designing outside 8.5x11

DesigningOUTSIDE

8.5 x 11

Learn how to

MAKE IT so you get heard every time.

Designing Outside 8.5x11 | Paul G. Brown

Make it REAL – the more clearly your students can visualize your event, the more likely they’ll be to come. Whenever possible take objects, ideas and visuals from your event and implant them in your crowd’s mind.

Make it EVER-PRESENT – your advertising needs to be so ever-present that you can’t stand anywhere on your floor or in the building and not see at least one ad. There is a popular maxim in advertising that people will view an ad six times before they pay any attention to it.

Make it EASY – use stuff that has been done before. Not everything has to be new and improved.

Make it MYSTERIOUS – anything that can be “unveiled.” You advertise without giving out any details.

Make it CONTROVERSIAL – wherever there’s conflict, there’s crowds.

Make it PUBLIC – free publicity is pure gold to event promoters. Let your event loose in the wild.

Make it REGULAR – everyone knows when their favorite TV show is. You can make the same idea work for you.

Make it CURRENT – by referencing pop culture, you’re able to take a thought already on someone’s mind and use it as a “peg” to hang your advertisement on.

Make it FUNNY – When people hear a great joke, they share it with everyone they can. Jokes spread—so can the event you are trying to sell.

Make it COUNTER-INTUITIVE – “reverse ads” take advantage of people’s inherent desire to not do what they are told.

Taken from “Pack the House” by Brian Brushwood and C.J. Johnson

Color Psychology

Visible Color Com-binations

Black on YellowWhite on BlackYellow on BlueBlack on WhiteGreen on Yellow

NON-Visible Color Combinations

Yellow on WhiteOrange on RedBlue on PurplePurple on Red

Contrast ColorsRed and Green

Orange and BlueYellow and PurpleBlack and White

Color is a wonderful thing, but you have to use it appropriately. Sometimes, black and white posters can be more effective than posters that use color poorly. Contrast is usually MORE IMPORTANT than color in catching someone’s attention with a poster. To the right, you will find suggestions on color combinations that work well and those that don’t work well together.

In addition to using color for visibility, it can also be used to set a mood or tone. The chart below gives you an ideas of what colors represent what thoughts and emotions.

There is no escaping color. It is ubiquitous. Yet what does it all mean? Why are people more re-laxed in green rooms? Why do weightlifters do their best in blue gyms? Colors often have different meanings in various cultures. And even in Western societies, the meanings of various colors have changed over the years. But today in the U.S., researchers have generally found the following:

BlackBlack is the color of authority and power. It is popular in fashion because it makes people appear thinner. It is also stylish and timeless. Black also implies submission. Priests wear black to signify submission to God. Some fashion experts say a woman wearing black implies submission to men. Black outfits can also be overpowering, or make the wearer seem aloof or evil. Villains wear black.

WhiteBrides wear white to symbolize innocence and purity. White reflects light and is considered a sum-mer color. White is popular in decorating and in fashion because it is light, neutral, and goes with everything. However, white shows dirt and is therefore more difficult to keep clean than other colors. Doctors and nurses wear white to imply sterility.

Food for ThoughtWhile blue is one of the most popular colors it is one of the least appetizing. Blue food is rare in nature. Food researchers say that when humans searched for food, they learned to avoid toxic or spoiled objects, which were often blue, black, or purple. When food dyed blue is served to study subjects, they lose appetite. Green, brown, and red are the most popular food colors. Red is often used in restaurant decorating schemes because it is an appetite stimulant.

Utilizize a little bit of

to generate excitementCOLOR



Utilize a little bit of

COLOR to generate excitement.

RedThe most emotionally intense color, red stimulates a faster heartbeat and breathing. It is also the color of love. Red clothing gets noticed and makes the wearer appear heavier. Since it is an extreme color, red cloth-ing might not help people in negotiations or confrontations. Red cars are popular targets for thieves. In decorating, red is usually used as an accent. Decorators say that red furniture should be perfect since it will attract attention. The most romantic color, pink, is more tranquilizing. Sports teams sometimes paint the locker rooms used by opposing teams bright pink so their opponents will lose energy.

