With the average viewing time for most out-of-home ads totaling just four (4) to eight (8) seconds, designing a truly impactful billboard is an important exercise for any creative.

To make the most of such a short window, several design elements and principles must be utilized effectively.

With each well-designed billboard you encounter, you probably don’t think twice about how it all came together. If you’re like most people, you simply observe the information being presented and move on with your day without recognizing the time and consideration that went into perfecting every last detail.

Most marketers, however, will be quick to tell you that crafting a billboard that is eye-catching enough to gain the viewer’s attention, legible enough to foster understanding, and impactful enough to drive meaningful action is no simple task. That’s because the human brain formulates opinions of virtually anything new or unfamiliar in the first three (3) seconds. In fact, some have argued that the mind makes visual judgements in just one-tenth of a second. Regardless, these instant reactions often dictate the user experience from that point forward, which is why mastering the three-second rule is more crucial than ever.

Think about it: Have you ever encountered a billboard design that left you questioning what you just saw? This is a textbook example of poor user experience hindered by ineffective creative, where it’s obvious that key design elements and principles slipped through the cracks.

For example, the creative might lack the design hierarchy needed to distinguish between primary and secondary information. The subtle imagery or artwork needed to add the proper context is nowhere to be found. Or, the copy might be missing a clear call to action. All are essential puzzle pieces in the creation of a successful billboard. Curating the perfect combination of these elements so that an ad achieves its intended objective within the first three (3) seconds is what makes a good design great.

How often does the three-second rule apply in everyday life?

Constantly. Just like with billboard interactions, most information we encounter on a daily basis is absorbed in an extremely short period of time. That’s because our brains interpret information and formulate opinions that drive our decisions almost nonstop. No wonder leaving the house can feel so overstimulating! However, when it comes to day-to-day activities most influenced by attention-grabbing design, a few examples stand out from the rest:

Shopping and product design

Every now and then, when browsing the aisles of your favorite big box store, you may come across product packaging that catches your eye by breaking through the visual monotony of everything that surrounds it. Unfortunately, there’s a lot of generic (and straight-up atrocious) packaging out there. To win over consumers, packaging must allow products to speak for themselves during that three-second “first impression period.”

 Successful packaging design matches the product's aesthetics, appeals to its target audience, and quickly conveys what’s inside. Have you ever picked up a product you’d never seen before because its packaging grabbed your attention? Deliberate and thoughtful packaging design presents itself as a sense of care, reputability, and professionalism. Even if all of the necessary information is included, disorganized packaging without visual direction can lead to confusion around the product itself.

Cover art (book and album covers)

At one point or another, we’ve all been told, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” but we still do! And that’s okay. It’s only natural to feel partial toward things that captivate our attention. This is a prime example of how the three-second rule actively drives our decision-making process. That’s why it’s such a common experience to pick up a book based solely on the cover art, or check out an unfamiliar album because its artwork caught your eye. We choose what we interact with largely based on how it “speaks to us” in those initial moments, which is why carefully curated cover art can have such a strong effect on sales, for example.

Recess is a full-service creative and technology agency that focuses on delivering smart, strategic solutions that are driven by doing our homework. We're a lot more than a Digital Advertising Agency. We design brand platforms, engaging social content, develop killer websites and drive engaging experiences for our partners.

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