Creative Design for Impact: Visuals That Shine on Digital Billboards

Billboards may seem old-school, but billboard advertising is one of the most effective marketing options that exist. They create an opportunity to leave a lasting impression on potential customers.

In addition to being attention-grabbing, billboards are also able to reach thousands of eyes each day when they’re located along busy roads and intersections. Drivers, bus riders, pedestrians, and cyclists alike all get exposed, and because of their size, billboards are hard to miss.

One of the keys to successful billboard advertising is creating effective billboard designs. If the design isn’t appealing or the message isn’t clear and to the point, people are more likely to look away or forget what the message is all about. Let’s explore some billboard design best practices and tips to help you feel confident in your ability to create effective billboard graphics.

Traditional or Digital?

Your first decision about billboard advertising might be whether to go with a traditional or digital one. Sustainability and cost are always key concerns, and those will also factor into your choice.

Traditional billboards tend to be less expensive, but they come with some drawbacks. One of the biggest is staleness. Your ad or message will be on display for weeks or months at a time. Changing them isn’t something that’s quick and easy to do.

Digital billboards, while often more expensive to purchase, offer a number of distinct benefits. Consider the following:

• If you’re the owner, you’ll appreciate that they’re easy to maintain and highly durable.
• Owners also can rent the space out to multiple customers at a time, displaying changing messages and creating a fresh look.
• If you’re renting the space, you can select the time and frequency for maximum effectiveness. For example, if you’re advertising a breakfast special for a restaurant, you can run the ad during morning slots when people might immediately act on them.
• It’s also fast and easy to make edits and changes on digital billboards, allowing the ability to tailor messages for the moment.

If you’re considering purchasing a digital billboard for your own business or to rent the space out to others, check out the innovative, energy-efficient LED digital billboards Formetco Digital offers!

How to Design a Billboard

Designing a billboard that captures attention and communicates your message effectively is crucial for a successful advertising campaign. In a world where people are constantly bombarded with visual stimuli, it’s essential to create a design that stands out and delivers your message clearly and quickly. The following tips will guide you in creating impactful billboard designs that shine, whether you’re working with traditional or digital billboards.

Make the Most of Contrast and Typography

The contrast in the colors for font, background, and images helps the design stand out. Also, take into account the surroundings to make sure the design stands out from them as well. The more it blends in or fails to make a powerful visual impression, the less attention people will pay to it.

With typography and fonts, you want something that’s large enough to be read from a distance and also simple to read. If a font is too fancy or doesn’t stand out, that precious little time someone is viewing the design might be spent trying to decipher what it’s saying. Not effective at all!

Finally, when blending everything together, always aim to minimize or eliminate clutter. If there’s too much going on, it’s harder to get your message across, and the design may also be visually unappealing and make people look away.

Images Should Be High Quality

High-quality, visually appealing billboard graphics can have a big impact — the right image can evoke emotions and create a stronger connection with your audience. Whether it’s a print or digital billboard, you should always use high-resolution images only.

Pixelation in images can not only determine whether the image is clear but also ensure that your message is as well. Make sure you also take time to edit, crop, and color-correct images to look good on the billboard.

Choose Colors Wisely

Selecting the right colors for your billboard is critical for making your ad stand out and be easily readable. Bright, vibrant colors can capture attention, but make sure they don’t clash and become overwhelming. Use contrasting colors for text and background to ensure your message is readable from a distance.

Consider the psychological impact of colors as well. Different colors can evoke different emotions and associations. For example, red can create a sense of urgency, while blue tends to be calming and trustworthy. Align your color choices with the message and emotion you want to convey.

Leverage the Power of Branding

Consistent branding is key to making your billboard recognizable and memorable. Incorporate your brand’s colors, logo, and tagline to reinforce brand identity. This not only helps in building brand awareness but also ensures that your advertisement is instantly associated with your business.

Brand elements should be prominent but not overwhelming. Balance is crucial to maintain a clean and effective design.

