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Life-sized observations: 5 trends from the 2013 Digital Signage Expo

March 29, 2013 by Jim Stoklosa — Director of Digital Signage, InReality

On a recent trip to the 10th Annual Digital Signage Expo, I observed five key trends that are beginning to dominate innovation and are turning conversations from "what could be" to "what is."

It is a technology-driven industry and, as we move forward, the limits of how brands and retailers try to engage us and how we respond or interact with them through digital means will increase exponentially. It's not about whether it will happen anymore. The question will soon be: How seamlessly can digital signage professionals make the integration and complete the connection? From the looks of it in Las Vegas, where more than 4,000 people registered for DSE, it will be fun to find out how that question is answered.

High Res and Large Size

For the first time, screens are sized in a way that displaying people in a full-scale landscape is possible. Major manufacturers are breaking boundaries with interactive technology and bringing us a step closer to life-sized interactions through digital means. Mounted vertically, the screens are impactful as a platform to deliver immersive digital experience. At a 4K resolution, they require the highest-quality content and show promise to drive viewers more deeply into a lifelike scenario.

Multitouch and Tablets

We've all witnessed it before, those messy smudges on screens out in retail environments. They are an incredible telltale sign of customer engagement, showing that users want to interact with environmental signs the way they are used to playing with their own personal tablets and smartphones. In the past, technology was limited and digital signage professionals found themselves adopting consumer-grade tablets for commercial applications. It just didn't have quite the right feel. Now, specialized tablets promise easier implementation in evolving environments and less maintenance than before despite the potential for normal wear and tear through user interactions.

Architectural Integration

Split screens, small screen frames (bezels) and LED/laser-based projection technology is quickly transforming digital signage from an afterthought into an integral element of space planning and environmental design. Today, advances in this area are also fueled by thinner and thinner screens. The functionality of these thinner screens makes integration easier to pull off, as any space can now be converted easily to an inviting interactive environment that encourages user engagement. This path is allowing digital signage professionals to create unique digitally-driven interaction spaces.

Gesture and Natural Interfaces

A little less prominent than last year, but still a key area of interest at DSE in 2013: interacting with screens without touching them. The technology is here. Now, it's just a matter of time as we all wait for really great content that takes us to a previously unimaginable level of relevance for the user.

HTML5 Content Management

Without a question, HTML5 provides us with a massive leap to enable key Web technologies that can drive digital signage content development and administration. A number of promising platforms were shown with this type of content management. For customer experience professionals and content developers, this is a dream come true. Using the same technological platform for mobile, Web and digital signage solutions will break down the barriers to seamless crossover.

With a record number of exhibitors, the 2013 version of DSE proved there is continued interest in the maturing space around digital signage that can capture a user's imagination. It is now all about customer-experience based thinking to create user experiences that are meaningful and valuable to the customer.

About Jim Stoklosa

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