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The exercise will only work where it addresses real community health problems Knowing audience/community characteristics means that you can design materials for them specifically The simpler the message, the more likely it will be remembered and used when needed Using consumers to help in the development of materials incorporates their needs Field test, field test, field test. Where materials are not field tested, they are unlikely to be useful. If comprehension rates are low, you have a problem. That’s what field testing is about. Improve the rates Don’t be wasteful, printing can be expensive; but keep the masters for reprints if they are necessary Feedback (not just from field tests) can be very helpful to avoid repeating mistakes; or improving materials Ideally, a post-use assessment of the poster (or media used) should be undertaken 6 months to a year after the launch, to see what lasting effect the message(s) has/have had – if any. This should give programmers a realistic view of what such materials can (and more importantly, cannot) do. It is believed that the vast majority of programmes which employ the ‘Triad’ approach (Water + Sanitation + Health Education) will accept any health education materials without questioning their effectiveness just to be able to say they have ‘undertaken health education’ in the programme.