Driving down Main Street and looking at the posters along the way, how easy is it for you to get the message?  Posters that are confusing, cluttered or too clever are a waste of resources. Who’s to blame? In my opinion, the copywriters and graphic designers as well as the poster-approving committee of the company who commissioned the poster.

How to test a poster

My test for a good poster – or signage and bill board for that matter – is this: Do I get the message loud and clear after I’ve seen a maximum of three posters when driving past them at a speed of 60 km/h? If not, the wording and/or the design did not work. And every time this happens, forests fall, companies waste money and brands lose face. Here are some pointers for better posters that I have collected over the years:

The audience: Picture the people you are talking to and adjust your message and visual images accordingly. If your friend David and your client Nomsa is a typical audience member, this is the person you need to hold in your mind when you write the words and design the look and feel. Always ask: If this message is aimed at me, does this poster talk to me?

The impact: Does your poster inspire, sell, create desire or awareness, or have the “see me” factor? Will your poster get people to act? Test your poster by asking for feedback.

Simplicity: Stick to a single message. Splash one big idea and add a web address or contact number. The essence of your message will depend on whether your target audience has prior knowledge of the event. For a well-known arts festival, the when will suffice. For a new event, you need to add the where and why (reasons to attend or main attraction).

The words: Content is still king on posters. Keep the wording active and simple. If you have to produce posters in different languages, get a copywriter or translator to help you. A case in point: A couple of years ago during an election, a political party put up posters that said: “The DA delivers.” Strong and short. The Afrikaans posters said: “Die DA lewer.” But “lewer” in Afrikaans in a transitive verb – it needs an object. You need to deliver something in Afrikaans. In Stellenbosch, the students were quick to cross out “lewer” (which also means liver in Afrikaans) on these posters and replace it with hart, longe and other body parts.

The layout: Break headings and text lines in meaningful units to make the message easier to read, especially when you are centering the text.

The spelling: Spelling mistakes and missing apostrophes say that the company behind the poster does not honour itself or its audience. Or simply put: They don’t care. A while ago, I saw “Mens accessories” written without the apostrophe on a wall in Woolworths. When I brought this to the attention of the manager, he simply said: “But mens is the plural of men.”  Huh?

Feedback: Make a mock-up of your poster and ask people for feedback. This will help you to fine-tune your message and avoid reprints to correct mistakes. It’s far better to eat humble pie when others pick up spelling mistakes, unintended double meanings and wrong contact details before the job goes to print than afterwards.

The design: I’m not a graphic designer, but don’t use a “hip and happening” font to advertise a classic product with a long shelf-life. Ensure easy reading by using enough white space and by using bold fonts when using reverse type (light colours on dark background). And yes, it’s cool to print your message in lime green on a pudding pink background, but can anyone read this?

Always ask yourself: Is this poster inviting? Am I inspired to act on this message? If not, do not approve the poster. Go back to the drawing board.

Any language-related comments or questions? Contact Amanda at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .