Make the message readable in a brief glance

A lobby viewer may be moving, waiting, or looking from a distance. Put the main point first, use language the intended audience understands, and make the next action easy to spot.

Test the actual content on the intended display size and at a realistic viewing distance. A layout that looks clear on a laptop may not read well across a lobby.

Four practical readability checks

Check the finished message in its intended placement, not only in the editing view.

Hierarchy

One main takeaway

Give each slide one primary message. Put the change or action before background detail.

  • Use a short, descriptive heading.
  • Remove details that do not help the viewer act or understand.
  • Use a direct verb for the next step.
Readability

Legible type and contrast

Use type large enough to read at the intended distance and contrast that separates text from its background.

  • Preview on the intended display orientation.
  • Avoid placing small text over a busy image.
  • Check readability without relying on color alone.
Copy

Short, plain language

Choose familiar words and make a sentence understandable without context from another slide.

  • Spell out unfamiliar abbreviations.
  • Prefer one clear instruction to a long explanation.
  • Check that dates or changing details have an owner.
Presentation

Motion with a purpose

Avoid making people wait for essential information to appear or disappear.

  • Keep essential wording visible long enough to read.
  • Do not communicate a change through motion alone.
  • Preview movement and transitions in the actual placement.

Worked rewrite: make the action visible

This fictional maintenance notice shows how trimming background can make the useful instruction easier to find.

Before: too much context

“Please be advised that, due to maintenance work currently being carried out in the eastern area of the building, the entrance on that side is temporarily unavailable, and visitors should instead proceed to the other entrance.”

  • The action arrives late.
  • The sentence is difficult to scan.

After: change, then action

“East entrance closed for maintenance. Visitors: use the main entrance.”

  • The key change comes first.
  • The intended audience and action are explicit.

Final checks

Should a message include an image?

Use an image only when it helps explain or identify the message. Check that it supports legibility, has appropriate usage approval, and does not compete with the main text.

When should copy be shortened?

Shorten it when the main point is not apparent in a quick glance, when the viewer must read multiple sentences to find the action, or when the text becomes too small in the intended layout.

Can motion carry an important instruction?

Do not rely on motion alone for essential information. Keep the instruction understandable in a still frame and check the finished presentation in its intended context.