This project in Chicago by McCann Systems uses multiple light-emitting diode (LED) screens at different heights and distances to create more experiential digital effects.
Physical movements
Another approach for creating dynamic signage is to leverage the physical movements of viewers, rather than make the sign itself move.
Examples of this approach range from simple lenticular graphics, which display different images from different angles and can simulate motion, to more complex images that can only be seen from a certain distance or under a certain lighting condition. Different messages on a fixed sign can be highlighted, depending on the audience’s viewpoint of the media.
Combining approaches
Even ‘traditional’ digital signage can be made more effective by incorporating dynamic effects, such as by adding physical movement to a display or by arranging a series of multiple screens to add an extra level of movement to their content.
Digital signage is clearly here to stay, but creative designers and fabricators are finding new ways to redefine and enhance the notion of what a changing message sign can and should be in different environments. Manufacturers are also rising to the occasion, e.g. by developing more flexible screens that can be used as parts of a larger dynamic system.
Taking the proven methods of the past and combining them with today’s latest technology can help make the public media environment more dynamic than ever before.
Craig M. Berger is chair of the visual presentation and exhibition design department of the Fashion Institute of Technology’s (FIT’s) School of Art and Design and runs his own firm, Craig Berger Management Consulting, which assists fabricators, manufacturers, and institutions with design-based marketing and education strategies. For more information, contact him via e-mail at craig_berger@fitnyc.edu.