BlueThe color of the sky and the ocean, blue is one of the most popular colors. It causes the opposite reaction as red. Peaceful, tranquil blue causes the body to produce calming chemicals, so it is often used in bedrooms. Blue can also be cold and depressing. Fashion consultants recommend wearing blue to job interviews because it symbolizes loyalty. People are more productive in blue rooms. Studies show weightlifters are able to handle heavier weights in blue gyms.

GreenCurrently the most popular decorating color, green symbolizes nature. It is the easiest color on the eye and can improve vision. It is a calming, refreshing color. People waiting to appear on TV sit in "green rooms" to relax. Hospitals often use green because it relaxes patients. Brides in the Middle Ages wore green to symbol-ize fertility. Dark green is masculine, conservative, and implies wealth. However, seamstresses often refuse to use green thread on the eve of a fashion show for fear it will bring bad luck.

YellowCheerful sunny yellow is an attention getter. While it is considered an optimistic color, people lose their tempers more often in yellow rooms, and babies will cry more. It is the most difficult color for the eye to take in, so it can be overpowering if overused. Yellow enhances concentration, hence its use for legal pads. It also speeds metabolism.

PurpleThe color of royalty, purple connotes luxury, wealth, and sophistication. It is also feminine and romantic. However, because it is rare in nature, purple can appear artificial.

BrownSolid, reliable brown is the color of earth and is abundant in nature. Light brown implies genuineness while dark brown is similar to wood or leather. Brown can also be sad and wistful. Men are more apt to say brown is one of their favorite colors.

Taken from: http://www.infoplease.com/spot/colors1.html

a few words about

FONTS and how to use them most effectively


3 basic types of fonts:1. Sans Serif(ex. Arial, Tahoma, Comic Sans, etc.)

2. Serif(ex. Times New Roman, Courier, etc.)

3. Artistic(ex. Jokerman, Rosewood, etc.)

What is a Serif?

The word “sans” means “without.”

T Example of “serifs.”

T Example of a font without “serifs.”

When should I use a particular font?

SANS SERIF FONTS ARE GOOD FOR TITLES OR HEADLINESSerif’ed fonts are good for large amounts of text because they are easy to read. Although they can also be used as headline or title fonts, it is more common to find them used in “body text” or in longer paragraphs. That is why books are often printed in a font with serifs. Newspapers often follow this “sans serif for headlines”/”serif for text” rule.

Artistic fonts are most often used for headlines. A common mistake people make when designing posters or publications is to use artistic fonts for large amounts of text. This is often difficult to read and causes eyestrain. A well used artistic font can be excellent for a splash of excitement or to create a particular mood.

understanding the difference between

VECTOR & RASTERclip art and images


Vector-based Clip Art

Vector clip art is a drawing or collection of lines and color. When you re-size a vector image, the com-puter re-calculates and redraws the lines and shapes each time. Therefore, even if you blow up a vector image to a really large size, it always stays sharp and clean. The lines are re-drawn perfectly.

It is best to use vector images when you want to use a REALLY LARGE version of the image. They are also ideal if you want a crisp and clean look to your posters. You can find vector-based clip art by search-ing through Microsoft Word’s clip art gallery or on istockphoto.com.

Raster-based Images

Vector images are essentially photos. Photographs are made up of a series of small squares known as “pixels.” When viewing a photograph with a “high resolution” it has a large number of individual pixels. When viewed at a small size, or from a distance, these pixels are impercep-tible to the eye. When you enlarge a raster image, these pixels become more noticeable. Many modern computer programs will attempt to offset this by blurring the image. In either case, your image will look pixilated or soft and unsharp.

It is best to use raster images or photographs as small elements on your page, unless you can find it in a really high-resolution format. IF you cannot find a raster image in a high quality format, consider using a vector image instead. You can find raster-based images by searching on yahoo.com, google.com, istockphoto.com of through Microsoft Word.

