Transform Your Campus Experience with Digital Signage
Digital signage offers a lot of “goodies” to campuses, especially in an age of instant communication. Our hurried lifestyle is evident in the academic section, where everyone seems to be busy.
Posters and flyers once sufficed for information, but in our current landscape, campuses must be willing to thread new grounds. Digital signage is the new path for schools and universities.
Picture a campus environment with brighter displays on sleek screens and appealing visuals. Students and staff step into a conducive atmosphere, made more inviting through the screens. Digital signage achieves the dual aim of aesthetics and communication, improving the experience of students, faculty, and visitors.
We’ll begin by making a compelling case for digital signage for campuses, then we’ll explore how to maximize digital signage for a better campus experience.
The Case for Digital Signage
All campuses ought to consider switching to digital signage, right from the entrance to other strategic areas. A university entrance signage acts like a digital pathway to the university, while others perform additional roles. Digital signage is worth the cost, providing more than a modern touch to campuses.
If you need further convincing, we present the case for digital signage:
1. Visual Appeal
Generally, people love bright images and dynamic displays. Traditional signage is static and wears out over time, reducing the visual appeal. In contrast, digital signage maintains the colors and graphics, a plus over printed information. It attracts viewers and beckons them to engage with the content through interactive features. For example, QR codes and wayfinding maps invite viewers to engage by helping them navigate the institution.
Therefore, digital signage increases viewers’ interest, making them more receptive to the information. When campuses switch to digital signage, people are more likely to read the information passed.
2. Adaptability
The second case for digital signage is its adaptability. Universities evolve rapidly, calling for quick change. Traditional signage struggles to adapt to this environment. As a result, many school prints become outdated, with irrelevant information. Frustration would inevitably result. Digital signage allows for easy updates and announcements, including emergencies and campus events. Viewers will always obtain relevant information.
Furthermore, digital signage adapts to different backgrounds, promoting a culture of acceptance. Unlike the language limitations of traditional signage, digital screens accommodate different languages, breaking barriers. In a multicultural university setting, this adaptability is most welcome.
3. Better Communication
The digital signage’s visual appeal and flexible nature collaborate to make communication better in the campus environment. It is easier to update information, remain relevant, and encourage people to read with digital signage. Campuses have different departments waiting to communicate with the entire community, making digital signage an asset.
Digital signage also leaves room for personalized messages. Campuses can segment information, tailoring it to the right audience within the broader academic climate. For example, student union signage may center around student events. Conversely, the administration signage may be tailored to the faculty.
4. Environmental Friendly
Universities can significantly reduce their environmental footprint by embracing digital signage. Free from the printing process, digital signage does not rely on paper, which is good news for the environment. Paper production is associated with deforestation, a havoc on the environment. Even worse, papers are produced with potentially harmful chemicals. Digital signage also avoids the constant cycle of production, transportation, and disposal.
What about the electricity of digital signage? Isn’t it harmful to the environment? Digital signage systems are designed to curb this risk. For example, LED screens consume less power, making them energy efficient. Digital signage can also be powered by solar energy or other alternatives to electricity.
5. Cost-Effectiveness
Finally, digital signage reduces costs. Now, the initial cost is high, but over time it prevents recurring costs. Traditional signage piles up additional expenses for printing and other activities. With digital signage, expenses lie mainly in purchase and maintenance. In the long run, digital signage is cheaper.
Traditional signage has its purpose and benefits. However, for a better campus experience, digital signage is the winning contender.
Optimizing Entrance Signage for Engagement
Entrance signage is vital to the campus’ image and people’s experience. Here are eight ways to optimize it for maximum engagement:
- Celebrate students’ achievement: Did the basketball team win a championship? Has any student been exceptional? Was there a recent graduation ceremony? Celebrate these achievements on your entrance signage. It boosts students’ confidence and encourages others to achieve more. A simple announcement would do, like “Congratulations to our basketball team for winning the NCAA Tournament Championship.” For help, you can use some templates.
- Integrate interactive content: Interactive content invites viewers to engage, turning them from passive viewers to active participants. This method not only delivers information creatively but also enhances retention. It can also serve as a brief source of entertainment, as well as provide insight to make decisions.
- Provide direction and navigation: Entrance signage can double as a digital map, helping visitors navigate the environment. Campuses often seem like a maze for first-timers, and even seasoned staff can lose their way. Interactive maps and directions are good tools.
- Share emergencies: In emergencies, communication must be swift. Digital signage is the ideal tool to disseminate this emergency rapidly. Display emergencies on all screens, not just the entrance display. Add protocols and helpful steps to make any necessary actions easier.
- Integrate social media: Social media is popular amongst students and faculty. this popularity by incorporating social media feeds into your entrance signage (and some others). Social media can trigger helpful conversations, encourage engagement, and even help in real-time learning.
- Add promotional content: Academic institutions have programs, initiatives, or activities needing promotion. Display this promotional content on your screens for awareness and participation. Ensure that your visuals and graphics elicit the interest of viewers.
- Use dynamic content scheduling: Dynamic content scheduling acts like a calendar for your content. Through automated systems, you can schedule content, keeping the information relevant. Dynamic scheduling also eases the task for you.
Redefine the Campus Experience
By transitioning from traditional signs to dynamic displays, universities unlock benefits like improved communication, better wayfinding, and increased engagement. The real value of digital signage is its ability to serve as a catalyst for innovation within the academic ecosystem.
As universities embrace digital transformation, their signs stand as beacons of progress, welcoming everyone into a world of limitless possibilities.
Transform your campus today!