Talk about proper use of headlines and bullets in graphical products

1. Writing
Powerful
Bullet Points

2. A Bullet Point is NOT a Sentence
• Convey the KEY message
• Summation of the Key Point
• Rain develops this
afternoon
• Slowly changes to
snow
• Temperatures remain
in the 30s
• Melting snow limits
the amounts

3. Use a Consistent Style
• Bullets Start with a Verb or a Noun
• Capitalize Each Bullet the Same Way
• Weather Generally Remains
Quiet
• Fog May Be Possible Each
Night
• Watch out for icy spots!
Fog Possible

4. Observe the 6 x 6 Guidelines
• Prevents your slide from looking cluttered
• No more than 6 lines and 6 words/line
• Snow develops this
afternoon
• Snow may mix with rain
• Snow spreads north this
afternoon
• Drifting snow due to
northwest winds
• Turning colder by Sunday
• Wind chills 0 to -15˚
Looking Ahead

5. Know When To Avoid Bullets
• Ask yourself:
“Is the bulleted info critical to the graphic”
• Use visuals instead of words
Reference: http://www.thinkoutsidetheslide.com/how-to-write-powerful-bullet-points/
Snow Then Cold
• Drifting snow due to
northwest winds
• Turning colder by Sunday
• Wind chills 0 to -15˚
Looking Ahead

6. Useful
Headlines

7. A Headline Has a Function
Gets attention
Grabs an audience
Delivers and idea
Draws the reader into the message

8. Avoid Using ALL CAPITAL LETTERS
Readers recognize the shape of words
All CAPS can misdirect from the message
WINTER STORM HEADED OUR WAY
Winter Storm Headed Our Way

9. Avoid ALL Punctuation!
Periods, commas, explanation marks, quotes can
act as roadblocks
Wintry Mix
Ahead

10. “(KISS) Principle” I.E. Keep It Simple Stupid!
Cooler
Temperatures
Ahead
Avoid: Abbreviations, jargon, & hard to understand words.
Writing should be done at a 7th grade reading level

11. Snow Rapidly Developing
Happening Now
• Flurries South of I-90
•Snow Builds Southeast
• Prepare for Changing
Conditions
Already
Described
Location on
Visual

12. Don’t Get Fancy
Use typeface that people are accustomed to read
In some cases, fancy fonts can be more distracting than helpful
Cooler
Temperatures
Ahead
Cooler
Temperatures
Ahead

13. Target Your Audience
If you’re creating a graphic for travel, express travel
If you’re creating a graphic for cold, express cold
Dangerous Travel
Right Now!

14. Consider The End Result
Warm, but Unsettled Weekend
Snow Possible Saturday
Night into Sunday
Light (1-2”) Accumulations