For most freelance designers I know, Point of Purchase and exhibition displays are great fun to work on. But they’re also hard to get right.
Displays only have ten seconds to grab attention and lure people over to the product or exhibition stand.
At the same time, the design must be consistent with the product’s or company’s brand image, and communicate an immediate sales message.
Here are 10 tips for effective POP display and exhibition design from a client’s perspective.
1. Always think about the customer.
Who will buy the product? Who will be drawn to the display? What are their likely ages, genders, occupations, incomes, personality types, goals, and aspirations? Use your knowledge of the customer to inform your design.
2. Remember that the headline is king.
Your headline or slogan is the mouth-piece of the display. Your design must reinforce the strengths of the headline to help communicate the brand-message immediately. Make sure the headline is easy to read from a distance.
3. Use compelling images for eye-catching impact.
Images have more impact if they are clear, specific, and definable. For example, an image of a telephone on a plain background is more likely to grab attention than an image of indefinable objects such as bubbles, wisps, or stripes.
4. Use faces.
Faces tend to grab more attention than inanimate objects. And they are especially effective in selecting the target audience.
5. Use the best quality images you can.
Urge your client to buy quality royalty-free photos instead of using cheap over-used images. I once visited a publishers’ exhibition where three stands featured the same royalty-free photo.
6. Link the visual theme to the product.
The look of the display must connect to the brand in some way, via the logo design, the message of the slogan, or the company’s brand image. It’s no use people remembering your design if they can’t attribute it to anyone.
7. Conceptualize a design that helps to demonstrate the product.
Make the design revolve around the product so the product commands maximum attention. Don’t hide or embed the product in any way.
8. Include the product in the visuals you use.
If you can’t frame the product, include it in the display visuals—then you can use effects to make the product look good. Make it 3D, make it glow or sparkle, make it jump out and look desirable.
9. Jazz-up your POP displays using different types of materials.
You don’t have to print on cardboard. Try using acrylic, canvass, or glass. Let your imagination run wild—just make sure the material you use is consistent with the product image.
10. Strive for a unique look.
Find out what other types of designs your display will be competing with, and use this to inform your approach. For example, if no one else is using fluorescent colors, and this is consistent with the brand image, use fluorescent colors to make your display stand out from the crowd. Maybe you can use lighting to your advantage. Gizmos like battery powered lighting or interactive features help give the display a unique look.
Shaun Crowley has worked as a freelance copywriter and marketing consultant. He currently works as a communications manager for a major UK publishing company and is the author of The Freelance Designer’s Self-Marketing Handbook and 100 Copywriting Tips for Designers and Other Freelance Artists.
© Shaun Crowley 2008
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