Sign makers today are increasingly becoming involved with digital signage—not only to provide the physical elements, such as hardware and displays, but also to generate the content that appears on the screen. It’s not always the easiest undertaking; however, it can be a game-changer when an attractive display is running compelling content. And sign designers are in a good position to do just that.
如今越来越多的标识制造商的业务开始涉及到数字标牌，不仅要提供硬件和显示屏等实际器材，还要对在屏幕上生成的显示内容负责，这并不是一件容易的事情；然而当一个本身就具有吸引力的显示屏在播放引人注目的内容时，一切都会变得不一样了。我相信优秀的标识设计师能在这方面做得很好。
“Regardless of whether a designer is laying out a static billboard or a digital display, the skill is creating a visually compelling message that connects,” says Ryan Cahoy, managing director, Rise Vision, a digital content management company in Toronto, Canada.
加拿大多伦多数字内容管理公司Rise Vision的总经理Ryan Cahoy说：“无论设计师摆放的是一个静态广告牌还是数字显示屏，创建一种能在视觉上引人注目的连接信息非常重要。”
Targeted Messaging
有针对性的信息传递
Cahoy says that the “less-is-more” model is the best practice when creating digital signage content. It is easy to be lured into throwing every possible element onto your screen, but it is probably best to make sure that the message is clear.
Cahoy说，创建数字标牌的内容时，“少即是多”模式是最佳做法。人们很容易将所有信息都想要呈现在屏幕上，但是我们还是要确保消息的清晰性。
“A skilled designer recognizes that they need to use as few words as possible and with digital they have the opportunity to use subtle movement or animation to help draw eyes to the display,” Cahoy says. “So, there may be a little ongoing education about the technology to do animation, but a good designer or graphic artist can absolutely move into digital.”
Cahoy说：“熟练的设计师应该牢记他们需要尽可能少使用单词和数字，而是借助显示屏的优势来设计出精致的动作或动画来吸引人们的关注，因此坚持学习关于制作动画方面的技术是非常有必要的，不过一个优秀的设计师或图形艺术家也是完全可以接受这种数字化趋势的。”
It’s important to keep in mind how a viewer will consume the digital message. For instance, how much time will they have before they move away from the sign?
了解受众如何使用数字信息才是关键。例如，他们在一个标识面前逗留的时间一般是多久？
“Make sure the content fits the format,” offers Jody Smith, product manager at digital signage solutions provider Broadsign. “For example, it’s best not to display a text-heavy print ad on a highway-side billboard where the audience might only see it for three seconds.”
数字标牌解决方案供应商Broadsign的产品经理Jody Smith表示：“确保内容与格式相协调，例如，最好不要在高速公路边的广告牌上展示文字密集的平面广告，毕竟受众可能只能看到它三秒钟。”
Jay Saret, business development manager for digital signage equipment distributor Almo Professional A/V, refers to this as “dwell time”—the length of time that a viewer allows himself or herself to be captivated by the sign. If the message can fit into this time—and be effective, then it has done its job.
数字标牌设备经销商Almo Professional A/V的业务开发经理Jay Saret将此称为“停留时间”，即受众允许自己被标识吸引的时间长度。如果传递的消息内容可以适应这个时间，并且能够产生效果，那么它就完成了它的工作。
“How long is the customer going to look at the screen?” Saret asks. “The content should be created based on the average amount of time it will be viewed. If it’s in an elevator or at a point in a line for a theme park ride, and the viewer is only going to see the screen for 20 to 30 seconds, then the content should be created with that time span in mind.”
Saret问道：“受众通常会在显示屏上停留多久的目光？显示屏的内容就应该根据受众观看的平均时间来安排。如果是在电梯中或是主题公园路过的一个景点中，受众通常只有20~30秒的时间去观看屏幕，那么就应该考虑在该时间跨度的情况下的内容创建安排。”
Relevant Content
相关信息的提供
Of course, along with understanding your dwell time, it’s just as important to fill that time with relevant messaging. This could factor in elements like the environment or location.
当然，除了了解你的停留时间外，运用相关信息来填充你的停留时间也十分重要。这就与环境和位置等因素有关系了。
“Include relevant, useful information to make the content helpful as well as informative,” suggests Smith. “A great example of this is a Virgin train ad comparing the amount of time it would take to arrive to a destination by car and by train. It’s a simple idea, but it’s informative and effective.”
史密斯建议道：“标牌应该包含相关、有用的信息来使内容变得丰富并且有价值。Virgin火车广告就是一个很好的例子，通过比较乘汽车和乘火车到达目的地所需的时间，来设置标牌信息。这是一个非常简单的设计，但它提供了丰富而有效的信息。”
Another question to ponder: Are demographics relevant to each specific message? In other words, should a message be tailored to reach different audience sets? And furthermore, are there useful tactics to attract those viewers who might be more comfortable with digital applications than others?
需要思考的另一个问题是：人口统计信息是否与每条特定信息相关？换句话说，是否应该根据不同的受众群体定制消息？此外，是否有吸引那些可能比其他人更熟悉数字应用的受众的实用策略？
“Incorporate social data and user-driven content,” advises Smith. “Getting the consumer involved in the ad helps increase awareness, viral potential, recall, etc. Keep in mind that when doing this, it’s important to ensure that the platform used has moderation included.”
史密斯建议到：“整合社交数据和用户互动的内容，让消费者参与广告有助于提高认知度、传播度、广告的记忆程度等。请记住，在这样做时，要确保使用的平台是正确合适的。”
Because of the constant interaction that results from social media applications, involving this kind of content in a digital sign should enhance viewers’ experience. For the content provider, this is not only effective but also relatively simple to implement.