One Pixel

tracking the

EVOLUTIONof a poster for a hall bbq


Draft 1

This poster was clearly done in a hurry. It uses the standard font in MS Word, Times New Roman, all of the text is the same font size, and the image is grainy and pixilated. When you’re in a hurry, take a few extra minutes to play around with your font choice and sizes. Also, take the extra time to find a better image. Simple clean images often convey your message the best.

Notice how grainy the photograph is. See later sections on raster-based images and how to search for better images on the web.Use something other

than Times New Roman. It’s tired and not noticeable.

Be sure to include all of the important details of your event. Time, Date, Location, Admis-sion Price, etc.

tracking the



Draft 2

The poster has certainly gotten better. The use of different size fonts, and the white text on black makes the title and purpose of the poster much more clear. The clip art is sharp, simple and clean. This poster is using white space very effectively. Best of all, it took less than 5 minutes to improve it over the previous version.

The clip art has improved since the last version. It is clean, sharp and simple. It very easily conveys the message of a barbeque.

The use of fonts has improved in this poster. We now have different sizes to draw attention to important words. The use of white text against a black box also makes the text really “pop’ off the page. It is a simple and effective way to add weight to a black and white poster.

Play around with your margins. This poster would have looked better if it filled more of the page. MS Word automatically defaults to 1.25” margins, but you can change this.

tracking the



Draft 3

This poster is taking us in a different direction than the last one, and it isn’t necessarily better. It is doing some new things right, but also reverting to some old wrongs. The orientation of the poster has changed to landscape (sideways). The fonts have been moved, but they seem to have lost their emphasis on the page and we still haven’t moved on from Times New Roman. The image has gotten more “mysterious” and will no doubt draw more attention, although it has lost the clean simple look of the previous piece of clip art.

Don’t be afraid to play around with the orientation of your paper (landscape or portrait) or it’s size. Consider cutting down your poster into a different shape, such as a square, circle or rect-angle. You can also use different sizes such as legal (8.5x14) or tabloid (11x17). Many copiers and printers can accommodate these sizes.

This picture is actu-ally a real-life photo-graph of one of the RAs in the building. A great way to draw attention to your posters is to use a popular or well known figure from your organization in the poster. The stranger or funnier picture, the better. In this case, the picture is mysterious at first glance. It draws the viewer in who wants to find out more.

tracking the



Draft 4

This is the last version in our evolution. The poster still ahs some work, but it demonstrates some of the do’s and don’ts of poster design. We have FINALLY changed the font, although the text is still somewhat hard to read and does not stand out. The picture is still the main draw, and the addition of the flames supports the message and the picture.

Finally! The font has changed! The use of a bolder font makes the text stand out much more, especially agains the white. The text at the bottom, however, is still getting lost.

The flames were added into the background to give the poster more depth. Using images as a background that fills the entire space known as using a “screen.” If you do use images for the background, consider “lightening” them, or “blurring” them. You don’t want the background to take away from the main attraction on the poster.

Consider having images “bleed” off of your page. A “bleed” is when the image goes right off the edge of the page. You don’t have to keep all of your images inside the margins of the paper.

tracking the



This poster was originally done in 11x17 format. Don’t be afraid to just use one LARGE high quality image in your posters. The image in this poster domi-nates the entire page. Images like this one, that are isolated on a white background, can really draw in one’s attention and it was really easy to make! When doing post-ers such as this one, the most important elements are the image you choose and the quality of it when it is printed so large on the page.

Are Your Hungry?Want some free food?

Good times with your friends?Bishop Hall

BBQThis Friday

5:00pmMain Entrance

This poster takes a completely different take on the program. If you walked past a poster that was on a brightly colored piece of paper and all it had was a black blob in the middle, would you get curious and stop? This poster isn’t high on design, but it can certainly be effective. All of the program details are typed in the center of the page in an incredibly small font size. The paper was copied in a bright fluores-cent color. Posted in conspicuous places as people walk by, the intrigue of seeing such a strange poster is guaranteed to bring them in to read more.

