In continuation from last week’s blog topic “What to include in an effective visual executive summary” this week I thought I’d explore the pros and cons of a few popular options for presenting your summary information. Hopefully, this will help you determine what format(s) will best achieve your objectives.
[Note: The previous post primarily focused on items to include within a print piece. In this post, I have decided to also include information about the pros and cons of presenting your information in a digital format to give you another option to consider.]
The 1-2-pager (standard paper sizes)
*Pros
- Your audience may be more likely to engage with the information by not feeling intimidated to take notes directly on the summary
- Save on printing costs by printing directly from your personal printer
- Easily accessible for your audience to download and print a personal copy if you post a pdf version of the summary to your website or attach to email
*Cons
- May not appear as professional if created as a standard Word doc or printed from a personal printer
- Easier to update content for future use
- Not as engaging for web use
Professionally printed brochure/booklet
*Pros
- A professionally designed and printed piece will stand out from the crowd and capture your audience’s attention
- Will provide you with the most design flexibility
- Audiences can easily download and view materials if posted as a pdf online
*Cons
- Higher printing costs and costs to making future edits
- Not as engaging for web use
Animated video clip
*Pros
- Engaging and interactive for audiences
- Can easily insert into PowerPoint presentations and post on your website
- Potentially more options for creatively communicating your information
*Cons
- Has to be viewed on a computer or digital device
- May be more difficult to make changes to the data or information as updates occur
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In general, remember that your information summaries are a marketing piece for your organization as well. Therefore, make sure to include your logo, or stick to your standard color palette or fonts if you have them. This will provide you a consistent look across organizational materials.
-Elissa Schloesser