Digital signage is very user-friendly, opening up for cross-platform integration and interaction. With each new development in the field, more versatile, secure, and stable solutions are built. No matter how sophisticated the software or design you use, you need to consider the physical installation environment in which digital signage runs if you want results. In the digital signage world, so much is now possible, but it all comes down to a return on your investment.
Designing digital signage requires thinking outside of the screen – and, no, this is not a play on words. Elements unique to each location and display can obscure or eliminate the ability to see the digital signage.
Key consideration while choosing digital signage solutions is where you are going to use them. For example, outdoor digital signage must be more durable and designed to withstand the elements.
The Effects of Light
The brightness of a display is expressed in nits. The higher the nit measurement, the brighter the display. Commercial-grade displays usually have nit measurements that range from 400 to 700, but some of the newest displays go much higher than this. Higher brightness adds to the cost of a display.
Evaluating light levels in the installation environment is essential before choosing a display. Businesses must design the signage for the particular requirements of the environment.
For example, in an outdoor installation environment, you need to consider whether your screen will be facing bright sunlight. If so, you must choose a screen readable in direct sunlight and protected from damage by it. Many outdoor digital signage displays have ambient light sensors to deal with varying levels of brightness.
Glare is the number one enemy of digital signage. It is a visual sensation caused by excessive or uncontrolled light. It can happen in the daytime or at night. The best image quality can be negatively influenced by glare. It occurs when ambient light is reflected by highly glossy surfaces. Bright ambient light scenarios, like shopping malls or airports, can present a challenge.
Digital signage allows you to present consumers with a message at the right time instead of giving them irrelevant information they don’t want. It can inform, educate, entertain and persuade them at the same time. You lose these benefits if simple things like the amount of glare in a location aren’t taken into consideration.
Steam Can Damage Electronics
Just as you need to protect the outdoor digital signage from water in a restaurant, it also needs protection from steam and other elements that can damage electronics.
One of the largest segments for digital signage is the quick-service restaurant sector. Digital menu boards are compelling and effective for many reasons. One of the reasons is they make food look more appetizing because the images are dynamic, and the colors are more vivid. Digital menu boards also allow operators to advertise specials and deliver targeted promotions.
Digital signage installations have many components, such as display signage cables, screens, media players, etc. Each of these is a potential point of failure. If a screen is not environmentally sealed, steam can condense and ruin the electronics inside the display.
When a digital menu board goes down in a quick-service restaurant, customers can’t see their ordering options. This will result in declined sales and loss of brand equity.
Unique Architecture Can Obscure Signs
It doesn’t help if you have the most sophisticated digital signage and it is obscured by the architecture and physical design elements in the location. It’s easy to overlook these if your company runs multiple locations unless they are all guaranteed to be identical to each other.
When it comes to digital signage, people have to be able to see it, read it, and interact with it if that is your aim. Proper visibility is crucial and the placement of your signage within the location you choose affects its success.
Digital signage is used across many industries and in many locations. You need to select a solution designed for your industry and the location you want to use it in so that it has the right capabilities to make a difference for your business.
Digital Signage Installation Environment: The Bottom Line
Digital signage installations are growing year over year. But before you rush out and spend money on them, you need to be sure about what you want to achieve. It doesn’t help to layout a lot of money on sophisticated solutions and not take some basic factors, like the installation environment, into account. You want to make sure that people can see your screens and that the content gives them reasons to keep looking and buying.
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