Below is a list of motion design best practices compiled by the Spectrio Creative experts; based on their experience with digital signage designs.
Credit: Taeleen Woodard, Creative Director, Spectrio
Recommendations on Using Motion
- Use Motion to Tell a Story. The viewer should know where they are in the app or display. It should be clear why they are seeing each piece of motion. Should an item vanish, slide out of view, or simply cycle? These will all impact the viewer differently.
- Only apply Motion when there is a real purpose for doing so. Clean design is modern design. Don’t clutter! When in doubt, less is often more.
- First impressions go a long way. Only ever use high quality assets. The inclusion of subtle animations can help guide an audience to where they want to go.
- Use motion to increase viewer retention. Don’t be boring! Be creative for a novel experience. Motion should be used to sustain focus, not take it away.
- Only use motion if it complements the whole design. Something that looks great by itself might be too distracting when scaled to a larger format. Always stay on brand.
- Have fun! Motion elements should make a viewer feel good, whenever possible, reinforcing the product message. A great motion element might get a second look just to see what happens next.
- Motion shouldn’t be an afterthought. Include it with every element during wireframing or planning phases, to get the best end results. Not only that, but a thorough plan will allow for the most accurate time estimates, making the whole project run smoother.
- Plan your timing with the whole experience in mind. Left to right, top to bottom. How long should it take a viewer to understand the entire presentation?
Digital Menu Board Design Best Practices
A menu is often the first impression when entering your restaurant. This means that your menu should be considered a vital marketing piece. Putting the time into the look and feel of your menu has the potential to make it a powerful tool to boost sales and generate brand awareness for your customers. Follow/understand these tips:
- Know your audience.
- Know your purpose.
- Get inspired – What’s trending? What grabs your eye?
- Layout matters – Proper balance moves the eye.
- Keep it simple – When in doubt, less is more.
- Graphics & illustrations – If the words are the brains of your menu, consider pictures it’s heart.
- Typography is the art of words and letters, and it is very important. See sizing chart below.
The bigger your screen, and the bigger your font, the further a customer will be able to comfortably read from.
Your menu will consist primarily of fonts, verbiage, imagery and videos. Getting the details right is our job but understanding how they all link together will help us all get from concept to completion with just the right amount of funk. Here’s a few key tips:
- Too many items will leave the space constrained, too few items and the menu could appear unbalanced.
- Menu strategy (bundling options, specials, upsells, etc.).
- Place food primarily on the left board and beverage primarily on the right board.
- Optimize menu design with sales data, highlight impact items.
- Food sells food best; use enticing imagery/motion graphics.
- Video loop per board should be no more than 30-35 seconds long, featuring approx. 3 high impact items.
- Avoid over animating the entire display set-up.
- What are the brand considerations, QSR/Venue type and usage?
- Environmental considerations (color, lighting, texture, style, etc.).
- Boards have the ability to display social and live feeds.
- Use a call-to-action to promote response.
- Aim for simplicity of font/copy types.
- Do not include brand logo on menu board if there is signage already in place nearby.
- Avoid repetition of images/items