The Way Forward
Published: 23 November, 2010
The benefits of interactive wayfinding signage over traditional static signs are vast and continually evolving as digital technology develops. Touchscreens can now provide a host of real-time information beyond simple wayfinding instructions and with new features including connectivity to mobile phones, the future possibilities are endless.
The scope of features available from interactive signage pods are growing and the main wayfinding elements are becoming more intelligent and easier to use. For example, not only will they direct visitors to a specific part of the shopping centre via the quickest route, they will also give an alternative route for wheelchair users avoiding escalators and can be updated by centre management to re-route if a lift is out of order.
Nikk Smith, technical director of digital signage specialists Pixel Inspiration, explains: “Interactive signage is intelligent, it’s not like a flat stack of cards where a PowerPoint presentation takes you though page by page. It’s linked between points of interest much like a sat nav so it’s very efficient and provides a rich and deeper experience for the user. It also means you can provide much more information in a smaller area.“
This type of signage can also help to manage traffic flow. The instructions are easy to follow so it reduces confusion and allows people to move around the centre smoothly.
”Destinations can be searched for alphabetically or by category and it will even pick up brands like Levi’s sold in department stores. Cleverly, keyword searches can even allow for spelling mistakes.Additional features include sending text messages with personalised instructions to a customer’s phone, giving real-time train times, advertising store promotions, special offers and events and printing out vouchers direct for customers to use in the shops. It is also possible to set up a loyalty system for regular customers by way of special log-in code.
The look of the interactive pods is, according to Keith Evans, design associate at branding specialists Air Design, “pretty crucial”. Air Design has worked with Westfield, Land Securities and Grosvenor implementing interactive signage designed to look like an extension of a centre’s branding and aesthetics.
“It’s part of the customer experience,” explains Evans. “Signs are people’s port of call if they need to find a toilet or if they want to know if there’s a space in the car park. Printed maps are out-of-date almost as soon as they’re printed especially in the current climate with a high level of empty units and if the signage isn’t up to scratch, it can tarnish people’s experience.”
Evans believes that signage is often overlooked and needs to be thought about at the earliest possible stages. “We’re often bought in quite late on a project but ideally we’d like to be involved in the planning stages,” he says. “People think choosing the right signage is going to be simple but they don’t understand what’s involved in the manufacture and thinking about how the signs are fixed into the floors or walls.”
Pixel Inspiration’s way2go system was launched a year ago. It has been installed at Manchester Airport where the touchscreens receive 3,000 unique customer interactions per month on average, and the signage can work equally well in shopping centres. The self service machines reduce the dependency on staff to guide people to their destinations. There are a number of off-the-shelf designs but Pixel Inspirations also offers bespoke options.
“Shopping centres have a vast amount of money spent on them to make them aesthetically pleasing so it’s extremely important that the signage fits in with the architectural feel,” says Smith. “In Westfield, you can tell that their signage was planned at the same time as the building. It’s obvious that it wasn’t an afterthought, unlike in some other centres.”
According to Evans interactive wayfinding signage is great-looking, reliable, fast and easy to use. And by creating a system that is both intuitive for the customer to use and simple for the management team to update, it can help to facilitate the smooth running of any centre, also helping to increase footfall for retailers, in turn driving rental growth.
