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Posted 2 years ago.
See this poll on: http://experiate.net/2010/07/15/poll-is-digital-signage-an-in…
URL didn't hyperlink to my name, so here's my twitter url in case you want to look at my background...
http://www.twitter.com/pixmo
Working with marketing and communications people on a daily basis I see it as a mixed bag. Digital signage is considered another delivery vehicle in for communications strategies (web, social media, radio, TV). The people in which I help deploy content see the benefits of using digital signage to communicate their message based on time and location. A good digital content management system is very similar to web-based cmses. In a way, you're leveraging existing technologies in many ways ... you set up a server, set up user groups based on departments/location, then set up templates that you or the users leverage so they can upload, schedule, and assign to specific nodes/locations. You establish displays that can pull information based on database queries to provide scheduling information or alerts, pull information from RSS feeds to populate text scrolls, videos/flash movies that are also being leveraged for web site/TV campaigns, etc. As Jess mentioned, the tools should work together to minimize silos regarding workflows.
From a designer's standpoint, some standards and rules differ from that of web page design. Contrast, minimizing verbosity, using larger fonts and letting the visuals carry the brunt are the main factors for digital signage. However, if you have interactive displays, UI issues fall into the equation...similar, yet different to that of web design.
The workflows for pushing web and digital signage content are similar, yet the location and time factors for digital signage content deployment make the workflow resemble that of running a tv station containing multiple channels if you're at a business or institution that involves multiple venues at various physical locations. Our users/clients view this as a compelling delivery mechanism that is a subset of their overall communications strategy.
Based on my experiences, you need a mixture of development (backend stuff such as managing serves, users, interacting with databases, etc), media, marketing and design skills that make it different enough to make Digital Signage worthy of establishing itself as its own industry...yet, since everything is now digital, it rhymes with web development as well.
Back when I was working for PRN / BBY, I would have answered that it was its own industry... but now that I'm doing more interactive marketing / social media stuff, I can see how the tools can (and should) all work together.
As we wrestle with names such as Digital Signage, Narrowcasting, Digital Out of Home, Place Based Media etc. it would seem to the outsider (not just the digital outsider) that IF there was an industry for networked digital signs, wouldn't it at least know its name?
I suggest we focus on the benefits that our "industry" delivers, rather than the technology. Arguably then, "Digital Signage" is to location based services (i.e. services that deliver value to and at locations) what monitors are to the web. If Facebook is in the monitor business, then I'll accept that we're in digital signage. But I'd prefer to think about the value of location based services personally (hey we all want decent exits don't we?)
Stephen Randall
Twitter: stephenrandall
Curious to know the final results. It would be great if we could know the occupation of each voter to see from what perspective voted