Author: Neftaly Malatjie

Depending on the type of brief that the client and production company are working with, there will always be a consultation with the client. This will be either a formal or informal meeting between the client and the production company. The meeting will be used for discussing the brief, the ideas within the brief, and also if working with a negotiated brief there will also be a discussion and improvements to any ideas that the client has thought of. However, when working with contractual brief, this is not the case, as although there will still be a consultation with the client, there is no input to be had by the production company, which in some cases is an advantage as the brief will be detailed and will be easy for the company to create the product, but then also if there are issues within the brief, these cannot be changed, which can affect the quality of the final product. In my opinion, it is always best to negotiate a brief, as it allows the creator to have their own input on the ideas that will be raised.

Always check your equipment to make sure that it:

• works;
• is equipment you are familiar with (How do you start the slide show? How do you change the pad? Should you use permanent or waterproof pens?).

There is nothing worse than a presenter struggling with their visual aids. Be familiar enough with your tools to ensure that you won’t be thrown if something goes wrong. A confident use of visual aids will help marry them to your spoken presentation helping them become part of an impressive performance.

Use color to catch people’s attention and also as a tool for directing the viewer’s gaze through the message.

• Pick colors for type and art that contrast well with the background color – for example, black type on a yellow background.
• A simple color scheme of two or three colors (including the background), with only one of the colors being a highlight color, can often communicate more effectively than a design that uses a rainbow of colors!
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• Space

  • Use formal (symmetrical) balance primarily for formal, serious communication.
  • Use informal (asymmetrical) balance for topics that call for a more dynamic and interesting treatment.
  • Plan for “open space” in your design. Use open space to visually balance areas of text or artwork. If used properly, it can keep your design from appearing too cluttered or busy. • Make lots of “thumbnail sketches” (small, quick drawings) to see how a variety of headline and art arrangements might look.
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    Anatomy of a Flier or Poster

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Create art from enlargements of your original photos, drawings, paintings or cut-paper collages. You can also use copyright-free black and-white “camera-ready” artwork (look in bookstores and libraries for “clip-art” books that specifically say the art can be legally reproduced.)

• Use graphic elements such as rules, bullets and art to help guide your viewer through your message.
• When possible, limit artwork to one large (at least one-third of the layout area), eye-catching illustration of the message. This will have more visual impact than several small (and hard to see from a distance) images.

 Plan time to check the availability of electrical plugs and extension cords, curtains to darken windows or the best arrangement of your audiovisual equipment. If possible, double-check equipment before your presentation to make sure it is working properly. Always have a backup plan just in case your equipment breaks down.