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Get ready for 'Digital Signage 2.0': The intersection of signage, visual effects and real-time data

Digital signage is going through a quiet renaissance as forward-thinking enterprises with access to big screens and interesting data are turning the hitherto prosaic field of digital signage into a dynamic communications platform.

December 22, 2015

By Robin Carlisle, Creative Director at Framestore Labs

Digital signage — once the preserve of basic looped videos — is going through a quiet renaissance. From old world banking institutions such as Morgan Stanley and Bank of America through to more contemporary brands such as The Tate and NYC's Lincoln Center, forward-thinking enterprises with access to big screens and interesting data are turning the hitherto prosaic field of digital signage into a dynamic communications platform.

Their secret weapon is "data art," a new breed of highly creative data visualisation that uses business information to create real-time visual effects. So rather than resorting to a relatively dull amber ticker tape to communicate the latest stock market movements in real time, this data can now be presented in a far more engaging way through stunning visuals; for example — liquid gold to represent commodity fluctuations.

This progression from ticker tape to data art has been made possible through a melting pot of new technology permutations. By combining real-time code, C++, OpenGL and Web APIs in new and interesting ways, a business's data can be thoroughly interrogated and then presented with Hollywood-worthy visual effects. When displayed interactively across digital signage spaces, the end result is dynamic, stylish and live graphics that engage, entertain and educate.

Perhaps it's not that unexpected for global symbols of creativity such as The Tate to experiment with this nascent field. But when blue chip companies join the club, you know it's the start of something big, something with a varied range of potential and application.

There's more going on here than a beautiful marriage of old-world institutions and next-gen creativity. This approach is not limited to art institutions and banks. From airports to zoos, establishments that collect data by default and don't know what to do with it can seriously benefit from this type of high-end dynamic data visualization.

That's because "digital signage 2.0" is as much about brand and business strategy as it is about impressive aesthetics. Developed correctly, this new art form can be used strategically as a marketing channel, in the same way as ye olde billboards, but with the added benefit of a long-term "wow factor" that resonates with a whole spectrum of demographics — right through from silver surfers to hard-to-reach millennials.

So, providing content is created intelligently using the tried and tested process of brief to design to production to delivery, this new channel can, and should, be considered as an important part of the marketing mix.

If you still need convincing that contemporary digital signage is an effective comms channel, think back to the recent infographic trend. In just a few short years the infographic has grown from niche to ubiquity. And it's easy to see why. Infographics unlocked a way to present potentially dry data in a fun and engaging format.

"Digital signage 2.0" is the next step in this evolution, satiating the world's hunger for easily digestible data by moving the infographic's static presentation into an even more engaging real-time and interactive space.

From New York's Times Square to London's Piccadilly Circus, the world's most iconic hotspots have long been blessed with sophisticated digital signage infrastructure. But it's fair to say the content that's presented rarely lives up to the screens' promise. Fortunately, though, now that we have the technology and know-how to interpret data in real-time and creative ways, we can give these digital signage spaces the quality content they deserve. 

Carlisle is creative director at Framestore Labs, a team of directors, developers, designers and producers that provides graphics and applications for events, installations, trade shows and museums, among others. Framestore Labs is the interactive installations team for the Oscar-winning visual effects firm Framestore.