Crises are unpredictable, high-pressure events that demand fast, clear, and effective communication. Whether it’s a sudden operational failure, a PR issue, or an industry-wide disruption, businesses must act quickly to maintain trust, protect their reputation, and minimise confusion.
One of the most effective tools in these moments is well-designed communication materials. From press releases to customer notices, the quality and clarity of your materials can make or break your crisis response. In this article, we’ll explore how professionally designed communication materials can support your business during a crisis and why they are essential for navigating turbulent times.
Why Communication Materials Are Crucial During a Crisis
In the middle of a crisis, clarity is king. Poor communication can lead to confusion, frustration, and damaged stakeholder relationships. Well-designed communication materials play a vital role in ensuring that everyone — from employees to customers to media outlets — understands what’s happening and how to respond.
Here’s why they matter so much:
Clarity & Consistency: Businesses must present a unified message, ensuring that all stakeholders receive the same accurate information.
Building Trust & Credibility: Clear, professional materials signal to stakeholders that you are in control of the situation.
Speed & Accessibility: In a fast-moving crisis, there’s no time for confusion. Easy-to-read materials ensure people understand key information immediately. There is also no time to start any documentation from scratch.
When done right, these materials reduce uncertainty and help maintain trust with employees, customers, and the wider public.
Key Types of Crisis Communication Materials
No two crises are the same, but certain communication materials will always play a central role in your response. Here are some of the most critical formats to have ready:
Press Releases & Media Statements
These are essential for controlling the narrative when news of a crisis becomes public. Well-structured press releases with clear, concise language ensure journalists and stakeholders get the information they need quickly. Branded headers, clear headings, and easy-to-read formatting make it easier for the media to relay your message accurately.
Internal Memos & Staff Communications
Employees are your frontline ambassadors during a crisis. Keeping them informed with clear internal memos and email updates ensures they feel supported and prepared to communicate with customers, suppliers, and other stakeholders. Well-structured layouts with clear headings, call-out boxes, and visual hierarchy ensure the most important points are understood at a glance.
Customer Updates & Notifications
When customers are directly affected by a crisis (like a service outage or product recall), they need fast, clear updates. Email templates, social media posts, and SMS notifications should be professionally designed for readability, with concise messaging and clear instructions. Branded design elements reassure customers that the message is authentic and credible.
FAQs & Guidance Documents
FAQs are invaluable during a crisis. Anticipating customer and employee questions and answering them in a well-organised, branded document saves time and reduces inbound enquiries. Clear headings, collapsible sections (for digital formats), and intuitive layout design make it easy for users to find the answers they need.
Visual Aids & Infographics
Sometimes, words aren’t enough. Infographics, flowcharts, and visual step-by-step guides help convey complex processes (like health & safety protocols) quickly and clearly. Visual aids also help businesses comply with accessibility standards, ensuring that information is understood by all stakeholders, including those with cognitive or visual impairments.
What Makes Communication Materials “Well-Designed”?
Not all communication materials are created equal. During a crisis, design flaws like cluttered layouts, hard-to-read fonts, or overly complex language can slow down understanding — and that can be costly. Here’s what makes communication materials truly effective:
Clarity & Simplicity
Complex language and dense paragraphs cause confusion. Well-designed materials focus on simplicity, using plain language, short sentences, and bullet points to improve readability. White space and clean design elements help avoid visual overwhelm.
Visual Consistency with Branding
During a crisis, brand trust is more important than ever. Using consistent brand colours, logos, and typefaces helps reinforce that communications are legitimate and trustworthy. People should instantly recognise that the message is from your business.
Structure & Hierarchy
The way information is presented affects how quickly it’s understood. Clear headings, subheadings, and call-to-action buttons guide the reader through the content. Critical information is prioritised at the top, with supporting details following.
Design for Accessibility
Crisis communications must be accessible to everyone, including people with visual impairments, cognitive disabilities, and those using assistive technology. This means using high-contrast colours, alt text for images, and ensuring the document is screen-reader friendly. Accessibility isn’t just a “nice to have” — it’s essential for compliance and inclusivity.
The Risks of Poorly Designed Communication Materials
Failing to prioritise design in your communication materials can have serious consequences during a crisis. Here are some of the key risks:
Confusion & Misinformation
If information isn’t clearly structured or easy to read, people can misinterpret key details. Miscommunication can escalate the crisis, especially if stakeholders take incorrect action due to unclear instructions.
Loss of Credibility & Trust
Stakeholders judge a business’s professionalism by the quality of its communications. Sloppy design, inconsistent branding, and unreadable layouts can signal chaos, leading to a loss of confidence. On the other hand, clear, professional materials project control and competence.
Operational Inefficiency
Poorly designed FAQs, memos, and instructions lead to increased queries from staff, customers, and media outlets. Time spent answering preventable questions can delay crisis resolution, increasing stress on teams and consuming valuable resources.
How Bespoke Design Services Can Help
In a crisis, businesses don’t have time to “DIY” their communication materials. Relying on bespoke design services ensures your materials are ready when you need them most. Here’s why working with a design specialist is essential:
Tailored to Your Branding
Off-the-shelf templates may look “good enough,” but they rarely align with your unique brand identity. Bespoke design ensures your materials match your existing branding, giving stakeholders confidence in the message.
Faster Turnaround with Professional Expertise
During a crisis, time is of the essence. A professional design partner can create polished materials far faster than in-house teams juggling multiple priorities. You get high-quality materials without sacrificing speed.
Customised for Your Unique Needs
Every crisis is different, and off-the-shelf templates can’t always address the unique communication needs of your business. Very likely a template is too generic to be of any use. Bespoke design allows for tailored layouts, formats, and content that fit your business’s specific situation. This makes sure you stakeholders are getting the correct, specific information they need.
Ongoing Support
A crisis can unfold over days, weeks, or even months. Having a document design partner like Make Better Documents means you’re not on your own. They can provide updated materials as the situation evolves, ensuring your communications stay current and aligned with the latest developments.
Practical Steps for Businesses to Prepare for Crises
Crises are inevitable, but being unprepared isn’t. Here’s how you can ensure your communication materials are ready for any situation:
Audit Existing Communication Materials
Review your press release templates, email formats, customer letters, and internal communication guides. Do they meet modern design standards? Are they clear, accessible, and aligned with your brand? If not, it’s time for an update.
Create a Crisis Communications Toolkit
Having pre-designed templates for press releases, internal memos, and customer notices ensures you’re not scrambling when a crisis hits. Pre-approved templates speed up response times and maintain brand consistency.
Partner with a Design Specialist
Working with a professional design service like Make Better Documents ensures you have access to ready-to-go, bespoke materials when they’re needed most. Instead of relying on generic templates, you’ll have brand-specific designs tailored to your business.
Conclusion
No one can predict the next crisis, but you can be prepared for it. Well-designed communication materials ensure your business responds with clarity, professionalism, and control. Don’t wait for the next crisis to strike. Take action today to review your existing materials and see where improvements can be made.
If you’re ready to ensure your communication materials are clear, consistent, and ready for anything, Make Better Documents can help. We create bespoke, brand-aligned communication materials that stand up to the pressures of a crisis.
Don’t let poor design hold your business back. Get in touch with Make Better Documents today and prepare for whatever comes next.
