WIDE-FORMAT & SIGNAGE ─ Interactive Signage
INTERACTIVE
SIGNAGE An immersive discussion By Richard Romano
I
nteractive signage is changing from simply providing information to creating immersive experiences. At the same time, the actual mechanism by which a user interacts with a display is changing from simple physical interaction to electronic interaction.
A Touching Story The emblematic example of physical interactive signage is the touchscreen display, which we are all familiar with and, despite COVID, will likely become more common. The first finger-driven touchscreen was invented
Back in 2020, 22Miles launched “protection as a service” via the TempDefend temperature-detecting kiosk.
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by Eric Johnson of the Royal Radar Establishment in Malvern, England, in 1965, gained popularity in ATMs and wayfinding kiosks, and after the advent of the iPhone and iPad touchscreen displays, proliferated virtually everywhere—and now even wide-format equipment manufacturers tout the “iPhone-like” touchscreen control panels of their printers and other units. It is even possible to buy touchscreen displays for your computer for around $200–300 in BestBuy or Walmart. In the world of dynamic digital signage, touchscreen kiosks continue to be popular for wayfinding and providing other information in private spaces. Retail locations have been adding interactive “swipeable” displays for “immersive customer experiences.” Touchscreens can be either finger- or stylusdriven. For public signage and interactive kiosks, finger-driven touchscreens are the more feasible option, as there is the chance of a stylus getting lost or stolen, even if it’s secured with a cable. As the cost of touchscreens has come down, they are more and more practical for DDS kiosks and digital posters and even though, during 2020, there were some hygiene-related concerns surrounding them, like most COVID concerns today, they are practically non-existent. Another variety of physical interactive signage
WhatTheyThink - Wide-Format&Signage | July/August 2022
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