Open Forum

Hi Everyone,

I am currently exploring some options for digital signage for our front lobby and other guest areas. Currently we are just using PowerPoint displayed across two monitors, set up years ago by a former design staff.

We need to display donor/sponsor information as well as information about upcoming programming and exhibitions. I've seen some museums recently partnering with local digital signage companies, but are there any out-of-the-box solutions that are available (and relatively inexpensive)? Something cloud-based or with remote solutions for multiple monitor locations would be ideal.

Thanks in advance for your help!

-------------------------------------------
Nicole Kroger
Web & Digital Media Manager
Cincinnati Art Museum
Cincinnati OH
-------------------------------------------

Hi Nicole,
COSI recently installed a second phase of digital signage. We now have 9 digital signage locations in our entry and point of sale areas. There of course different options depending on how elaborate you want to go and the internal staff resources you have to develop content.

In 2012, we installed a 10-screen system (top photo) from Mills James (Columbus) that makes use of their VitalSigns software. The system was beautiful and worked great. They worked with us to create really great content and handled all of the install, setup, management, etc. We designed new video content and uploaded to their server.  However, as we expanded the system, we wanted to be able to create more content with our internal team. We are fortunate to have staff experienced in video editing, but we also wanted a system that was a little more flexible in the content that we could upload. So earlier this month, we worked with Hammond Communications Group (Lexington, KY) to install additional digital signage locations at our admissions desks and to convert existing screens over to a Scala system. The new system has cloud-based management and scheduling, but also comes with Designer software that allows you to create powerpoint-style animations without video editing--though it also handles full-HD video without a problem. We are able to manage several single screens as well as four different 5-screen arrays to display content. We're still learning the new system so a lot of the new content is not fully animated yet. 

We purchased the software, but Scala also sells an SaaS version. 

We'd be happy to share what we've learned so far. You can reach me via email jshaw@cosi.org if you have additional questions.



-------------------------------------------
John Shaw
Director of Experience Production
COSI
Columbus OH
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-22-2015 03:14 PM
From: Nicole Kroger
Subject: Digital Signage in Museums

Hi Everyone,

I am currently exploring some options for digital signage for our front lobby and other guest areas. Currently we are just using PowerPoint displayed across two monitors, set up years ago by a former design staff.

We need to display donor/sponsor information as well as information about upcoming programming and exhibitions. I've seen some museums recently partnering with local digital signage companies, but are there any out-of-the-box solutions that are available (and relatively inexpensive)? Something cloud-based or with remote solutions for multiple monitor locations would be ideal.

Thanks in advance for your help!

-------------------------------------------
Nicole Kroger
Web & Digital Media Manager
Cincinnati Art Museum
Cincinnati OH
-------------------------------------------

Nicole, We have had pretty good success with a software suite called Fourwinds here at the Corning Museum of Glass.  I think it is pretty nimble at sequencing and scheduling content, and the internal development tools are solid as well.  I can offer up our AV team to elaborate and give you additional details.  The package is pretty reasonable as far as an investment.

-------------------------------------------
Randy Vargason
IT Manager
Corning Museum of Glass
Corning NY
-------------------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 01-22-2015 03:14 PM
From: Nicole Kroger
Subject: Digital Signage in Museums

Hi Everyone,

I am currently exploring some options for digital signage for our front lobby and other guest areas. Currently we are just using PowerPoint displayed across two monitors, set up years ago by a former design staff.

We need to display donor/sponsor information as well as information about upcoming programming and exhibitions. I've seen some museums recently partnering with local digital signage companies, but are there any out-of-the-box solutions that are available (and relatively inexpensive)? Something cloud-based or with remote solutions for multiple monitor locations would be ideal.

Thanks in advance for your help!

-------------------------------------------
Nicole Kroger
Web & Digital Media Manager
Cincinnati Art Museum
Cincinnati OH
-------------------------------------------

We are in the middle of major renovations at the Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston, SC, and I need to determine a budget for signage and am exploring various possibilities. I would love to know more about Fourwinds-could you offer up your AV team to me as well?

