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Bulletin Board Displays
Standards Covered:
· 15.02: Prepare posters and bulletin boards using lamination and other visual
presentation techniques.
Bulletin Boards are used throughout the school setting. Within the school, most
people think of bulletin boards like those found in the classroom. However, bulletin
boards are used in offices, cafeterias, libraries, teacher lounges, hallways, and
athletic fields. They come in different sizes, shapes, and colors. Some are glass
enclosed and some are open. No matter what the size, shape, color, or location, they
all have two things in common. They are used to post information, and the
information can be easily changed.
The information posted on a bulletin board should pertain to current events and be
relevant to the people who will see the bulletin board. The bulletin board should be
accessible to those people who need information that is found on the board.
Information which is obsolete should be removed.
Bulletin boards can enhance a room. An
attractive bulletin board can make a dull setting
more lively. However, a bulletin board that is
decorated with loud colors can attract too much
attention. Bulletin boards should enhance a
room but not be the center of attention.
In the classroom, bulletin boards can be used
for many purposes. One most important
purpose of a bulletin board is to post important
information about school policies, athletic and
social events, important school dates, and class
rules. Another use of a bulletin board is to decorate the room. Some useful themes
are the seasons, months, and events. Another purpose of the bulletin board,
especially in elementary school, is to help teach a skill. Some bulletin boards are
designed with moveable parts that encourage student involvement.
Office, library, cafeteria, and athletic areas use bulletin boards to inform people of
events. The office may have a bulletin board with newspaper clippings of outstanding
students with a “welcome to” theme displayed. Guidance may display information
about testing dates, colleges, or special help for students. Athletic bulletin boards will
display athletic event dates and special victories. The use of bulletin boards is
endless. Bulletin boards are a way to let your creativity flow.
Bulletin boards should never be used to insult or humiliate another person. For
example, a teacher should not exhibit papers of students who did not do well on an
assignment. Lists of names with grades should not be posted on bulletin boards.
Bulletin boards should be used to bring pleasure, not hurt other people.
A properly planned bulletin board display can:
· help reinforce the verbal word
· motivate and help the child learn
· gain interest through color and form
· improve the learning environment by making it colorful and exciting
Titles
Titles for bulletin board displays should be
· brief: one to five carefully chose words
· to the point
· eyecatching
· large, bold print for main title, usually in all capital letters
· smaller type (may be lower case) for other words
· keep other words to a minimum; too many words makes a bulletin board too
busy
Welldesigned titles require as much imagination, effort, and planning as any other
single phase of bulletin board design. The title should be an integral part of the total
design. It can be stapled flat on the board, raised with pins, or hung from an arm to
get limited movement. The title may, in some cases, be placed outside of the bulletin
board, directing attention into the design.
Color
To be effective, the use of color in bulletin board
design must be carefully related to the visual
material to be displayed. Color should reflect the
theme. The colors used in a design should neither
overpower the material on display nor fight with it.
The whole color scheme should compliment the
idea of being visually presented.
Color is symbolic by association.
· Red often signifies heat, love, rage, or war
· Blue à coolness, purity
· Green à freshness, youth
· Yellow à cowardice
· Purple à royalty
When used sensitively, color has great aesthetic appeal in itself. Color may be used
in the background simply because it relates well to the visual material being
displayed.
Displays should be restricted to a few carefully suggested colors. Too many colors
may make the bulletin board too busy. Unusual color schemes can be very effective,
especially for holidays.
Balance
If used too much, formal balance becomes monotonous. Formal balance is like
dividing a composition in the middle with an imaginary line. What is placed on one
side must also be placed on the other. It is like a teetertotter balanced on both
sides by two people the same size.
In informal balance, the fulcrum of a teetertotter is placed some place other than
the center of the composition. Just as a small child may balance a heavier adult by
placing the fulcrum closer to the heavier adult, so larger figures in a composition
may be balanced by small ones. Informal balance creates more interest than formal
balance. A good way to learn informal balance is to imitate graphic layouts from
publications that are pleasing.
Horizontal and vertical layout works best for a bulletin board. Diagonal placement
can be effective, but should be kept to a minimum.
Other Design Principles
· Contrast à calls attention; light against dark or dark against light
· Emphasis à set the most important item apart by size, color, or point out
with a directional device (i.e., an arrow, pointing finger).
· Texture à feel of things; invites touch inspection; attracts attention because
of contact; example, rough on smooth
· Space à background areas are as important as work displayed; group work in
areas rather than scatter around.
