Billboard Design in Ghana: How to Design a Billboard That Works at Speed

Drive through Accra and count the billboards you can actually remember. Many of them blur into each other: a smiling model, a long list of services, three phone numbers, a website and a logo in the corner.

You saw them. You just didn't read them.

A billboard is one of the hardest formats in advertising. People see it for a few seconds, at a distance, while doing something else. This guide explains how to design one that works anyway.

Why do so many billboards fail?

Many billboards are designed like flyers. The designer has a large canvas, so they fill it: the full list of services, every contact detail, a paragraph about the company.

On a screen, at arm's length, it looks fine. On the roadside, from a moving car, nobody can read any of it. The billboard becomes a coloured rectangle with a face on it.

The fix is to design for how people actually see billboards: fast, far and distracted.

What makes a billboard work?

One message

A billboard can say one thing. Not two. Decide the single thing you want a driver to remember, and cut everything else.

"We're open in East Legon." "Tickets on sale now." "The cold drink for hot days." One idea, said clearly.

Very few words

A common rule of thumb in outdoor advertising is to keep billboard copy to around seven words. You don't need to count exactly, but if your headline needs a second line, it is probably too long.

Write the headline, then cut it in half. Then see if you can cut it again.

One image

One strong image beats a collage. A single product, a single face, a single scene. The eye needs somewhere to land, and it only has a moment.

Strong contrast

Billboards are seen in harsh sunshine, at dusk and under streetlights. Light text on a light background disappears. Dark text on a dark photo disappears. Use strong contrast between the words and what's behind them: dark on light, or light on dark, with nothing busy in between.

Big, simple type

Choose a clear, heavy typeface. Thin, decorative or script fonts turn into scribbles at a distance. The headline should be the largest thing on the board after the image.

Your brand, instantly

People should know who the billboard is from without reading the name. That comes from consistent colours, type and style across all your marketing. If your billboard looks like your Instagram, your packaging and your shopfront, people recognise you faster. See brand identity vs logo.

One way to respond

Nobody writes down three phone numbers from a moving car. Give one simple next step: a short website, a memorable handle, or a single easy number. If people need to find you later, make sure they can search your name and find you, which is where local SEO and a Google Business Profile help.

How do you test a billboard design?

Before you send the file to print, test it the way people will see it.

• The shrink test. Shrink the design to the size of a postage stamp on your screen. Can you still read the headline and recognise the brand? If not, simplify.
• The glance test. Show it to someone for three seconds, then hide it. Ask what it said and who it was from. If they can't tell you, neither will a driver.
• The across-the-room test. Print it on A4, stick it on a wall and walk to the other side of the room. Squint. What survives is what the road will see.

How is designing for print different from designing for screens?

Billboards are printed or displayed at a huge size, so the file has to be right.

• Get the exact size from the site owner. Billboard sizes vary. Design to the specification you're given, not a guess.
• Use the right resolution and colour setup. Ask the printer or site owner what they need. Large-format printing has its own requirements, and a file that looks sharp on your laptop can print blurred.
• Leave margins. Keep important text and logos away from the edges, where frames, fixings and trimming can cut them off.
• Check digital billboards separately. Digital screens show your design in a rotation with other adverts, often for a few seconds each. Some allow simple motion. Design for the slot length you are buying.

What about permits and placement?

Where your billboard goes matters as much as how it looks. A great design on a road nobody in your market uses is wasted.

Billboards and outdoor signs are regulated by local authorities, and rules differ by area. Check with your local assembly, or ask the billboard site owner to confirm the site is permitted, before you commit.

When choosing a site, think about:

• Who passes it. Is it on the route your customers actually take?
• How they pass it. Slow traffic gives you more reading time than a fast highway.
• What's around it. A board surrounded by ten others has to work harder.
• How close it is to you. For a shop or event, a board near the location can point people straight there.

Do billboards work alongside digital ads?

Yes, and they often work best together. A billboard builds familiarity. When someone who drove past it later sees your advert on Instagram, the brand already feels known, and that trust makes them more likely to click and buy.

The key is consistency. The billboard, the Facebook and Instagram ads and the landing page should all look and sound like the same brand.

Common questions

How many words should a billboard have?

As few as possible. Around seven is a useful guide for the headline. Everything that isn't the headline, the image, the brand and one way to respond should probably go.

Can I use the same design as my flyer?

Not directly. A flyer is read up close and can hold detail. A billboard is seen from far away for a few seconds. Use the same identity, but redesign the layout for the format.

Should I put a QR code on a billboard?

Only if people will be standing or sitting nearby long enough to scan it, such as at a bus stop or inside a venue. On a roadside board seen from a car, a QR code is unlikely to be used.

Do you design billboards for events?

Yes. Billboards are part of full event branding, alongside banners, backdrops and merch. See our event branding checklist.

Do you design billboards for businesses, not just events?

Yes. Billboards, signage and vehicle branding are part of keeping a business brand consistent. See branding beyond events.

If you're planning a billboard and want it to be the one people remember, see our brand identity and event branding services, or talk to us.