Hospital Posters

Prompt: Do an image search for "A&E waiting room poster" (with A&E referring to Accident and Emergency). Download five posters. Analyse the use of words, emoji, and pictures vs written text—such as when they appear, where they appear, for what purposes they are used. Which looks to you easiest to understand for people with lower English proficiency?

Task overview:

In this task, you will examine hospital posters used in Emergency Departments (ED), also called Accident and Emergency (A&E). You will compare modality (e.g., the use of imagery and word load) to evaluate which posters are clearest in communication — especially for people with lower English proficiency.

Your aim is to explore:

Text complexity (Is the writing too dense? Or too short? Is the poster too wordy?)
Visual support (Are there icons, photos, emojis, or other images? Where do they appear? How do they support the written text on the poster?)
Information Clarity (Do the layout and the use of colours support comprehensibility)
Accessibility (Are the posters easy to understand for people with lower English proficiency?)

To get you started

1. Download some posters

Save each image onto your device so you can zoom in examining clarity.

1. Salisbury NHS – A&E “Guide to Healthcare Services” Poster
2. NHS Lanarkshire – Emergency Department Signage Posters
3. NHS Urgent Care Posters – Campaign Resource Centre
5. NHS “Choose Better” A&E Campaign PosterLink opens in a new window

2. Examine key features for each poster

Create a table to note the following:

Appearance pictures, icons, or emojis
Content of written text that is unsupported by images, and content of written text that is supported by images, content only presented by images without written text
Colour use ( if there is any use of colour, how is colour used to complement information presented by the written text)
Hierarchy (what stands out first? E.g., headings, icons, paragraphs of words)

3. Analyse clarity & simplicity

For each poster, ask:

Are the sentences short yet clear enough to present the information needed?
Are there too many blocks of text or are the texts too long?
How do the visuals complement meaning construction?
Do the messages appear immediately clear at first glance?

4. Compare accessibility for people with lower English proficiency across posters

Attend to:

Concise writing
Use of images and colours what well supports delivery of meaning
Clear & straightforward instructions
Use of abbreviation without explanation (e.g., “urgent treatment centre” vs “UTC”)
Any translation (if appropriate)

5. Write a short conclusion

Summarise:

Which poster is the most accessible to people with lower English proficiency, or which parts of which posters are best at it, and why
What features helped: images, simple layout, colours, minimal text
Which posters were harder to understand and why (dense text, unhelpful visuals)