Interactive Digital Signage: A Guide to Moving Beyond Static Displays

In a world increasingly shaped by digital interactions, the concept of “interactive content” is no longer just a buzzword – it’s an expectation. From the smartphones in our pockets to ATMs or ordering systems at restaurants and shops, touchscreens have become ubiquitous, fundamentally changing how we access information and engage with the world around us. This universal comfort with interactive interfaces means that for organizations deploying digital signage, moving beyond static displays to embrace interactive content is not just an upgrade, but a necessity for truly captivating and serving your audience.

Younger generations, in particular, are growing up with touchscreens as a fundamental part of their reality. The proportion of children using a touchscreen in their first year of life is rapidly approaching 50%, a testament to how deeply ingrained this technology has become. This familiarity creates an inherent expectation that the screens they encounter in public, schools and workplaces will offer similar levels of engagement and control.

Why Interactive Content Matters: Beyond Static Displays

Static digital signage, while effective for delivering information, operates on a “push” model. It cycles through a playlist of messages, presenting one piece of information at a time. Interactive digital signage, however, flips this paradigm, embracing an “active” model of engagement. It allows you to present a vast library of information simultaneously, nested within intuitive menus and accessible through touchpoints.

Imagine a high-traffic area with diverse audiences. Instead of trying to create a single playlist that attempts to cater to everyone (and likely satisfies no one completely), interactive signage empowers viewers to sift through resources and choose precisely what they need or want. This gives your audience a sense of control and a consumer-like experience, mirroring how they gather information in their daily lives using phone apps and websites. This familiarity makes them feel more comfortable and in control, leading to deeper engagement.

Virtually any type of information can be transformed into interactive content:

Touchscreen directories sorted by name, department or event, often integrated with wayfinding.
Maps of buildings or campuses that offer point-to-point directions.
Menu boards for on-site cafes or restaurants, potentially allowing for ordering.
Dashboards displaying real-time data like KPIs and energy usage.
Timelines and photo slideshows for historical context or company milestones.
Alumni boards and athletics halls of fame info showing stats and bios.
Social media feeds for immediate updates and community connection.
Space schedules that allow for immediate bookings or reservation changes.

Shuttle mapping to see realtime tracking of campus shuttles with wait times and routes.
Energy dashboards thatshow current energy usage and goals to encourage green efforts.
Custom projects with tailored interactive experiences built to meet specific needs.

Consider a donor board: a static display might list names, but an interactive one allows a user to tap an entry and instantly access a wealth of information – contributor amounts and levels (e.g., Platinum Donors, New Donors), donor bios and how the viewer can contribute or volunteer. Viewers can spend as much or as little time as they like, focusing on the specifics that interest them most. This depth of information, coupled with user control, makes for a far more impactful experience.

Interactive Hot Spots: Expanding Functionality on a Single Screen

One of the most powerful features in interactive digital signage is the use of “hot spots.” These are interactive areas (like a button icon) embedded within your standard digital signage layout that, when touched, switch the entire screen to a fullscreen interactive kiosk mode. This allows organizations to leverage a single display for both daily announcements and sophisticated interactive applications, essentially getting twice the real estate for their investment.

Many organizations request this functionality to avoid needing separate displays for static messages and interactive kiosks. A hot spot is simply an image inserted into the screen design that’s designated to launch a specific application. This requires a touchscreen display but means you don’t have to design all your content to be interactive.

Common and highly beneficial hot spot applications include:

Wayfinding: This is arguably the most common and beneficial use of interactive digital signage. Hot spots can launch interactive maps and directories that help visitors navigate complex facilities. Users can search by name, department, building, floor or event, and then map a path from their current location to their destination. Advanced features can include SMS options to send directions to a phone or QR codes for mobile access. For large campuses, wayfinding can include campus maps with real-time shuttle tracking. This significantly reduces the burden on information desks and receptionists.
Room Booking: Streamline meeting room management by allowing staff to see available rooms and book them directly from a digital sign via a hot spot that launches your calendar or space booking application. This eliminates frustration and wasted time searching for open spaces, and is especially helpful in hybrid office environments using hotdesking and office hoteling.
Virtual Receptionist/Concierge: Mimic the consumer experience by allowing visitors to self-check-in at an office, hotel, clinic or other facility. A hot spot can launch an appointments calendar or reception application, signaling arrivals. This can be paired with welcome messages in a more traditional content block. Think of it as a digital concierge, providing essential information like directions, queueing systems or on-site amenities, all in one place. Unlike a human concierge, a virtual one can easily overcome language barriers by offering language selection options, providing service to a wider audience.
Content Channels: Incorporate multiple hot spots on a single screen to let viewers choose their preferred content channels. This could include news streams, video libraries or various interactive applications like those mentioned above.

