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| Posters and Banners |
Posters and Banners
a. Definition of Poster and Banner
1) Definition of Poster
A poster is a temporary promotion of an idea, product, or event put up in a public space for mass consumption. Typically, posters include both textual and graphic elements, although a poster may be either wholly graphical or wholly text. Posters are designed to be both eye-catching and informative.
2) Definition of Banner
A banner can be a flag or other piece of cloth bearing a symbol, logo, slogan or other message. A flag whose design is the same as the shield in a coat of arms (but usually in a square or rectangular shape) is called a banner of arms. Also, a bar-shaped piece of non-cloth advertising material sporting a name, slogan, or other marketing message.
| Poster | Banner |
|---|---|
| One who sends a message. | A flag or standard used a military commander, monarch or nation. |
| One who posts, or travels expeditiously; a courier. | Any large sign, especially if constructed of soft material or fabric. |
| An advertisement to be posted on a pole, wall etc. to advertise something. | A large piece of silk or other cloth, with a device or motto, extended on a crosspiece, and borne in a procession, or suspended in some conspicuous place. |
| A picture of a celebrity, an event etc., intended to be attached to a wall. | By extension, a cause or purpose; a campaign or movement. |
| (ice hockey, slang) A shot which only hits a goal post without going in | (journalism) The title of a newspaper as printed on its front page; the nameplate; masthead. |
| (Internet, television) A type of advertisement in a web page or on television, usually taking the form of a graphic or animation above or alongside the content. Contrast popup, interstitial. | |
| (heraldry) The principal standard of a knight. | |
| A person etc. who bans something | |
| An administrative subdivision in . |
b. Social/Language Function of Poster and Banner
1) Social/Language Function of Poster
There are many functions or purposes of poster. It is usually used:
- to alert and engage the viewer
- to challenge and call an audience into action
- to promote an event
Since posters can be stationary as well as portable, they can be used: At your place of business, to welcome customers and create that all-important symmetry.
a) In public places that draw regular, steady crowds, such as stores, shopping malls, elevators, coffee shops, train stations, community centers and bus stops. Keep in mind that you probably will have to seek permission, or pay a fee, to hang a poster at these places.
b) At trade shows and conventions, where some large and unconventionally sized posters could be exactly what you need to stand out in a crowd.
c) At other businesses with whom you have created strategic alliances. These businesses may ask you to return the favor and post some of their marketing pieces. But if you've created a solid alliance, the crossover appeal should be evident.
d) As perks to vendors and suppliers.
e) As customer prizes at the end of a contest or competition. {alertInfo}
2) Social/Language Function of Banner
A banner is a flag that signals something. They are connected by a pole such as signal flags on a ship which gives conditions or status of the ship. Some banners are used for advertising or naming of college or universities. Some banners are also used as a media to promote a product, event, or service. Basically is an announcement so that everyone can see.
c. Generic Structure of Poster and Banner
1) Generic Structure of Poster
Below are the parts or structures of a poster.
a) Header area
Not all posters require a header or heading. In general, this is the area where a logo is placed, the logo of a department for which the author is working. There can be guidelines as regards the correct placement of a logo; just inquire at your organization.
b) Title area
A title should be clearly visible (from a 5 – 10 m distance), significant, and not too long. Due to space restrictions it is often placed next to the logo, which may not be in accordance with your organization's guidelines (e.g. the University of Zurich specifies that the space to the logo's right side has to be left blank).
c) Author's photo and address
At poster fairs, where authors are not always standing next to their posters, we recommend providing a photo in order to be recognized and approached, if necessary. There should at least be an address (an e-mail address is often sufficient). Make sure to mention all authors and their affiliation (the latter can be put in the footer area).
2) Main area
The main area can be structured and sub-divided, e.g. by using several columns or an image across all columns, etc. In this area, you present the poster's main statement.
3) Footer area
Header and footer can be seen as a kind of framework tying it all together. However, the footer is not just a graphic element; this is where you can indicate references and contact details as well. This is also the only area where the font size doesn't necessarily have to be read from a distance of 1 - 1.5 m.
