Interactive Signage

Interactive 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 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 stylus-driven. 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 that flashed briefly into existence during the pandemic was temperature-taking signage. Basically, this was digital signage that used a thermal camera to scan people entering a building or other location, determine their temperature, and, if they are above an acceptable level, alert security who then implements policies associated with an elevated temperature.

CAPTION: Back in 2020, 22Miles launched “protection as a service” via the TempDefend temperature-detecting kiosk.

There was a fair bit of interest in these kinds of displays during 2020, and one market sizing report I came across from "Fortune Business Insights" (https://bit.ly/3Oqa5mW) estimated that between 2021 and 2028, the global market for temperature-detecting signage would grow from $2.19 billion to $4.71 billion at a CAGR of 11.5%. A bit on the bullish side, I suspect, and while I have never seen one of these systems in out in the wild—even doctors’ and dentists’ offices don’t manually do temperature checks anymore.

The Three Rs

We’ve written extensively about QR codes, virtual reality (VR), and augmented reality (AR), which are non-physical ways of making signage interactive via a mobile device. You scan a QR code on a sign (or access AR content using an app) to, for example, see a restaurant menu, access a web site, launch a video or trigger some other kind of immersive experience.

It’s thanks to Heidi Tolliver-Walker’s interactive print features here in print or on WhatTheyThink that the term “holotwin” has entered my vocabulary. A holotwin—or “holographic twin” is a person or other character that can be inserted into a user’s real-world environment via their mobile phone, and they can appear to speak directly to the user.

CAPTION: This is an example of “holotwins” from an article Heidi Tolliver-Walker wrote earlier this year on how AR was used to promote the Utah Black Business Expo.

They are starting to become, if not popular, then at least increasingly used to reinforce branding, promote events and even generate revenue. It’s not necessarily signage-driven at present, but that is certainly the next major development. We have already seen signage in retail or public spaces that can interact with a mobile device to change the display as a specific individual passes the sign.

Parallel Universe

I also came across what may become a fourth R: PR, or parallel reality, although it sounds like a variant of what I mentioned in the last paragraph.

Developed by Delta Air Lines and Misapplied Sciences, a beta version went live at the Detroit airport on June 29, 2022. Essentially, parallel reality lets users see personalized content on a digital display.

According to Delta, this category-defining technology, first debuted at CES in 2020, allows up to 100 customers to simultaneously see personalized content tailored to their unique journey on a single digital screen. Customers who opt in to the experience will see customized flight and wayfinding information. Each viewer will get a unique and personalized experience, even as they stand next to dozens of other viewers enjoying their own uniquely personalized experiences.

(Image courtesy Delta Air Lines.)

The parallel reality display is located in McNamera Terminal’s Concourse A near the Delta Sky Club. You launch the experience by scanning your boarding pass, or you can sign up for “digital identity” in the Fly Delta App, which will activate facial recognition on the kiosk. 

Also according to Delta, leveraging multi-view pixels and proprietary technology, the parallel reality experience enables each customer to see personalized, in-language messages – tailored just to them – as they walk past the digital screen. 

Tailored messages include personalized wayfinding, flight information or updates to boarding time. 

This experience will always be opt-in, and customer information is not stored. 

Are You Experienced?

Interactive signage is all about providing users not just with information or advertising, but an immersive experience. And while hardware advances are making it easier and less expensive to install, these kinds of signage, software and app advances are also expanding the types of experiences you can provide.