Thanks,

-------------------------------------------
amy mercer
Marketing and Communications Director
Gibbes Museum of Art
Charleston SC
-------------------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 01-24-2015 09:56 AM
From: Randy Vargason
Subject: Digital Signage in Museums

Nicole, We have had pretty good success with a software suite called Fourwinds here at the Corning Museum of Glass.  I think it is pretty nimble at sequencing and scheduling content, and the internal development tools are solid as well.  I can offer up our AV team to elaborate and give you additional details.  The package is pretty reasonable as far as an investment.

-------------------------------------------
Randy Vargason
IT Manager
Corning Museum of Glass
Corning NY
-------------------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 01-22-2015 03:14 PM
From: Nicole Kroger
Subject: Digital Signage in Museums

Hi Everyone,

I am currently exploring some options for digital signage for our front lobby and other guest areas. Currently we are just using PowerPoint displayed across two monitors, set up years ago by a former design staff.

We need to display donor/sponsor information as well as information about upcoming programming and exhibitions. I've seen some museums recently partnering with local digital signage companies, but are there any out-of-the-box solutions that are available (and relatively inexpensive)? Something cloud-based or with remote solutions for multiple monitor locations would be ideal.

Thanks in advance for your help!

-------------------------------------------
Nicole Kroger
Web & Digital Media Manager
Cincinnati Art Museum
Cincinnati OH
-------------------------------------------

When I was at the Isabella Gardner Museum in Boston they had some excellent digital signage. It was so good I took a video. If you email me directly at mimicarter01@gmail.com I will send it to you.

I would call and ask them directly who they contracted with as it was clearly implemented to complement their new Piano addition.

all best,
Mimi



-------------------------------------------
Mimi Carter
National Gallery of Art

-------------------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 01-22-2015 03:14 PM
From: Nicole Kroger
Subject: Digital Signage in Museums

Hi Everyone,

I am currently exploring some options for digital signage for our front lobby and other guest areas. Currently we are just using PowerPoint displayed across two monitors, set up years ago by a former design staff.

We need to display donor/sponsor information as well as information about upcoming programming and exhibitions. I've seen some museums recently partnering with local digital signage companies, but are there any out-of-the-box solutions that are available (and relatively inexpensive)? Something cloud-based or with remote solutions for multiple monitor locations would be ideal.

Thanks in advance for your help!

-------------------------------------------
Nicole Kroger
Web & Digital Media Manager
Cincinnati Art Museum
Cincinnati OH
-------------------------------------------

Hi,

We have 1 PC running 20 monitors above our ticketing counter.  We looked at Roku boxes,and other signage solutions, and other devices.  
We actually run our signage from a website we created.
The signage website is ran and update-able from our Content Management System.  
We have multiple signs around the Museum running off of the CMS.  Each sign just points to it's URL.

Simple solution, but runs like a champ.  Since it is a website, we can run video, slideshows and dynamic content.  
Just a web browser in full screen mode.  And all that needs to happen is a simple F5 if we need any major updates to the UI.  
We make various AJAX calls to a service with Javascript (again being a simple website this works great), to pull ticket availability for next entrance time for exhibitions.  Just a website, No real proprietary software.  Most of the cost was just the hardware.  

I have attached a picture of our set up.





-------------------------------------------
Carlos Mosqueda
UI/UX Designer and Developer
Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Denver CO
-------------------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 01-22-2015 03:14 PM
From: Nicole Kroger
Subject: Digital Signage in Museums

Hi Everyone,

I am currently exploring some options for digital signage for our front lobby and other guest areas. Currently we are just using PowerPoint displayed across two monitors, set up years ago by a former design staff.

We need to display donor/sponsor information as well as information about upcoming programming and exhibitions. I've seen some museums recently partnering with local digital signage companies, but are there any out-of-the-box solutions that are available (and relatively inexpensive)? Something cloud-based or with remote solutions for multiple monitor locations would be ideal.

Thanks in advance for your help!