4) Background
Often there are posters highlighted not only with colors but also with a structure or an image. This background should be appropriate as regards the poster's topic and not be distracting at all. If in doubt, it is always best to choose an unstructured background color.
5) Fonts
In a poster you can use serif as well as sans serif fonts. For longer texts sans serif fonts should be avoided, but since you should not use longer text blocks in a poster both types can be used. Avoid decorative fonts since they are not so legible. Use boldface for emphasis, avoid underscores or italics for a poster.
If you use justification for text blocks, make sure that hyphenation is on. In order to avoid too large spaces between words better use ragged alignment. Lines typically do not contain more than 70-90 characters. Texts with longer lines should have bigger line spacing to render them more legible. Typical line spaces are 20-30% bigger than the font (i.e. for a 40 pt font you should use 48-52 pt line spacing).
d. Generic Structure of Banner
When you want to create a banner, you must consider some components below as the structure of banner.
a) Logo
The company’s color scheme and guidelines should be referenced and apparent in the design of banner. It should link to a landing page about 111 the offer or information on the banner, so make sure it looks consistent to avoid any confusion or anxiety. Remember your logo must be included to build readers’ awareness and recognition. Make sure that it’s visually dominant, but not as dominant as the value proposition and the call to action. Also consider including your tagline or other memorable/recognizable program or product.
Note: Without a logo, there is no way of knowing who the advertiser is and if they are trustworthy. {alertSuccess}
b) Value Proposition
The value proposition should be the most prominent element on the banner. It should take up the most space and be the first thing that attracts the viewers’ eyes. Use this space to showcase the benefits of your service/product, grab the visitor’s attention and instill a sense of urgency and desire. This is a great place to showcase special thing of your event or program such as offers and prices, i.e. ‘High Quality,’ ‘50% off,’ ‘Limited time offer,’ or ‘Free!’.
Note: The value proposition is big, bold, and commands attention above all else. {alertSuccess}
c) Body Copy
The goal of display is to get the visitor’s attention, pique their interest, and earn their click. You don’t need to, and should NOT, put every bit of information on the banner itself. Include just enough information to get the readers interest and leave them wanting more. It may take some creative, original verbiage to convey all you need to in about 10 words. But remember a simple banner will have higher click through rates, so if the banner takes more than two seconds to read, there is too much text.
Note: A banner should provide a clear, concise description of the product or event, giving just enough information to want to learn more. {alertSuccess}
d) Image
Choose relevant images, graphics, or photos that enhance the message contained in the banner and that are directly related to your product. Avoid abstract concepts that require too much time and thought to decipher. Images should help bring a sense of visual urgency to the text by using contrasting, bold colors or a sense of clarity to a nontangible service. However, it is not always necessary to use photos or images in your banners. Text of banner with nice typography on a contrasting background can be just as effective. Use imagery well, but only when you need it.
e) Call to Action (CTA)
One of the most critical elements of a banner is the call to action or ‘the ask’, and not including a CTA will assuredly decrease click through rate. The call to action is text or a button that asks the user to ‘interact’ with the banner ad, whether it’s implied or direct. This could be as simple as adding a ‘Get the Guide,’ ‘Test it Out,’ ‘Watch Now,’ or ‘Join the Fun’ button encouraging the reader to click through to your landing page. Be as clear and specific as possible with your CTA text. You must ensure visitors know what they’re getting in exchange for the click.
Note: With no call to action, you don’t know what you’re really supposed to do here. {alertSuccess}
e. Language Features of Poster and Banner
1) Language Features of Poster
To create effective poster, you must consider the language features of the poster below.
2) Short Text Elements
It is suggested to keep text elements to 50 words or even fewer (depends on the size of poster). Do not write too long, you can make it shorter by using some pictures or images, or even graphs.
3) Phrases and Active voice
Use phrases rather than full sentences. Try to always use active voice. In most English sentences with an action verb, the subject performs the action denoted by the verb.
These examples show that the Subject is doing the verb's action
- The man must have eaten five hamburgers
- The man (subject) is doing the eating (verb).
