Just Out-of-Home

To be a Vertical Digital Signage, or Not to be a Vertical Digital Signage, That is the Question; – Christian Shakespeare

March 10, 2009 at 9:24 pm 1 comment

Pic Source: Engadget

No. This post is not about some Elizabethan tragedy, but rather a simple question posed to me by Paul Flanigan of the blog,  ”Experiate,” a.k.a “Master of Brand Comm” at Best Buy. Question posed was:

“wondering what the preferred orientation for DS is in a store. Horizontal/Landscape, or Vertical/Portait? And why?”

Then I replied:

“I’m going with Both:depending 1st on the space for the placement then the creative, although Horizontal is def. more common.” Paul replied back with the “catch” of the question;

“but if you had a choice, all things equal, which would you use? why?” 

Oooh, he just made it a Lot tougher in 14 words… especially considering what I am used to is the Horizontal setup in terms of Digital Out-of-Home networks. Had to think about this one and go back to basics / make it relate-able to what I know / my likes and dislikes.  First, I know this is a question that has been asked a lot before. Second, I also know that there are far more knowledgeable people on this subject whom have tackled / answered the question related to this issue. What seems to have resulted through all the discussions and thoughts seems to be the preference for the Horizontal layout/setup of Digital Signage; for the most part that is, and also realizing that not All signage and networks are setup in this manner. So, one must assume that the Horizontal setup is the agreed upon layout. Then I asked myself, “Why is this?” Like I said, out of the 27 or so networks I worked with, and more networks I know of are set up in the horizontal manner. Is it because the TVs in our homes are also horizontal and we don’t want to trick up the viewers’ eyes, or attention? Is it because the creatives / information looks  or fits better? Or maybe, a little bit from column A and a little bit from column B. But ultimately, this can’t be, as we know the Vertical setup can communicate just as effectively as the horizontal.

Media such as posters, wall postings, handouts, or what have you all worked as mediums of communication and these all have a vertical layout (as do some digital signages). I can’t give Paul a definite or scientific reasoning behind why the more common horizontal setup is used, or why it is considered “better,” but I guess I can share my own perspective on this. From my point of view; if all things being equal and I had to chose one, I would go with the Vertical setup. I always liked the way computer screens are setup and looked in a vertical manner. They are also better when scrolling of the page is involved. The newspapers and book I read are also printed in the same manner. In this sense, I think readability and information flow can actually be better in a vertical layout, and it is actually the format we are more used to in this sense. Of course, this is taking away the TV factor, but I’m under the impression that DS and DOOH is try to separate as much as possible from “TV” in many senses.., is it not?

As I stated to Paul before (and taking the whoosy way out), at the end of the day, I think both layouts definitely have a place, but if I had to choose one; I would take the vertical because of one (or two) issue(s). We’re going back to the issues related to Content Development & Changing the Agency Metality/Perception of and on DOOH.  It seems that within the “circle” of DS /DOOH (at least in the “circle” of Twitter), people know what makes good content and what does not regardless of vertical or horizontal screens. On the “outer rim” though, it seems that re-purposing of TV creatives (ads or otherwise) is still the preferred and “convenient” method of content creation. Simply put; going Vertical could force people to rethink the way content is budgeted and created, and somewhere in the middle of all this, not only may the industry finally get some real/serious brainstorms and production budgets to make the content more relevant and effective; but also change the way Digital Signage and Digtal Out-of-Home are perceived overall. I guess who can always go the the experts to create your content as well, but I believe these potentials are the best, and perhaps one of the only reason why I would choose the vertical layout compared to the commonly used horizontal setup; again, IF I had to pick one.

Particularly related to BestBuy’s case (and this I was not asked about), I would also choose the vertical layout because I think you can get the same, if not, similar capabilities as the horizontal setup, yet fit more information such as product shots, or specifications, and all this info may read easier/better. When Touch Digital Screens become more feasible (and they will eventually), and the interactivity factors such as scrolling and having the ability to comparison shop/have multiple results become more critical; I also think the vertical layout may work better at stores like BestBuys. Yes, we are trying to “get away” from the perception of being just TVs outside of the home, but I think what we are really trying to get to is being in the middle of having the perception of TV + the Interactivity/Instantaneous-ness of the Web actually. At least this is what I see as the ultimate goal / future of DS and DOOH industries.

If someone could give Paul and myself a better and more “scientific” reason(s) to why the Horizontal layout is utilized more; Great! If you disagree or find this blasphemous; Even better! I like being a “rebel without a clue.” It would serve as proof that the free world and thinking still exists somewhere out there somewhere anyway.

Entry filed under: Digital Signage Software & Solutions, Future of Out Of Home. Tags: BestBuy, Content, Digital signage, Digital signage layout, DOOH, horizontal screens, OOH Agencies, vertical screens.