Other Ideas...

where to find the best

IMAGES & CLIP ARTfor your posters


Some common web pages where you can search for images on the web:www.google.comwww.yahoo.comwww.istockphoto.com *

* Remember to observe copyright laws! Google and Yahoo will pull all the pictures they find, regardless of if you have the rights to reproduce them. The last suggestion on this list, istockphoto, requires that you pay for downloading its images, but ensures you have the proper rights. istock-photo provides very clean, beautiful, high quality images for a very low price.

Many of the popular search engines allow you to search for images on the web. If you are searching for images to use in your posters, make sure you select the “higher quality” option on the web page (see the example of google.com below). Selecting higher quality images will ensure that your pictures don’t look pixilated.

You can also find high-quality free leagal images and clip art in Microsoft Word...

STEP 1Open MS Wordord and click through the following:

Insert > Picture > Clip Art...

STEP 2You can search within this dialog for clipart that was installed with MS Office. OR click “online” to go to...

STEP 3On Microsoft’s webpage, you can search for photos, clip art, images, and even video. All of it is for public use!

You can create designs in

MS WORDthat rival those of professionals.


Images

One of the most important things to know about designing posters in MS Word is how to take control of your images. You can do a lot from the “Format Picture” dialog. You can bring up this dialog in many ways: double click on the image, OR right click on the image and select “Format Picture” (see right), OR click on the format picture icon in one of your toolbars (see below right). This will bring up a dialog box with five options along the top: Colors and Lines, Size, Layout, Picture and Text Box. An example of the “Layout tab” is below, but play around with the other options to discover new effects. (If you are working with text boxes, lines, or other shapes in MS Word, you can also bring up these same options and control them in different ways.)

If you’ve ever had the problem of not being able to put an image EXACTLY where you wanted to on a page, this is where you can solve it. By chang-ing these options, you can have your text “wrap” or flow around the image, and you can have the text in front of or behind the image. This will also “free” your image so you can place it anywhere you want to on the page.

You can crop your images with the “crop” icon button on one of your MS Word Toolbars. The crop button gives you a new pointer with your mouse that allows you to work directly on the image.

You can rearrange and reorder images so that they overlap each other or text. You can change which is “in front” and which is “behind.”

you don’t have to have access to fancy

PRINTINGto design outside 8.5x11


Letter Size

8.5 x 11Legal Size

8.5 x 14Tabloid Size

11 x 17(two pieces of letter paper combined)

Printing on sizes other than 8.5 x 11Almost all commercial copiers can accommodate paper sizes larger than your standard letter paper. The largest size if known as “tabloid” or 11 x 17. Tabloid-size is equivalent to pieces of letter-sized paper placed side-by-side. If you want to design on 11 x 17, you can change your paper size in most programs under the “File > Page Setup” menu.

If you are using a home printer, you likely cannot print on tabloid-sized paper. Instead, consider using legal-sized paper. Legal-sized paper is 8.5 x 14 and is the same width as letter-sized paper, but adds an extra 3 inches to the length. Legal size paper works on virtually every printer that can accommodate letter-sized paper.

Printing in ColorIf you are not lucky enough to have access to a color copier, you can go to your campus copy shop, or a dedi-cated copy business such as Kinko’s or the UPS Store to get your posters printed. 11 x 17 color posters cost approximately 60-80 cents each. For all-hall or campus-wide programs, it may be worth this extra cost. If you don’t have the budget for large color posters, or the access, consider printing it from your own printer on a slightly smaller size, like the legal-sized paper referenced above.

Remember: The best designs don’t always have to be in color or on larger-format paper. Regardless of what printers and copiers you have access to, you can still design eye-catching posters.

PIXELATED Photos


When it comes to design, there are a few...

DON’Ts I will hunt you down for bad design.

Don’tstretchphotos.Hold the “Control” or sometimes “Shift” button to keep them in proportion when you resize them.

Photographs can be tricky objects to work with. Because they are raster-based images, they often do not enlarge well. When working with photos, be careful not to enlarge them TOO much so that hey are unrecognizable. Be especially careful with photos from the web. Web images are meant to be small so they load fast. They often do not reproduce well in printed form.

