CREATING EFFECTIVE DISPLAYS
What is the purpose of a display?
* A display is a VISUAL communication tool
* It is a source of information
* It will engage people in conversation
* It will get the main point across to as many people as possible
* It is an advertisement of your program
* It is a summary of your work
What is an effective display?
* It delivers a clear message
* It is highly visual
* It is readable from 2-3 feet away
What makes a display ineffective?
* The objective and main points are hard to find or unclear
* The text is too small
* It has poor graphics and organization
A display starts with an idea-You must turn the idea into a concise theme and support it with a
combination of images and short blocks of text.
Know your theme and focus that theme throughout the display-What do you want your audience to
learn? All visuals and text should relate to your theme. If it doesn’t support the theme, leave it out.
Know your audience- Your audience determines the content of your display.
Carefully plan, draft, edit, and construct-Put time and thought into the display before you start.
* Sketch out the display before you begin. People read a display from left to right and from top
to bottom and back again in a circular motion. Arrange your photos and text in that format so
the most important information is in the top, left corner and moves around in a counterclockwise circle to the right.
* A handful of large pictures (5” X 7” and bigger) make a greater impact than many small ones.
Group photos into theme groups.
* Create headings, titles and text that supports the theme. Use a catch phrase to get the
viewer’s attention and use quotes to hammer ideas home.
* Minimize text. Have only short captions. Use catchy phrases to get the audience’s attention.
* Print text or use a computer program. Titles and headings should be at least 2” tall. General
text should be ¼” tall or 24 font.
* Use contrasting colors and stick to a scheme of 2-3 colors. Matt pictures on a contrasting
color. Light color letters on a dark background work best for text. (Keep in mind the color of
the display board in choosing colors.
Evaluate the results- Incorporate what you learn into your next display.