Designing for Impact: The Art of Interactive Touchscreens

Creating compelling interactive content for touchscreens requires thoughtful design and strategic planning. Here are some basic tips:

1. Consider the Display

Size Matters: Small screens are ideal for quick feedback or point-of-sale ads. For extensive lists, directories or attention-grabbing displays like wayfinding and menu boards, larger screens are more effective. Always consider what you want your audience to achieve and how much screen real estate they’ll need for comfortable interaction.
Strategic Placement: Avoid glare by choosing locations away from direct sunlight. A wall-mounted touchscreen can feel less inviting than a kiosk. Even angling a medium- or large-sized display at a 30-degree angle encourages interaction, but avoid making it completely flat and horizontal, which could lead to it being treated like a table. High-traffic areas are generally ideal, but tailor placement to purpose: lobbies for directories and wayfinding, back offices for room booking, and exits for interactive weather and transport schedules.
Space and Orientation: If you have multiple touchscreens in a small area, ensure ample space for comfortable use. While most people use landscape orientation, a portrait layout might be more suitable for your specific context or content.

2. Interface and Navigation

Simplicity Meets Thoroughness: The layout should strike a balance between providing enough options to achieve a goal without overwhelming the user. Too few options lead to frustration, while too many create distraction and confusion.
Content Zones: Consider multiple zones on screen with the largest one for the touchscreen’s main purpose. Have dedicated areas for navigation menus and buttons and “hot spots” for launching specific applications. You might also include attractors like current time and weather, or a small window displaying messages from your regular digital signage playlists.
Consistency is Key: Ensure the look and layout is consistent between the various feeds, messages and applications offered on screen. Navigation elements like buttons, icons and arrows should always appear in the same place on all your displays. Users quickly learn an interface, so avoid unexpected changes. Always provide clear options to go back a step or return to the main page.

3. Visual Design Principles

Concise Text: Keep text short, ideally three or four words. Use large, easily readable fonts and maintain a consistent font throughout. Experiment with serif and sans-serif fonts to find what works best (sans serif will probably be best). Ensure ample negative space around text to avoid a cluttered look.
Color Scheme: A simple color scheme can integrate your touchscreen into your décor and reinforce your brand. Avoid overly bright colors or extreme contrasts that can tire the eyes. Basic color theory should always be considered, and ambient lighting may affect color choices.
Icons and Imagery: Use standard, easily recognizable icons sparingly. Avoid decorative icons that require a legend, as they waste valuable screen real estate. Prioritize high-quality, well-lit images and graphics, ensuring consistent resolution for a seamless appearance.
Judicious Video Use: Video can be effective but use it sparingly and keep segments under 15 seconds. Longer videos can make users feel they’re wasting time. Always include an opt-out option or a player bar for navigation.
Brand Reinforcement: Include your logo on the main screen and any time-out screen or ads. This subtly associates the positive interactive experience with your organization, promoting brand loyalty at no additional cost.

4. Test for Success

Before a full rollout, rigorous testing is crucial. Brainstorm ideas with stakeholders, create rough designs and then have real users test the interface with specific, real-world scenarios. Observe their interactions, identify pain points, and refine the design until the information flow is intuitive and the layout seamless.

Getting your organization excited about the possibilities of interactive touchscreens can make deployment easy, fun and less costly, ultimately enhancing the visitor experience and preventing your facility from feeling outdated.

The Next Frontier: Voice User Interfaces

As organizations continually seek to anticipate audience needs and preferences, the evolution of interactive content continues beyond touch. Voice User Interfaces (VUI) represent the next leap forward, offering a completely hands-free way to interact with digital signs.

VUI allows spoken human interaction with computers, using voice commands and speech recognition software to understand requests and trigger actions. While early attempts date back to the 1950s, modern VUI, fueled by advancements in AI and natural language processing (NLP), has become commonplace through smart assistants like Siri, Google Assistant and Alexa. Their widespread adoption in homes, cars and workplaces demonstrates a growing comfort with voice interaction as a timesaving and tool.

Integrating VUI with digital signage, even for existing static displays, revolutionizes interaction. It improves the audience experience by mimicking at-home convenience and provides an interactive option without the need for expensive touchscreen displays. A key advantage, particularly relevant in today’s health-conscious world, is the elimination of physical touch – no fingerprints, no smudges and no germ transmission, making it ideal for healthcare facilities and other public spaces.