Don’t crowd posters with a lot of text that people don’t need to know.“White space” or “blank space” on a poster can be a wonderful thing. Used appropriately, it adds to the flow of the poster and is pleasing to the eye. Sometimes you may really want to use five or six pieces of clip art that you love, but one or two might look better. Remember your K.I.S.S. rules when designing a poster: Keep It Simple, Stupid!


When it comes to design, there are a few...

DON’Ts I will hunt you down for bad design.

Word and Publisher templates and clip art

Over-used fonts(use sparingly)

Comic Sans MSCourier

Jokerman/MaxCircus

White paper/Courier fontPizza tonight.

7:00

Lobby.

Certain fonts are SO commonly used that they lose their effectiveness in our posters. Try using an Artistic font for a title and then various san serif or serif’ed fonts for the remainder of the poster. There are many fonts that are similar to the standard “Arial” and “Times New Roman” that can add that extra touch to your designs.

Microsoft Publisher and Microsoft Word have both revolutionized the way we make posters. They now include many templates and wizards that practically design the poster for you. Unfortunately, with this ease of use comes standardization. Common graphics and clip-art from Microsoft programs can become “invisible” or look “amateurish.”

Others?

This is the most common type of 2-minute slap-it-up-on-the-wall-type poster. Avoid it. Good posters don’t have to take a long time.


Make your presentations

STICKIERto make your posters memorable!

Simple. If everything is important then nothing is important. If everything is priority then nothing is priority. You must be ruthless in your efforts to simplify — not dumb down — your message to its absolute core. We’re not talking about shallow sound bites here. Every idea — if you work hard enough — can be reduced to it bare essential meaning. For your poster, what’s the key point? What’s the core? Why does (should) it matter? For your visuals the mantra is: Maximum effect, minimum means.

Unexpectedness. You can get people’s interest by violating their expectations. Surprise people. Surprise will get their interest. But to sustain their interest you have to stimulate their curiosity. The best way to do that is to pose questions or open up holes in people’s knowledge and then fill those holes, say the authors. Make the audience aware that they have a gap in their knowledge and then fill that gap with the answers to the puzzle (or guide them to the answers). Take people on a journey of discovery.

Concrete. Speak of concrete images not of vague notions. Proverbs are good, say the authors, at reducing abstract concepts to concrete, simple, but powerful (and memorable) language. For example, we might say “kill two birds with one stone.” Easier than saying something like “…let’s work toward maximizing our productivity by increasing efficiency across depart-ments,” etc. And the phrase “…go to the moon and back” by JFK (and Ralph Kramden before him)? That’s concrete. You connect with that.

Adapted from the book, “Made to Stick” by Chip and Dan Heath. Images taken and text modified from a summary on the“Presentation Zen” blog: http://www.presentationzen.com/presentationzen/2007/07/make.html

Garr Reynold’s website is an excellent resource for making better presentations. He is also coming out with a book soon.


Make your presentations

STICKIERto make your posters memorable!

Credible. Put on the mood lighting. Make sure your poster design is appro-priate to the content of the program. A poster about a lecture on genocide around the world will look very different from a poster advertising an ice cream social. Advertise experts that might be present at the program. Choose images and clip art from actual real-world experiences. A quick powerful quote displayed prominently on the poster or a snap statistic may help lend to your credibility.

Emotion. People are emotional beings. It is not enough to take people through a laundry list of program details, you must make them feel something. There are a million ways to help people feel something about your content. Images, of course, are one way to have audiences not only understand your point better but also to feel and to have a more visceral and emotional connection to your idea. We make emotional connections with people not abstractions. When possible put your ideas in human terms. For example, when creating a poster for a peer group health program on nutrition, Instead of using a picture of a food pyramid, a picture (or verbal description) of an enormous plate of greasy French fries stacked high, a double cheese burger (extra cheese), and a large chocolate shake (extra whip cream) is visceral and sticky.

Story. We tell stories all day long. It’s how humans have always commu-nicated. We tell stories with our words and even with our art. We express ourselves through the stories we share. We teach, we learn, and we grow through stories. Why do our posters just detail time, date and location? Great ideas and great posters have an element of story to them. Stories get our attention and are easier to remember than lists of rules.