-------------------------------------------
Nicole Kroger
Web & Digital Media Manager
Cincinnati Art Museum
Cincinnati OH
-------------------------------------------

For those museums using these digital systems, I am curious about how much staff time it takes to create and manage the content of these various digital signage options.

When we researched digital signage a couple years ago, we found systems with amazing presentation capability. What was daunting to me was the concern that all the potential capability for showcasing different content would create an expectation that we be able to fully utilize it with limited internal resources.

Creating and updating multiple content types could be a full-time job (even preparing it to send to a contractor to implement) and the marketing and PR team responsible for producing and managing content consists of only two people. AV and IT staff are primarily responsible for the technical end of things.

Anyone with experience to share on the management of content?


-------------------------------------------
Janet Asaro
Director of Marketing & PR
Anchorage Museum
Anchorage AK
-------------------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 01-22-2015 03:14 PM
From: Nicole Kroger
Subject: Digital Signage in Museums

Hi Everyone,

I am currently exploring some options for digital signage for our front lobby and other guest areas. Currently we are just using PowerPoint displayed across two monitors, set up years ago by a former design staff.

We need to display donor/sponsor information as well as information about upcoming programming and exhibitions. I've seen some museums recently partnering with local digital signage companies, but are there any out-of-the-box solutions that are available (and relatively inexpensive)? Something cloud-based or with remote solutions for multiple monitor locations would be ideal.

Thanks in advance for your help!

-------------------------------------------
Nicole Kroger
Web & Digital Media Manager
Cincinnati Art Museum
Cincinnati OH
-------------------------------------------

@Janet Asaro,

In our system, tech and IT set up the system. We are the tech department/web/app development department.  
One of our guys ordered and help hook up the hardware, with some outside contractor help and our IT department helps manage the physical side of it.

As for the content side, we make a website that uses a browser in full screen (across 20 monitors).  Then we have our content management system (CMS) handle all of the content.  We had to write some custom Javascript and set up the page to match our screen sizes, but that was about it.  All it is, is a webpage that looks like our signs.
We then passed it off to our Marketing department and they hand all of the content.  Our signage shuts down every night and starts up in the morning launching a new browser window that automatically points to the signage website.  So it is just a new version of the sign every day. If you have new content for the next day, the webpage will get that because it is just like hitting F5 on a browser and refreshing the page.  

The benefits of having a website is, it is affordable, reliable, and can be edited by just about anyone who knows HTML.  The content is just pulled from our CMS, which makes the webpage that the signage is on.  There is always that option.


-------------------------------------------
Carlos Mosqueda
UI/UX Designer and Developer
Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Denver CO
-------------------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 02-06-2015 01:14 PM
From: Janet Asaro
Subject: Digital Signage in Museums

For those museums using these digital systems, I am curious about how much staff time it takes to create and manage the content of these various digital signage options.

When we researched digital signage a couple years ago, we found systems with amazing presentation capability. What was daunting to me was the concern that all the potential capability for showcasing different content would create an expectation that we be able to fully utilize it with limited internal resources.

Creating and updating multiple content types could be a full-time job (even preparing it to send to a contractor to implement) and the marketing and PR team responsible for producing and managing content consists of only two people. AV and IT staff are primarily responsible for the technical end of things.

Anyone with experience to share on the management of content?


-------------------------------------------
Janet Asaro
Director of Marketing & PR
Anchorage Museum
Anchorage AK
-------------------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 01-22-2015 03:14 PM
From: Nicole Kroger
Subject: Digital Signage in Museums

Hi Everyone,

I am currently exploring some options for digital signage for our front lobby and other guest areas. Currently we are just using PowerPoint displayed across two monitors, set up years ago by a former design staff.

We need to display donor/sponsor information as well as information about upcoming programming and exhibitions. I've seen some museums recently partnering with local digital signage companies, but are there any out-of-the-box solutions that are available (and relatively inexpensive)? Something cloud-based or with remote solutions for multiple monitor locations would be ideal.

Thanks in advance for your help!

-------------------------------------------
Nicole Kroger
Web & Digital Media Manager
Cincinnati Art Museum
Cincinnati OH
-------------------------------------------