A billboard designed on a laptop is seen at arm's length, with time to study it. The same design on a hoarding is seen from a car at speed or across a busy junction, between other signs, traffic and weather. What looked clear on screen is often unreadable in the street.
Few words, large
A common rule of thumb is to keep outdoor copy to a handful of words. The fewer there are, the larger they can be, and size is what makes them legible from a distance. If the message needs a paragraph, it belongs in a different medium.
One image, one idea
A single strong image with a single message is understood at a glance. Collages, multiple products and busy backgrounds turn into noise at distance.
Make the brand obvious
If a passer-by remembers the idea but not whose it was, the site has paid for someone else's awareness. The brand, through its colour, mark or style, should be clear without reading the small print.
Check it at the real size and distance
Shrink the design to the size it will appear from the road, a thumbnail on screen is a fair stand-in, and see what survives. Check the location too: what surrounds it, what colours it will sit against and whether it is lit at night.
Tie it to the rest of the campaign
Outdoor works best when it echoes what people also see online and in store. A consistent line and look lets a few seconds on a street reinforce everything else.