Adapted from the book, “Made to Stick” by Chip and Dan Heath. Images taken and text modified from a summary on the“Presentation Zen” blog: http://www.presentationzen.com/presentationzen/2007/07/make.html

Garr Reynold’s website is an excellent resource for making better presentations. He is also coming out with a book soon.

learn how to best

COMMUNICATE with your audience


People can:Speak at 150-200 words per minute (wpm)Hear at 450-600 wpm

People forget:66% of what they hear within 24 hours of hearing it once.

People remember:11% of what they hear30% of what they see50% of what they see and hear70% of what they do90% of what they say and do

7% of ALL communication is verbal93% of ALL communication is non-verbal. 38% = voice and gestures 55% = non-verbal

During a typical 16-hour day, people spend 70% (11 hours) of their time communicating. The breakdown of that communication is:45% = listening = 5 hours30% = speaking = 3 hours16% = reading = 2 hours9% = writing = 1 hour

Taken from “Understanding Communication” @ http://www.rwuniversity.com

A whole

ALPHABET of ideas to kick-start your brain.


AAdd a letter to the program title on a bulle-tin board each dayAdvertise on related itemsAdvertise on stairsAnnounce programs at Hall CouncilAnnounce the next program at a current programArrows on the floor leading to the program

BBackwards signsBake something before the programBalloons with the event information on themBang trash can lids in the hallways before the programBannersBathroom publicityBathroom stall doorsBlacklight advertisementsBody paintBookmarksBribe with foodBrochuresBuild human signsBulletin BoardsBumper stickersButtons

CCartoonsCeiling signsCelebrity spokespersonsCertificates of attendanceChain phone calls

Commercial break during a programContact paper signs up in the showersCreate a sloganCrossword puzzleCut out shapes and use them as the back-ground for posters and announcements

DDecorate prior to the programDecorate a cake with the program informa-tionDial-An-Event HotlineDioramaDisplay caseDoor knob hangersDoor prizesDoor-to-door visitsDramatizationDrawingDress in costumeDrinking Fountain signs

EEarly arrival prizesElevator messagesE-Mail Announcements

FFake dollar bills with program information on the backFancy bordersFinger paint signsFlagsFloor meetingsFloor signsFluorescent paperFood

A whole

ALPHABET of ideas to kick start your brain.


Footprints on the floor leading to the pro-gramForeign language signsFortune cookiesFrisbees

GGiant sized calendars on the wallGive away itemsGlitter

HHand out admission tickets to the programHang signs in unusual placesHelium balloons

IInsert flyers into the Student newspaperInside washers and dryersInvite faculty or staff to attend

JJam out to music in the lobby

KKnock door-to-door

LLadder or puzzle signsLife-sized people cutoutsLopsided signsMagazine cut outsMake-up your own word or catch phraseMegaphoneMotorized RC car with advertisement on itMusicMystery guests

NNewsletters

Notices under clocks

OOffer rewards and incentives for attendingOversized items

PPaint windowsPaper towel adsPerform a skit in the lobbyPersonal invitationsPost notices near frequently used items (TV, microwave)Posts-its all around the hallPut announcements inside balloons and invite people to pop them

QQuestionsQuotations

RReverse signs hung across from mirrorsRHARibbons with program information on themRun a piece of Yarn from doors to the pro-gram

SSandwich boardsScavenger huntsSend personal invitationsShow a pre-event videoShower signs in zip-loc bagsSidewalk chalkSilent voicemailsSinging telegramsStickersStreamers

A whole

ALPHABET of ideas to kick-start your brain.


T Table tents Tear off flyers Teasers Three dimensional signs Tickets Toilet paper ads Trophies T-Shirts

U Under door advertisements Unusual items used to make signs Upside down flyers and posters Use pictures of RAs, residents and administrators

V Very large or very small print Vicious rumors

W White board messages Window displays Wrap announcements on candy or gum Write a poem Write on bathroom tile with dry erase marker (be careful) Write on mirrors with a dry erase marker (be careful)

X Xamine your audience

Y Yard signs

Z Zero in on one word to describe the program