Follow Billboard Graphic Design Best Practices

To make your billboard stand out, follow best practices in billboard design. Use high-quality, eye-catching graphics to capture attention quickly. Consider the challenges of billboard advertising, like grabbing attention in seconds and being viewed from different distances. Stick to industry standards and focus on clarity to create an effective message.

Some billboard graphic design best practices include:

• Resolution: Use high-resolution images (minimum 300 DPI) to avoid pixelation.
• Font Size: Ensure text is large enough to be read from a distance (at least 30-point font size for main text).
• Clarity: Keep the design uncluttered and focus on one central message or image.
• Scale: Design for large-scale formats; details that look good on a computer screen might not translate well to a billboard.
• Viewing Angles: Test your design from various angles and distances to ensure it remains effective.

Writing Good Text for Billboard Ads

Learning how to design a billboard goes beyond visual appearance: the actual copy plays a big role, too. When thinking about the written content of your billboard ads, you’ll want to be mindful of all of the following:

• Make the tagline short and sweet: More than seven words is too much. The tagline needs to grab attention.
• It should appeal to all ages: There are some exceptions to this, of course, but in general, you want the language to be appropriate and friendly to anyone who can read it.
• Tell them what to do or where to go: A message isn’t effective if people don’t know what to do. Provide next steps, addresses, contact information, directions, or whatever else is necessary to help viewers act on your ad or message.
• Talk to the community: Include language that creates a sense of belonging and reinforces the local culture. For example: “Hey Atlanta…”

Good copy complements the visual elements by reinforcing the core message and ensuring it resonates with a wide audience. It’s essential to strike a balance between brevity and clarity, ensuring your billboard is both eye-catching and informative. This synergy between text and visuals creates a cohesive and compelling advertisement that maximizes the impact of your billboard campaign.

Making Billboard Designs Work for You

Whether it’s on a traditional billboard or a digital one, most of the time, your design will only be visible for a brief period of time. Drivers will quickly pass by a traditional billboard, and on a digital billboard, a design is only on display for seconds or a couple of minutes before the next display takes its place.

So it’s important to make good use of that limited viewing time. The following are three important things to consider:

Get the Most Out of Your Location

You’ll want your design to be high up and away from anything that can distract from it. Take time to make sure the design looks sharp and appealing from different angles and from any distance. You don’t want it looking clear from far away but blurry up close, or vice versa.

Utilize Eye-Catching Visuals

To capture attention quickly, incorporate bold and striking visuals into your design. High-contrast images and vibrant colors can make your billboard stand out among other distractions. Remember, simplicity is key; a single, powerful image can be more effective than a cluttered design. This ensures that your message is conveyed instantly and remembered long after viewers have passed by.

Maximize Readability

Given the short time viewers have to read your billboard, your text must be large, legible, and to the point. When you design a billboard, use clean fonts that are easy to read from a distance, and ensure there’s a strong contrast between the text and the background. Avoid using too much text; a concise, impactful message will be more memorable and effective.

The Formetco Creative Library

At Formetco Digital, we don’t just sell billboards; we also provide our customers with resources for their creative designs. Our Creative Library is 100% free to use, and instant downloads are available. You can choose between poster and bulletin sizes for the unique designs on hand, and we add new artwork every month. There are also designs for holidays throughout the year so that your messages can reflect the theme of the holiday or season.

These designs aren’t just for advertising products and services. You can also display community messages such as weather alerts, emergencies, breaking news, information about special events, and more.

Visit us to learn more about the Creative Library or download our free billboard design guide today!

Perfect Your Billboard Design with the Help of Formetco Digital

Billboard advertising remains a powerful marketing tool, with the ability to capture attention and leave a lasting impression. The key to success lies in crafting compelling and clear billboard designs that stand out.

At Formetco Digital, we are passionate about helping you create eye-catching, effective billboards. Our innovative, energy-efficient LED digital billboards are designed to maximize your advertising impact and reach.

Ready to make your message shine? Work with the leading digital billboard manufacturers at Formetco Digital to bring your vision to life. Contact us to learn more about digital billboard advertising or get a quote today!