Digital screens are another way to raise awareness for events, courses and other initiatives we'd like to share with the Arts community, and can reinforce messaging and promotion on other channels where they can learn more.
Screen locations
Digital screens are scattered all over campus and are controlled by individual departments and faculties. In Arts, we have:
- The PAS corridor (at the end of the hallway near the Dean of Arts and Arts Undergraduate Office).
- The History department (between the Hagey Hall Hub, History and the exit to the outdoors). History content gets first priority.
Guidelines
- The primary audience for our screen is students. (If the content is only for faculty and staff, we can share on other channels.)
- Make text large, and keep it to a minimum. For example, an event needs a title, time and place - leave the abstract and speaker bio for other promotional items.
- Links or QR codes can be included but will likely not be used by people passing by - especially if they are long or not intuitive.
- Use sufficient contrast. Low colour contrast combinations like yellow text on white are difficult to see, as is text on a busy background. A semi-transparent gradient behind text or a text box can help.
Examples of content we will post:
- Events that anyone in Arts can attend (for instance, an event can be for students but should be open to all departments)
- Courses that are open to students from across Arts (for instance, you don't have to be a specific major or have a list of prerequisites to enrol)
- Resources and services (primarily for students)
Not sure? Ask us.
How long a slide runs depends on the number of requests we have. For instance, if you're in a department and submit five slides to advertise courses, we might alternate them in the lineup.
How to create a slide
The best way to think of this content is a billboard: something eye catching that people can read and understand at a glance. It doesn't tell the whole story - but it's enough to get you interested in learning more.
Slides typically display for between 20-30 seconds and are often seen at a distance. It's enough to make an impression and raise awareness.
You can download the Arts Digital Screen Templates for PowerPoint here.
- The screens have a 16:9 aspect ratio - 1920 pixels wide by 1080 pixels high, or 1280 pixels wide by 720 tall.
- Images can be in .png or .jpg format.
- Use a meaningful image.
You can use the PowerPoint template or create slides with Canva and Adobe Creative Suite. (If you're not sure how to export or convert a slide, we can help.)
Do you need to use official fonts and colours? The brand guidelines are important for public-facing content, but we can be flexible for our internal audience.
Can you use your digital screen in other contexts? Yes, with caution - simple digital screens with little text can be used on some social media channels (with alt text of course). For promoting something major like a distinguished lecture series, you'll want to create different assets for different channels, using the same fonts and image. Think consistent, not identical.
Submit a slide
Please contact Elizabeth Rogers and Olivia Vanderwal via email with any requests.