Successful digital signage design is about more than just looking sleek. An effective design will give as much attention to what is being displayed as it does to aesthetics. Functionality should come first, then give your message a pretty package. When we say "content is king" we mean that your message is the most important aspect of the digital signage. The design of the screen should support the information being displayed.
Before you can lay out your screen, you need to ask yourself some questions:
Where (location wise) will your content will be displayed? (break room, lobby, conference room)
Who will be in the location of your displays? (employees, potential clients, existing clients, students)
What information is best to share with the people in that location? What are the needs of your viewers? (event info, advertising, cafe menu)
When you have these questions answered you'll be able to start designing your screen. Be sure not to overwhelm the screen, focus on content that is most important and dedicate the largest section of the screen to that.
Think about these things when displaying your message