If some of you are wondering what exactly are we referring to when we say digital signage design then let us give you just one word for reference; Times Square.

Ring any bells?!

You see, all those tall digital banners mounted on high rise towers across the Times Square are nothing but a form of digital signage; not that they are the only type.

Another relatable example could be that of highway motels and lodges where you could find digital signboards mounted either on the terrace of the building or tall poles in order to increase the visibility range of the signage.

So, now that there is a common understanding (we are hoping) of what we are referring to when we say digital signage, let’s proceed further with our topic of discussion for today.

Now, digital signage may not be a new approach; so to say. However, it is not that simple as well to create custom digital signage design that makes the desired marketing impact.

Yes! You read that correctly. Digital signages (a.k.a digital displays) are also one of the key elements for branding and marketing a business.

These signages are an interesting mix of traditional and modern design structure. It combines the age-old concept of using signboards while using the new age digital technology to convey a message.

This quirky combination of old and new is what makes the designing for it an intriguing yet crucial step for branding. And if you are planning but, struggling to come up with the most apt digital signage design for your business then you are at the right place.

Designing digital signages is pretty much like creating a landing page design for your website. However, there are some nuances that are specific to each of the patterns that one needs to keep in mind while creating the designs.

Through this article, we will try and guide you with what digital signages are and what are their basic benefits while helping you with some really basic yet extremely useful tips to create effective digital signage designs for your business outlets.

So let’s get started!

What is Digital Signage?

Well, we believe that the entire introduction at the beginning of this article was detailed enough to give you a clear understanding of what digital signage actually is.

However, a basic definition of digital signage (as per Wiki) is this;

“Digital signage is a subcategory of electronic signage which, in turn, is defined as display technologies such as LCD, LED, projection, and e-paper.”

In general, you may find digital signages been placed and installed in places such as;

- Waiting Rooms

- Exam Rooms

- Reception Areas

- Around Product Displays

- Near Service Counters

- Near Check-Out Lines

- Outside of a Business

- In Dining Areas 

But, we all know that digital signage is much more than just some electronic hardware using LEDs.

Broadly, digital signage can be classified into three main components;

-Content: All kinds of graphics (audio, video, colors, etc.) and texts used to convey the main message.

-Hardware: The tangible structure that is used to run the digital content on display.

-Software: The main applications used to create the overall UI/UX of the design.

An effective digital signage design can be created only when we take into consideration all these three components together. And that’s what we’ll be doing further in this article.

But, before we jump to the tips for creating solid signage designs for your business, let’s quickly look at some of its main benefits.

Benefits of Digital Signage

-Improve communication

-Decrease perceived waiting time

-Increase revenue

-Reflect modern appearance

-Easy content modification

-Greater recall and retention rates

-Helps in leveraging video content 

So, now that we have a good understanding of what digital signage is all about, let’s dig into how you can create effective digital signage design for your business.

Tips for Digital Signage Design

Begin with your goal

No surprises there to be honest!

In order to create a solid foundation for any of your marketing plan, you need to consider the end objective.

Often, the objective behind installing digital displays is to share brand information and ask your target audience to take a defined action. That action could be contacting you, buying from you, or simply learning about a new service/product launch, etc.

Whatever may be the objective, the design has to be created keeping that goal in mind. Not only will it help you get clarity in how to proceed but, also will guide in picking the right messaging to display.

Keep clarity in messaging

Now, when we say clarity in messaging it should automatically give you the idea that we are talking about visual clarity. And that’s precisely what this is about.

As highlighted in the last point, having clarity with the messaging you want to display through your signage designs is another very important step in this process.

You need to take into consideration the surrounding where the digital display is installed and apply basic graphic design principles to come up with clear designs.

You need to ask yourself this;

-Is it installed indoor or outdoor?

-How is the lighting around the display?

-How far or high will it be installed from the readers?

Answering all these questions will give you a much-needed clarity to begin with a solid design. You’d know what font style and size you should be using to write the content along with clarity in choosing the color scheme for the design.

Pick the right resolution

The design you will create for advertising the content of your firm through digital signages can be used in several different places.

Remember the Times Square example highlighted at the beginning of this article?

Well, even by simply mentioning the name of the place you can see those tall buildings with huge digital displays installed on them.

But, let’s say you run a law firm and witness several clients as well as guests visiting your office every day. Now, you cannot simply install as huge digital displays as you see on those Times Square towers.

These are conference and meeting rooms, as well as waiting halls, we are talking about.

Now, creating different designs for different locations will only increase your expenses and time.

It is, therefore, important that while creating the designs for digital display for your business, you ensure scalability in order to not compromise with the overall display resolution.

A professional graphic designer would know how to do that. (Check out some of our work in this space for reference.)

Ensure proper hierarchy

Earlier in the article, we had pointed out that creating a digital signage design is pretty much similar to designing a landing page for a website. This tip directly refers to that point.

When we create a design for a webpage we use headlines, sub-heads, bodies, and CTAs. Similarly, a proper content hierarchy needs to be established when designing for digital displays.

Headlines, especially, are important for digital displays since most of the time the viewer would have only a few seconds to go through your display design; as they might be driving by it. So, you want to make the most of those fractions of seconds and get your potential customer’s attention on your display ad.

Once you have their attention, the sub-heading and the remaining content will ensure that they stay interested and take the intended action.

Therefore, always ensure to prioritize the messaging on the display.

Conduct research regularly

We know you must be wondering, “Shouldn’t this be the first thing to do when planning to design digital signages?”

Well, to be honest, there is no order as such to follow all these tips while creating a digital signage design for your business.

And market research, anyway, is something which is a continuous process. You cannot simply expect to do some research at the beginning of a project and then not follow afterward at all.

The market keeps changing and the trends keep updating with time.

So, this is one step that you need to follow up on a regular basis; in the beginning and till the very end.

Now, talking about conducting market research to create effective signage design, it includes competitor analysis as well.

If you are coming up with digital signage for the first time, conducting a thorough competitor analysis will give you great insights into what’s working for them and how you can be different.

To conclude…

Digital signages are used by most of the businesses, either in their offices or for outdoor advertising. And being a part of a business’s marketing plan, in order to establish a brand name for itself, it is important that these digital signages are designed professionally.

If you are looking for custom signage designs for your business, then get in touch with our team of professional designers by writing in to us at support@graphicszoo.com