Less is more when it comes to great content.

Ok, so apparently we’ve all got really short attention spans – even shorter than a goldfish! And apparently, that’s got something to do with all of the technology in our lives, causing us to become distracted in as little as 8 seconds! Well that’s according to a recent study by Microsoft Inc. 

So, if you’re still reading this and haven’t been distracted by your mobile phone – hoorah! We’ve got something important to say about how this recent study will affect your creative content forever. 

Anyone that knows us here at VISUALAB knows that when it comes to content, we know our stuff. Of course, content needs to look great, but it also has a purpose to serve. And taking into consideration this recent study, we need to manipulate the looking structure of our content in order to ensure it does exactly what it’s been designed to do, but in a realistic time frame. 

What we’re trying to say is – keeping it simple is key. If people have short attention spans, content that is overloaded with complicated messaging and design is simply going to fail to convert attention. And that’s not us being harsh, it’s a proven fact, and one that we should all take on board before we even begin putting pen to paper. 

When it comes to digital signage content in particular, time is critical. You have to think about what that viewer is likely to be doing when they come across the display – are they walking by? Are they waiting in a queue? Are they working at their desk? All of these things matter and affect the time that we have to convey our messages.

Let’s look at the structure across a piece of content quickly.

With TV commercials, you have a captive audience. This allows for a story to gradually unfold and for the principal message to be revealed as the story reaches its conclusion. However, within a typical retail environment, a shorter attention time of seconds requires your message to be conveyed far quicker, then plateau, communicating than key message whilst using techniques to subtly extend viewing times.

So, when it comes to designing content, we always ask ourselves, how much time have we got and how quick does the message need to come across? In all situations, we have a time limit, as you’ve seen above in the findings from Microsoft Inc.

Creating content that’s simple and minimal, doesn’t mean it has to lose its innovation, quality or originality, all of these things are still just as important. It’s a case of having a clever thought process behind the content, but delivering the physical message in a way that’s clear, precise and direct. Think about an animation for example. The work and mechanics behind it can be so complex and intuitive, yet what the viewer sees is something so unpretentious, effective and easy to absorb. That’s the ultimate goal for creating great content and that’s what will convert attention into results.