- Marilyn mailed the letter.
- Marilyn (subject) is doing the mailing (verb).
- Colorful parrots live in the rainforests.
- Parrots (subject) are doing the living (verb).
4) Serif font for text and san-serif font for title and Heading (Optional)
A serif is a decorative line or taper added to the beginning and/or end of a letter’s stem, which creates small horizontal and vertical planes within a word. So, in a nutshell, serif fonts have those decorative lines or tapers (also commonly referred to as “tails” or “feet”) while sans serif fonts don’t—hence the “sanes” in their title. Without tails, sansserif fonts are made up of simple, clean lines that are the same width throughout. Some of the most commonly used serif fonts include Times New Roman, Garamond, Baskerville, Georgia, and Courier New. Some of the most popular sans serif fonts on the black include Arial, Helvetica, Proxima Nova, Futura, and Calibri.
5) Language Features of Banner
To create a banner, you must consider the language features of the banner below.
a) Use Simple Present Tense
Sometimes the present simple tense doesn’t seem very simple. Here we will sort it all out for you!
We use the present simple tense to express the following ideas:
- To state facts or general truths
- To express habits or customs
- To relate future plans (often regarding programs and timetables)
- To tell jokes and stories or to report sporting events in real time.
Examples of the Present Simple
- The sun sets in the west.
- We produce lasers for cosmetic surgery.
- They move into their new home next week.
- So, I go to Mr. D and say “I deserve a better mark in this class”.
- Jones stops in mid-court and passes the ball to Schuster.
b) Forming the Present Simple
| Subject | Verb | Rest of Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| I / You / We / They | sleep | late on Saturdays |
| He / She / It | goes | to the beach every weekend |
c) Use simple phrases or statement
The use of simple phrases or statement here is as the slogan that reflects the program or event showed in the banner. This is usually written in large font in order to grab the readers’ attention. The phrases can be in the form of important information about the event or program. This sample may visualize you about the phrases in the banner
6) Characteristics of Poster and Banner
After comprehending the definition of poster and banner in the previous activities, now you have to understand the characteristic of poster and banner. Take a look back at pictures above and respond the following questions.
- How is the information or message conveyed in the posters and banners above?
- Do you think that the posters and banners above are interesting and good for you? In your opinion, what things are making those interesting?
- What are the posters and banners usually made from?
- To make it effective in conveying the information of posters and banner, do you think it is necessary to make the posters and banners long or short?
- After responding to the questions 1-4, can you now describe how a poster and a banner are structured? What elements must be considered in writing the information in the poster and banner?
Before dealing with creating a poster and banner, you should think about what a good poster and banner should look like. Additionally, you should check which software and visual material (photos, graphs etc.) can be used. Before you start creating your poster, make sure that you know its main message, why it is important, what is new about it and how you are going to support this message.
Like a cook, prepare everything you need before you start writing and drawing.
- A good poster and banner presents reduced information while getting to the point of what the audience should remember.
- It is appealing to the eye while inviting to read.
- What is most important can be spotted right away.
- It invites to ask questions while sparking a debate.
- A good poster and banner should say:
- Look at me!
In order to be read at all, a poster has to attract the observer's attention, just like an advertisement. One second must be enough to get the viewer's attention, fifteen seconds to understand the main message. Its title should be readable from a distance of 5 m while presenting the shortest summary as possible, in other words, its «take-home message».
This title should be special, to the point, and significant in order to attract attention. It is not always easy to find a good title. The following steps can be of help:
- Make a summary of the poster's content using only five sentences, for banner it usually has a statement as the slogan of company or program
- Condense these sentences into one sentence
- Select keywords and key terms
- Then finally combine these words to form your title
Read me!
There should only be a text as necessary on a poster and banner, what needs to be known but not what would be nice to know. Reading running text is generally more time consuming than listings; it is therefore advisable to make only little use of running texts.
Images (photos, graphs, tables, etc.) should be self-explanatory and contain titles as well as references. Background images are an exception since their purpose is only illustrator.
Ask me!
