AVT Question: Please share insights on emerging trends, best practices for creating high-quality content that engages audiences, and choosing the best tools for production.
Thought Leader: Debbie DeWitt, Marketing Communications Manager at Visix
Crafting content to engage today’s audiences demands a strategic shift from designing for passive viewing to interactive experiences. Best practices center on creating content that prompts action and leverages interactive elements—whether using touchscreens, smartphones, QR codes, or sensors—to create personalized journeys.
No matter what the content, you have to focus on answering three core questions: What are you trying to say? Who are you trying to say it to? What do you want them to do? Then you craft a compelling narrative around these. You also have to choose formats strategically: data visualizations for complex information, videos for emotional impact, and dynamic images for visual storytelling.
When designing for digital signage, creators need to think about how content can be repurposed for websites, social media, video platforms, and internal presentations." —Debbie DeWitt, Marketing Communications Manager at Visix
However, the landscape has changed dramatically in the past five years. Previously, strategy and design were the purview of trained communications professionals and graphic designers. Today, digital literacy has surged, empowering a wider audience to contribute to content creation.
Generating high-quality content is also significantly easier today for people of all skill levels. AI-powered tools streamline text, image, and video creation, democratizing the process to allow more people to participate. However, human oversight remains crucial, and accuracy and brand alignment always have to be verified. Audiences are also demanding more transparency and authenticity.
Creators have to consider the reach of their content across the entire digital ecosystem. When designing for digital signage, they need to think about how content can be repurposed for websites, social media, video platforms, and internal presentations. A broader knowledge base is required to understand different technical requirements and audience behaviors.
Another positive development is the availability of analytics for success measurement. By including trackable calls to action, and analyzing interaction and viewing stats, we have better benchmarks to guide content strategy. Hopefully, this actionable data, coupled with more accessible creative tools, results in richer, more engaging audience experiences.