There are currently two main VUI systems for digital signage:

Cloud-connected VUI with Natural Language Processing (NLP): This system uses AI to “learn” various ways users might phrase a request, becoming more accurate with increased use and cloud data. It can understand a virtually unlimited number of request types, similar to home smart assistants.
Native Voice Recognizer Widget: This system works with a digital signage media player’s built-in speech recognition engine, identifying specific, pre-coded keywords and phrases to trigger content. Its advantage is self-containment, requiring no internet connection and allowing organizations to control the scope of information available.

Both systems require a microphone paired with the display and a “wake command” (e.g., “Hey, Alexa”) to initiate VUI functionality. This ensures the sign only activates when intended, preventing accidental responses. While VUI systems are always “listening” for the wake command, they are not recording conversations or understanding human speech beyond mapped commands. They are an interactive tool, not a web browser.

VUI also addresses accessibility concerns, particularly for ADA compliance. For screens at fixed heights or those that cannot meet specific reach guidelines, a properly calibrated microphone can provide equal access for all, including individuals with disabilities. Furthermore, VUI can operate in multiple languages, with cloud databases continually improving NLP for diverse accents and vocal styles.

The Future is Multi-Sensory: Creating Immersive Experiences

Our senses are the gateways to understanding and experiencing the world, and they profoundly influence our emotions and memories. While digital signage primarily focuses on sight (which accounts for over 80% of the information we process), the future of interactive content lies in engaging multiple senses to create truly immersive and memorable experiences.

Visual (Sight): Naturally, stunning visual content is paramount. Motion, like video and animation, draws the eye. Attractors such as weather, date/time, news feeds and local traffic also grab attention. High-definition displays and video walls can add a “wow factor.” However, visuals should always support the information, not overwhelm it. The goal is compelling imagery with minimal text, using a call to action to guide viewers to more detailed information. An effective visual should convey at least half of the message, allowing the image to carry significant informational weight.

Auditory (Sound): While sight dominates, hearing accounts for about 10% of our information intake and is crucial for comprehension. Judicious use of audio can significantly enhance digital signage impact. In appropriate environments (avoiding overly noisy or quiet spaces), audio for streaming newscasts (with closed captioning if sound is off) is essential. Background music can evoke emotions, reinforce branding and even alter the perception of time. Short, attention-grabbing sound clips, like a kitten’s meow for an “Adopt a Pet Day” message or creaking door for opening hours, can draw the eye to a visual message. Holiday-themed sounds add a fun, festive touch. The key is to use it sparingly; if every message has sound, none will stand out. Audio should be an “extra,” not the primary carrier of information. Language-specific audio cues (e.g., “Hola” for a Spanish message) can also enhance accessibility and engagement for multilingual audiences.

There have been many studies on sounds that humans find appealing. Among the most pleasant sounds are applause, baby laughing, thunder and water flowing.

Olfactory (Smell): Though accounting for only a small percentage of information, smell is deeply linked to memory and emotion. Scent marketing is a growing trend, particularly in food and retail. In an organizational context, scents should be used rarely and subtly to avoid distraction or annoyance. Simple, non-complex scents can positively impact an audience, especially when combined with visuals and audio. Modern technology makes scent diffusion increasingly practical.

Tactile (Touch): Touch, while also a small percentage of information input, has significant emotional impact. Interactive touchscreens are inherently tactile and incorporating haptics (slight vibrations) can greatly enhance the user experience, providing immediate feedback and a sense of accomplishment. Studies show that haptics increase accuracy and encourage more impulsive decision-making, leading to longer engagement times with the display. Haptics are particularly useful in gamified digital signage campaigns, providing instant feedback on responses. The physical design of the screen’s frame and the surrounding space (e.g., a comfortable standing pad) can also contribute to the tactile experience.

Gustatory (Taste): Closely linked to smell, taste accounts for the least amount of direct information we take in. Incorporating taste into the digital signage experience involves extending the encounter beyond the screen. This could mean offering samples near the display or using compelling imagery and scent to evoke the memory of familiar tastes, with a call to action directing viewers to a nearby location to complete the experience (e.g., a café with a discount code for coffee). This highlights how all senses can work together to create a holistic sensory experience.

The integration of these multi-sensory elements may seem like science fiction, but the technology is already developed and rapidly improving. By leveraging high-quality visuals, sounds, scents, haptics and even taste (through extension), organizations can craft rich, differentiating experiences that cut through information overload and create lasting neural connections that associate positive feelings with their brand. Low-quality sensory elements, however, will have an opposite, negative effect.

The Key Takeaway

Interactive doesn’t solely mean touchscreens. Technologies like voice user interfaces (VUI), gesture interfaces and even simple QR codes can add layers of interactivity to standard displays. And if touchscreens are an option, the content possibilities are virtually unlimited.

Interactive digital signage is about making information interaction natural and intuitive, and creating experiences that go beyond passive viewing to deliver truly immersive and memorable encounters.