Building content for digital signage
Responsive web design and consistent user experience are some buzzwords that have been around for a while now. We already design for everything from phones to large HD desktops; why not expand to large format displays as well? A user should experience the same great web content and branding as they move from their computer, to their phone, and into a physical location. Digital signage is unique though; and just popping a website on a display is not a very effective way of building a great experience. Digital signage content is dynamic. In many cases it needs to change based on location, time, season, etc. Building separate HTML pages that you can schedule depending on those variables is the easiest way of doing it. For example, think of a restaurant chain with three locations, in three time zones, each with three displays. Two of the displays in each store are menu boards, and the other one shows a greeting message. When the restaurant closes, the displays show employee communications, such as calendars, company events, and important announcements. The menu boards need three different HTML pages for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and the greeting screens all need content. The employee communications will also need their own content designed and built. Lastly, each store will need individualized content. This content could be passive, meaning it slides through on its own, or you can create interactive content using touch screens. Incorporating social media campaigns, can also be a good way to engage viewers with passive content. And interactive content can be a very interesting way of creating cool digital signage experiences.How do you get started?
To begin bringing your web design skills into the world of digital signage, start by signing up for a digital signage platform, to familiarize yourself with the software that sends HTML content to display screens. There are open source platforms, paid platforms, free platforms, and proprietary ones. Many of them allow you to use all the knowledge of web design that you already have and start building. [pullquote]if you’re a web designer, digital signage needs you[/pullquote] There are a few ways to start building; it depends on what platform you chose. Here are a few different ways: You can build using widgets, or apps, which are the building blocks of sign content. There are widgets and apps for Twitter, financial data, news, weather and more. Another way is to use your editor of choice to build the content. When you’re done building it, publish it to a Github page or website, and then schedule that link in the platform to appear on your display. Lastly, you can build a page in your editor, and then move your HTML directly into the platform, if it allows for that.Who do you sell to?
If you have any existing clients with brick and mortar locations, they are prime candidates for your display design services. If not, you can add digital signage as a service that you can provide to new clients. Picking a niche can also be a helpful way to grow clients: for example, be the expert on creating signage for restaurants, or dentists, or any other specific profession or industry. The great thing about digital signage is that content needs to be updated regularly, which generates recurring revenue. With some platforms, you can easily train your clients to schedule and manage their own presentations. Alternatively, you can provide content updates as an additional service.Conclusion
The digital signage industry is growing rapidly. Gone are the days of proprietary, expensive software. HTML5 has knocked down the door, so you can now create, manage, and display amazing sign content from the web. This is an amazing opportunity for web designers to expand their offering and differentiate themselves. Featured image, digital signage image via Eugenio Marongiu / Shutterstock.Shea Darlison
Shea Darlison is a student from Toronto, Canada. He works for an innovative digital signage company called Rise Vision. Rise Vision focuses on providing an easy to use, open source digital signage platform.
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