由于社交媒体应用程序产生的持续交互性，将这种内容纳入数字标牌可以增强观众的体验感。对于内容供应商而言，这不仅能够产生效果，而且操作起来也相对简单。
“You could argue that using social media is a form of content automation as it is a steady stream of new and fresh content that is relevant to a specific college or hash tag,” Cahoy says.
Cahoy说：“使用社交媒体是内容自动化的一种形式，这样的观点通常你也会认同，因为它会源源不断地产生新鲜内容，与特定的环境或多样化的标签相关。”
Content Applied
内容应用
Today, digital signage applications can be found in almost any location imaginable. If there are crowds to reach, a digital sign is a suitable solution.
如今，数字标牌的应用几乎遍布你所有能够想象到的位置。只要是人群可以到达的地方，数字标牌就是一个合适的解决方案。
“Any location where digital signage can provide useful information to someone on the go is always helpful,” says Smith, citing malls, entertainment venues, and other high-traffic areas as viable locations.
史密斯说：“不管数字标牌的安装地点在哪，只要能够为路途上的人们提供实用的信息，那么它就是有用的。”史密斯将商场、娱乐场所和其他人流量大的地区统称为可行的地点。
And with this type of signage on the rise, it is becoming more prevalent in previously untapped areas. “I think we are seeing signage pop up in nearly every environment and new and creative uses are surfacing every day,” Cahoy says, pointing to projects that he has recently executed. “At Rise we do a lot with education, so in the context of those users I think content automation is important to help keep screens fresh—in the business school, automating to show live financial quotes—in the hallways, tying into an event management system—or for donor walls, tying into a managed listing of donors to ensure the content is always correct.”
随着这种类型的标识的增加，在以前未开发的地区也变得越来越普遍。Cahoy指着他最近执行的项目说道：“我认为我们几乎在每个环境中都会看到标牌出现，每天都会出现新的创意和用途。起先，我们在教育方面做了很多工作，因此在这样的用户背景下，我认为内容自动化是保持屏幕新鲜感的关键：在商学院，财经报价实时在屏幕上自动显现；在走廊上，自动化的显示屏可以建立起一个事件管理系统；而对于捐助者展示墙，自动化的显示屏可以随时把捐助者的名单更新在列表中，以确保内容始终正确。”
Two Kinds of Content
数字标牌应用的两种模式
Saret categorizes the content for digital signage applications into two groups.
Saret将数字标牌应用程序的内容分为两种。
The first is "Dynamic Content," that should be “tied to a pre-existing content platform, and is automatically being updated, such as weather, news, sports or social media,” he explains. “It could also be content that's specific to the venue that is being changed by the company, such as product specials or promotions at a fast food restaurant or clothing store.”
第一种是“动态内容”，Saret解释说：“这种模式与现有的内容平台相关联，并且会自动进行更新，例如天气、新闻、体育或社交媒体，也可能会根据公司正在改变的场地而进行针对性的内容展示，比如特价产品或快餐店和服装店的促销活动。”
This type of messaging allows for remote changes that correspond with business decisions such as inventory control or other variable conditions.
这种类型的消息传递允许与业务决策相对应的远程更改，例如库存控制或其他可变条件。
The second group is "Content Tied to the Goal of Digital Signage," which is content that “should address the questions of why the screen is going up as well as where its being placed,” Saret says.
第二种是“内容与数字标牌的目标相关联”，Saret说：“这种情况应该更注重屏幕的展示效果以及安装位置的影响。”
In most instances, the type of content that is delivered to the screen will depend on the client’s preferences and situational circumstances.
在大多数情况下，传递到屏幕的内容类型将取决于客户的偏好和情景环境。
What’s on the Market
市场中的解决方案
For sign makers involved in content for digital signage, it is important to know what solutions are available and how to properly employ them.
对于涉及数字标牌内容的标牌制造商而言，了解可用的解决方案以及如何正确使用这些解决方案非常重要。
“There are premise-based solutions that require proprietary software and someone onsite to make changes,” Saret says. “Or a customer can choose cloud-based solutions, which allow the screen content to be changed from any device with an Internet connection. Finally, slide show/data driven content is created with images and slides without the need to know Photoshop or PowerPoint.”
Saret说：“前期准备好的解决方案可以由专业软件和现场人员进行修改；用户则可以选择网络云端的解决方案，这种解决方案允许用户连接网络来对显示屏展示内容进行修改。最后，使用幻灯片或数据驱动来创造展示图像内容，使用幻灯片无需了解Photoshop或PowerPoint。”
Oftentimes, the surroundings of the sign will determine which set-up is most feasible. A single screen in a small convenience store may run a looping video promotion, whereas a multi-display configuration at a professional sports arena will likely receive customized data from a host.
通常，标识的周围环境将决定哪种方案最可行。小型便利店中的单个屏幕可以播放循环视频来进行促销，而专业体育领域的多面显示屏则可能从主机接收定制数据进行展示。
Technology and ease-of-use is pushing the content management of digital signage toward hosted solutions. This type of set up takes the burden off the sign owner and allows professional content providers to handle the load.
技术和易用性正在推动数字标牌的内容管理向托管解决方案发展。这种类型的转变减轻了标识所有者的负担，并允许拥有专业内容知识的供应商来处理出现的问题。
No matter the configuration, there is a tremendous opportunity for sign makers to get involved with digital signage—and the management of content—as electronic displays are becoming more popular than ever before.
无论配置如何，标识制造商都有机会参与数字标牌的内容管理，因为电子显示屏正变得比以往任何时候都更受欢迎。