Ideally, a poster delivers food for thought and sparks a debate. This can be achieved by surprises or uncommon comparisons; however, it is important to stick to the facts. Question marks, used literally or figuratively, can also stimulate a discussion.
f. Graphic Organizers
1) Definition of Graphic Organizers
A graphic organizer is a teaching and learning tool that is used to organize information and ideas in a way that is easy to comprehend and internalize. By integrating text and visuals, graphic organizers show relationships and connections between concepts, terms, and facts.
g. Social/Language Function of Graphic Organizers
The followings are some social functions for using graphic organizers.
a) Tools for critical and creative thinking
Graphic organizers assist learners concentrate on what’s significant because they highlight key concepts and vocabulary, and their interactions. Thus, they offer the tools for critical and creative thinking.
b) Tools for organizing information
Graphic organizers serve as mental instruments for helping learners comprehend and maintain significant information and relationships.
c) Tools for understanding information and relationships
Graphic organizers serve as mental instruments for helping learners comprehend and maintain significant information and relationships.
d) Tools for depicting knowledge and understanding
Graphic organizers provide an optional way to depict knowledge and comprehension, so it is especially useful for learners who find it difficult to express relationships in written language between certain components.
e) Tools for self-learning
Learners who use graphic organizers are able to develop autonomous learning like note taking, planning, presentation, etc. In other words, graphic organizers are beneficial to learners’ learning inside and beyond classrooms.
h. Generic Structure of Graphic Organizers
The followings are the generic structure of graphic organizers.
1) Titles, headings, and/or labels
The title of a graphic organizer indicates the data or information which is going to be presented.
2) Specific locations for information
Information in a graphic organizer is presented in the form of pictures, symbols or words specifically so that the readers will easily understand the content of an issue or topic.
3) Short descriptions (bullets or limited sentences)
The description of visual presentations is often limited to minimize the long wordily explanation which will distract the readers.
i. Language Features of Graphic Organizers
The key features of graphic organizers do not deal with lexico-grammatical matters. Instead, they are developed in the following ways.
• Complex information is conveyed in a simple-to-understand manner through a visual display. In other words, a large amount of information can be converted into easy-to-read display. In short, they show instead of tell how information is structured. It facilitates students’ understanding in an easier way.
• Analytical, critical, planning, and creative thinking skills are concerned. By using graphic organizers, the learner has to identify the relationships between items, see the meaning, prioritize the information, and decide the items should be placed. It leads to form their learning strategy better.
• The organizers are made to be easily edited, revised, and added.
• Graphic organizers have multiple uses such as planning, brainstorming, studying, or summarizing. They can be used in writing or reading skill.
• Most graphic organizers use short words or phrases, or drawings, so they can appropriately be used with all levels of learners.
There are five types of graphic organizers: T-Chart, Concept Map, KWL Chart, Storyboard, and Venn Diagram. {alertInfo}
As seen the figure above, A T-Chart is a type of graphic organizer mainly used for comparison by separating information into two or more columns, forming a layout in the shape of the English letter "T". A T-Chart demonstrates a clear division of items or topics with headings on the top and columns below them. It's an easy-touse organizing diagram for even novices.
Concept Map is a type of graphic organizer used for showing relationship between words and phrases, vocabulary words, characters in story, science concepts, or events in history. You can add arrows as needed and group certain ideas together (can be boxed together). You can show relatIt is an essential part of synthesis and comprehension.
KWL Chart is a type of graphic organizer to record knowledge, questions, and ultimately newly acquired knowledge. Usually used by students in primary grades, the KWL chart is a superb tool for focusing reading and information-gathering. It is one of the more general and commonly used graphic organizer for brainstorming and pre-reading.
Storyboard is a type of graphic organizer to design versatile layouts for you to use for creating amazing storyboards and comic strips. Make your graphic organizer template custom for your lesson, by adding guidelines for your students and even the amount of cells you want them to use!!
Venn Diagram is a type of graphic organizer that is made up of two or three overlapping circles. It can be used for comparing and contrasting the features of items, people, events, etc. It makes it easier to examine these similarities and differences.