Wednesday 16 December 2009

Self Service Kiosks – Design is a key element, isn’t it?

Remember in the early days of the ATM, they looked rather imposing with their dark mysterious looks, digital signage kiosks are viewed in the same light.

Which would you rather do, put your personal details into an intimidating and mysterious looking machine or completely pass them by to give the information to a smiling cashier? I know which I prefer!

Design issue was a major issue for consumer acceptance when the ATM’s were deployed, design is still an issue within the financial and self service industry.

Many projects are driven by software applications, but the Retail sector is driven by brand images, get this wrong and the brand suffers, every consumer experience has to be a positive one as a neutral experience can on occasions be classed as a negative one in Retail.

Public kiosks are used by a wide demographic range, from young people, handicapped people, old and different ethnic groups, now the point we are trying to make is that the kiosk has to appeal to everyone, so the vendor has to try to understand what the client is trying to achieve with the kiosk, then create a custom kiosk for them.

The Ultimate Solution.
There are many solutions for self serve kiosks, however we have discovered that the most successful kiosk deployments are the ones when they have designed around the client’s specific needs and design an experience around this.

Design options.
No, this department is not part of the sales arm of a business; it is a crucial to get the design right as it is to get the hardware and software right. Getting anyone of these wrong can result in disaster. You have to consider:

• Where will the unit be placed?
• Has it to be freestanding, easy access or wall mounted?
• Will it have to integrate with other shop fittings?

Another aspect is to plan the project efficiently, it is no good realising a kiosk is required for deployment in 2 weeks, this is an in-conceived project and destined for failure. The projects that are planned sometimes years in advance have a perfect solution by the time it is deployed.

Plan your work and work your plan, that is all we can say.

LCD Enclosure Global are the worlds leading manufacturer of a unique range or waterproof LCD enclosure, that are used for outdoor digital signage solutions throughout the world. From outdoor TV box to video wall.