10 Digital Signage Design Mistakes You Should Avoid

A way to stand out in the current marketplace, especially with numerous competitors abound, is by capturing your audience’s attention with striking visuals. Back in the day, this used to be in the form of printed posters, flyers, brochures painstakingly handed out to passersby.

Thankfully, today’s technology in Australia and elsewhere in the world has found ways to improve and simplify this process yet yielding better and more quantifiable results. One such modernization that has disrupted marketing technology is the rise of high-impact digital signage solutions in Australia, where multiple messaging and visuals can be displayed simultaneously on a digital screen for marketing, advertising, informational and educational purposes.

Various industries have adapted to the use of digital signage, so much so that its widespread use in commercial spaces has made it the new marketing normal. Effective digital signage strategies in Australia have now become mainstreams in marketing plans, attesting to the effectivity and results they bring.

Important digital signage content tips in Australia’s booming business-scape is to capture attention through the right aesthetics and design. As more businesses leverage this in their content marketing strategy, it is more imperative to come up with meaningful and impactful look and feel to ensure that it resonates and captures your intended audience’s attention that will lead to action.

This article presents top 10 things to avoid when crafting effective digital signage design strategies in Australia to engage your audience and deliver measurable results. Consider these best practices and explore how Scala’s cutting-edge solutions can elevate your digital signage efforts.

1. Information overload

One of the most common misconceptions when designing content for digital signage is the idea that the more information you can include onto the screen, the better. Cramming too much details by using excessive text, images, or graphics into the design may tend to overwhelm your audience and worse, dilute your messaging. Keep in mind that digital signages are usually located in high foot traffic areas and therefore, frequently viewed in passing, so content must be simple and easily digestible at a glance. Focus on a main message per screen with limited use of text while keeping the entire design simple and clear so it can be easily readable and understood in seconds.

2. Wrong font selection and sizing

Your content will need words to convey your marketing objective, so use of fonts is crucial to make sure you send your message across effectively. A frequent mistake when designing digital signage content is using fonts that are complex or too small to read. One of the most frequent design mistakes is using fonts that are too small or overly complex. Your content defeats its purpose if the audience is not able to read and understand the message quickly. It’s imperative to use fonts that are legible – such as sans serif types – with a font size that can easily be read even from a few meters away. The simpler the font used for the content copy on digital signage, the better to send the message across.

3. Use of low colour contrast

High-impact digital signage in Australia requires content that is visually striking and easy to read. A design rule to keep in mind is creating colour contrast in the digital signage design to make the content stand out more. This is particularly important when there is text, it needs to be laid out against a background colour with higher contrast to make the copy more readable. Otherwise, having a low contrast between the text and background colours will drown out the message because of its unreadability. It should always be either dark font colour against a light background or vice versa.

4. Ignoring Viewing Distance and Screen Placement

Even if you follow the best practices for digital signage content in Australia, you may still fail to engage your audience if they can’t view it clearly. An important factor to consider for an effective digital signage strategy in Australia is optimize the content according to the screen’s placement and typical viewing distance. For digital signages in crowded areas, the content design has to be all the clearer and more legible even when viewed from afar. For signages in smaller spaces, there is an opportunity to add more details and information, such as at a mall, hospital or school. Keep in mind how the viewers will perceive the content when designing to ensure attention and engagement.

5. Not Adapting Content for Different Screen Sizes
Another important digital signage content tip in Australia is to adapt the content design according to the screen size. As with the usual television screen digital signage also comes in a variety of shapes and sizes, from small screens to large outdoor billboards. Designing purposeful content means it must fit the screen’s exact dimensions. It’s not a one-size-fits all – some content may look visually striking when placed on a larger screen, but cluttered and overwhelming when shown on a smaller scale. Before publishing content, make sure to do test runs on the screen to ensure accurate scalability across various formats. Scala’s digital signage solutions offer flexible templates that make it easy to adapt your designs for any display size.

Animation is an eye-catching way to capture audience attention, but excessive use may be overwhelming for your audience. While animation can be a powerful tool for grabbing attention, overusing it can be distracting and ultimately deter attention from the main message. Balance is key when designing content using animation and motion graphics. An ideal way is to add them subtly as a visual element. Avoid jerky and flashy movements as they add more distraction; instead, design smooth and simple transitions to complement the overall content.

7. Choosing Poor-Quality Visuals

One of the best practices for digital signage content in Australia is use of high-quality videos and images. Use of low-pixelated images is an obvious no-no, yet still a common pitfall when designing content. Not only will the use of poor-quality visuals significantly decrease the look and feel of your content, it will turn your audience off with the unprofessionalism and negatively impact your branding. When using visual assets, make sure that only high-resolution images are used, such as stock or royalty-free ones. You can never go wrong with a high-impact visual to help highlight your message, and with Scala’s content creation tools, you can choose from a wide range of high-quality design elements to ensure that your digital signage looks polished and visually appealing.

8. Lack of Brand Uniformity

When creating content to promote your brand, it is of utmost important that the design reflects the brand’s identity, look and feel, especially with content that will be published across a number of platforms. Being inconsistent with the branding can significantly impact the audience’s perception and weaken brand recognition, which can ultimately throw them off. Always follow your brand identity and style guide to ensure that every visual element is uniform in all the content – logo, colours, font and message tone. This will create a more cohesive look and keep your brand top-of-mind for your target market. Scala’s digital signage solutions make it easy to integrate your brand’s unique identity into all of your content.

9. Forgetting to Include a Call to Action (CTA)

Every marketing content must have a clear objective and be actionable. One of the most effective digital signage strategies in Australia is to always include a clear call to action (CTA). It can be a call to visit the website and increase web traffic, or social media engagement, or a call to purchase the latest product. Whatever content you put out, make sure that the CTA stands out with a bolder font or higher colour contrast to draw the audience to what you would like them to do with the content.

10. Failing to Update Content Regularly
While dynamic content is more eye-catching and attention-grabbing, nothing can make your audience lose interest quicker than outdated content. It’s crucial to keep content fresh and updated, so make sure to take down content that isn’t serving its purpose anymore – whether it’s expired promotions, outdated news, irrelevant information, or anything that will make it seem like the business is unprofessional and disorganized. Maintain a calendar to ensure that content is constantly updated using the content management software (CMS). Scala’s digital signage solutions offer tools for real-time updates, ensuring your content stays fresh and engaging.

Why Choose Scala for Your Digital Signage Needs?

Scala is a leader in digital signage solutions, offering tools that help businesses avoid common design pitfalls while creating high-impact content. From easy-to-use design templates to real-time data integration and advanced analytics, Scala provides everything you need to craft effective digital signage strategies in Australia. Whether you’re a small business or a large enterprise, Scala’s scalable solutions ensure that your digital signage content is visually appealing, on-brand, and impactful.

Crafting high-impact digital signage content in Australia requires consistent attention to detail and a clear understanding of basic design principles. Avoiding these common design pitfalls will help you create content that captures attention, engages your audience, and drives business results. From ensuring readability with proper fonts and contrast to maintaining brand consistency and updating content regularly, each tip is crucial for successful digital signage.

By following these best practices and leveraging Scala’s innovative digital signage solutions, businesses in Australia can enhance customer engagement and achieve tangible outcomes. Implement these tips to maximize the impact of your digital signage and avoid common pitfalls that hinder effectiveness. Visit scala.com/au for more information.

About the Author:

Scala digital signage experts share their experience and thoughts in our blog to provide practical tips and advice for real-world applications. Our team aims to offer interesting content through a variety of formats including long form articles, video logs, interviews and infographics.

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