· Lettering à use bold lettering; avoid tall, thin, ornate, or flowery lettering;
keep vertical and diagonal lettering to a minimum—it can be harder to read
since we were taught to read horizontally from left to right.
· Shapes à keeps shapes similar; do not have too
many kinds; use threedimensional shapes when
possible—catches the eye.
· Figure placement à figures should be placed so
they are looking at or toward the inner parts of
the board content; the figure catches our
attention first and we tend to look at what they
figure is looking at. If the figure is looking off the
board, so will the viewer.
· Crowding à Do not crowd material. There should
be sufficient empty spaces (called “white space”
or background) around the displayed material.
Do not overlap papers, except for small, wellplanned grouping designs (i.e.,
brochures overlapping for a fan effect.)
· Cuteness à Avoid cuteness or being pretty, which involves decorating without
a reason.
Continued on next page…
Planning Your Display
1. Decide on what to display.
2. Choose a catch caption.
3. Sketch a plan on paper.
4. Prearrange material or place temporarily with pins so it can be
changed for best balance.
5. Set up display with best fastening devices. Items need to be well
secured.
Suggested Materials
Background: Hand Tools
· Burlap · Stapler
· Fabric · Hammer
· Construction paper · Pliers
· Corrugated cardboard · Stencil knife
· Aluminum foil · Scissors
Fastening Devices Art Materials
· Staples · Water colors
· Paste/Glue · Brush, pen, ink
· Rubber cement · Crayons
· Masking tape/transparent tape · Markers
· Bulletin board wax · Construction Paper
· String and yarn
Miscellaneous Materials for texture Computer Generated Materials
· Glitter · Graphics/images
· String/yarn/thread · Borders
· Wire · Lettering
· Cotton/Easter grass · Banners
· Sponges
· Cardboard boxes
· Ribbon/Aluminum Foil
· Photos/magazine pictures
Activity: Bulletin Boards
Part 1—Multiple Choice and True/False (circle answers); Short Answer
1. The main title for an effective bulletin board
should have no more than
a. 15 words
b. 510 words
c. 38 words
d. 12 words
2. T or F: Diagonal placement of items on a bulletin
board is preferred to horizontal and vertical, as it
lends to more creativity.
3. When you place a figure in your design, you need to make sure that it is
a. only one color
b. looking in and not away
c. below the main title
d. all of the above
4. What are the two things that all bulletin boards have in common?
5. To be an effective bulletin board, the colors should
a. reflect the theme of the bulletin board
b. be few and carefully selected
c. not be too loud as to attract too much attention
d. all of the above
6. T or F: Formal balance creates more interest than informal balance.
7. The main purpose of a
bulletin board is to
a. decorate the
classroom
b. teach a skill
c. post information
d. all of the above
8. Which design technique
invites touch inspection?
a. contrast
b. emphasis
c. texture
d. space
e. all of the above
9. T or F: Overlapping of items on a bulletin board is generally not
recommended, with the exception of small, wellplanned grouping of designs.
10. Which of the following statements is false?
a. Information on a bulletin board should be relevant to the people who
will see it.
b. Lists of students with names with grades should not be posted on a
bulletin board.
c. Titles should always be placed within the borders of the bulletin board.
d. Information on a bulletin board that is obsolete should be removed.
11. Bulletin boards that have moveable parts
a. should be placed within glass enclosures.
b. encourage student involvement
c. attract attention
d. b and c only
e. all of the above
12. Lettering on a bulletin board
should be
a. tall
b. thin
c. ornate
d. bold
e. all of the above
13. Items and/or letters should
be temporarily paced (i.e., with straight pins) on a bulletin board before
securing permanently with staples, glue, etc. Why?
14. What can make a bulletin board look too busy or cluttered?
a. too many colors
b. too many words
c. too many kinds of shapes
d. all of the above
15. A properly planned bulletin board display can
a. gain interest through color and form and motivate and help children
learn.
b. improve the learning environment by making it colorful and exciting,
and motivate students by listing their names and grades.
c. help reinforce the verbal word, and be the center of attention using
bright, loud colors.
d. all of the above
Part 2—Design and Construct a Bulletin Board
Now that you are familiar with effective bulletin board design techniques, it is time to
apply what you have learned.
You are to design and construct a bulletin board. These bulletin boards will be placed
in the classrooms and/or hallways at the school and should have relevance to the
school/activities. Your group will develop a bulletin board plan before beginning the
actual board.
Materials and supplies should be available from your TA instructor or your home.
