Message Design
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This document provides 10 steps for designing effective messages: 1) Determine your key objective, 2) Create an emotional theme, 3) Capture attention, 4) Organize main points into chunks, 5) Send clear signals of importance, 6) Consider different perspectives, 7) Ensure you focus on your goal, 8) Highlight benefits for the audience, 9) Ask questions to encourage further discussion, and 10) End with a positive call to action. The overall guidance is to use visual metaphors and emotional appeals to enhance communication and ensure the message's purpose, themes, and direction are clear.
Message Design
- 1. MESSAGE DESIGN Using visual metaphors to enhance meaning By: Lee Bandy, MS, MA, LCPC
- 2. What is your purpose? Do you have a theme? How will you get attention? What do you have to say? What signals are you sending? Are any needs or special interests blocking communication? Where are you going? How can you show the advantages of your ideas ? Can you open the door to a more in-depth conversation? How will you end? Follow these steps to design and send an effective message
- 3. 1. What is your purpose? Message Design The first step for designing an effective message is to determine your key objective. Decide on the most important thing that you want to communicate, and then be clear in your mind what you want to achieve .
- 4. 2. Do you have a theme? Message Design For some, a logical argument is not convincing. For maximum impact, create a theme with an emotional appeal. Choose a phrase or highlight an aspect of your topic that ‘brands’ your message in a positive way.
- 5. 3. How will you get attention? Message Design For an effective message, you must capture attention. Let others know why they should listen to you. Make it clear that you are communicating an important point, not just having a conversation.
- 6. 4. What do you have to say? Message Design Help listeners remember what you are saying by clustering related ideas together. Since the capacity of a person’s short-term, or working, memory is only about 3-7 bits of information, organize your main points into small chunks of information.
- 7. 5. What signals are you sending? Message Design Make certain that the message you are sending can be clearly understood. Lay the groundwork for mutual understanding by sending signals that tell your listeners what is most important.
- 8. 6. Are any needs or special interests blocking communication? Message Design Realize that differences between your point of view and another person’s point of view may be getting in the way of understanding. Broaden your own thinking by trying to see things from a different perspective.
- 9. 7. Where are you going? Message Design After deciding on your key objective, check that you are driving in the right direction. Make sure you focus on where you want to go and what you want to achieve .
- 10. 8. How can you show the advantages of your ideas ? Message Design Highlight the advantages of your point of view. Since people want to know what’s in it for them, tell them how they will benefit. Be honest and acknowledge uncertainties: The tide may turn and the plan could change.
- 11. 9. Can you open the door to a more in-depth conversation? Message Design What kinds of questions can you ask to generate curiosity and open the door to a more in-depth conversation?
- 12. 10. How will you end? Message Design Do you have a forward moving, positive call to action? At the end of the day, ask for what you want. What do you want to happen?
- 13. MESSAGE DESIGN Using visual metaphors to enhance meaning By: Lee Bandy, MS, MA, LCPC The End