Wayfinding the Digital Way

Getting about is always a challenge especially when going to or travelling around a new location. While sat navs help us negate our way to towns and cities, they are not much good at helping us get about a shopping center or theme park.

Mobile apps provide companies possibilities to give customers wayfinding, but not everybody has an app friendly mobile phone—so providing maps for customers is still important on any large site.

The problem of static maps, especially in such places as shopping malls, is that with stores opening and closing all the time, the maps become all too easily outdated.

Digital signage screens are an excellent method of providing wayfinding information. Easily updated and with a bright visual display, digital signage enables customers at large locations, such as shopping malls, to easily find the stores they require.

Using a touch screen as a digital signage wayfinding device, provides even more advantages for both user and operator. In a shopping mall, for instance, specific details can be added to the wayfinding experience. By touching a store, details of the retailer, along with promotional offers can be relayed.

For leisure attractions like zoos and aquariums, this sort of technology enables customers and visitors to recall detailed information that would not otherwise fit on a screen.

Using a screen for wayfinding also offers other advantages. For instance, when the screen is not in use, advertising can be displayed, with the advertising spots helping to pay for the technology.

Even in outdoor locations interactive wayfinding is possible with touch screen and LCD enclosures enabling screens to operate and provide necessary information, from the location of rail stations—even providing departure times—to locations of shopping areas. And with a digital screen, the location of the display can be pre-programmed so the software can provide detailed directions to each location.