may take an interest in you and they may even be your brand name, but as they may not have the time or the inclination to speak to you or spend time with you right now, you need to make it as easy as possible for them to find you when and where they choose to do so.