Immunization and child health materials development guide pdf

• Draft Key Messages. Start by outlining the informational needs of your audience. Think
about the key points you want to make to them, what you want them to remember, and
what you want them to do. Try to condense these key points into single sentences. Imagine
what you want your audience to remember. If they were only scanning your written
materials and reading headlines, what should those headlines say to best convey your
message?
• Choose an Appropriate Tone. The message tone is determined by the topic, type of
material, and audience. The tone may be humorous, didactic, authoritative, rational, or
emotionally appealing. It may be intended as a one-time appeal or as repetitive
reinforcement.
• Reinforce Messages With Visuals. Visual aids are especially important because they help
your audience understand and remember your messages. Whenever possible, provide
charts, pictures, photographs, figures, or moving images that illustrate your point. These
visual aids will do more to communicate your message than any printed words.
• Customize Your Material to Your Audience and Medium. In print materials for low-literate
audiences, the text should be concise and should reinforce each illustrated message;
likewise, the illustrations should help communicate the written messages. In print materials
for literate audiences, lay out the text logically, using language that is appropriate for
that audience. For example, don’t use highly technical or medical terms in materials for
policy-makers. For radio, the message should be incorporated in a way that captures the
listeners’ attention. For video, the audio and visuals should support each other in conveying
the messages. For computer-based media, all of the above could apply.
Figure 18 provides suggestions for designing effective messages and materials.
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