Optimization poster partner check in climbing gyms
Optimization poster partner check in climbing gyms
In many climbing gyms in the Netherlands (and probably abroad as well) there's been a poster of Petzl, a manufacturer of climbing equipment, for years. It's an explanation of the partner check: the (mutual) checking of climber and belayer before entering a route… Of vital importance! And all these years I think: good message, but this could be communicated much better (and more complete)! Time for an upgrade! Thanks to Petzl for the (easily reusable) images on their site. And apologies for the poor quality of the photo of the original poster (left/front).
What can be improved (and how)...
The original poster is only legible from a distance of one and a half meters (with the exception of the title). There is nothing that really attracts attention: all information seems equally important. By making title and key words more prominent, you can tell from a distance what it's about and decide if the message is interesting (or important!) enough to take a closer look.
A clear structure and hierarchy in your information give the viewer multiple entrances: your message becomes readable on multiple levels. A novice climber will look at the whole poster (study pictures, check all points one by one); an experienced climber needs only to see the 1, 2, 3, 4 (with/without the heading next to it) as a reminder of what is already known. And you can do that from a great distance!
In addition, the text can be shorter and more concise by structuring it differently and using lists instead of repetition. Summum removed/corrected incorrect sentences and supplemented the text with important information (such as checking buckles). Summum does that too: we are not only concerned with form, but also (and first) with the content!
Then: the shape. The close-ups (in the circle) are duplicated on the original poster: why? My brain automatically starts playing 'spot the differences' - there are none. A waste of my energy and the space on the poster. Summum put them only once clearer and larger on the poster.
There are several more optimized details and improvements - check and find them yourself :).