The Rise and Uses of University Digital Signage

Digital signage is a way to utilize a digital display screen to provide information that can be readily modified and enhanced to promote user engagement and satisfaction. Digital signage has grown in popularity and importance across various sectors, including education. Universities today are increasingly adopting digital signage as a way to promote events, enhance student engagement, facilitate digital emergency notifications, offer wayfinding stations, and much more.

‍

Key Drivers for the Adoption of Digital Signage in Universities

There are several key drivers behind this growing adoption of digital signage university campus offerings. 

Communication Efficiency

The first driver behind the adoption of digital signage in university systems is enhanced communication. Not only is there a reduced cost behind adopting digital signage but it improves communication across wide campuses, ensuring that information for things like one group or department is easily linked to others. 

Enhanced Engagement

One of those drivers is the ability to enhance engagement and improve the student experience. Universities can now increase student awareness by converting digital signs into digital bulletin boards that offer information on extracurricular activities, the dining hall or bookstore hours, social media engagement, emergency notifications, and digital menu boards for things like upcoming events, on-campus restaurants, and more. 

Crisis Management

Another big driver behind the adoption of digital signage in university settings is the need for crisis management. Staff members and students can remain much safer when digital signage is integrated with emergency alert systems. This means that on-campus security can control when emergency alerts are sent out for different issues, making it much more likely that key information reaches all affected parties in the most successful way possible.

Sustainability

The adoption of digital signage for universities can more effectively coincide with the policy toward sustainability. Current and prospective students and their parents will find the switch toward a sustainable form of communication and safety much more appealing.

Core Uses of Digital Signage in Universities & Campuses

There are a handful of core uses for digital signage for universities. 

Wayfinding

University digital signage offers enhanced wayfinding stations. Clear directions and digital maps can help navigation, particularly across sprawling campuses. This type of wayfinding information can be linked to event schedules so the visitors can get directions based on a campus event they are attending, and special guests can access directories so they know who to contact and where based on their needs.

Consider this:

A large campus has multiple extensions that are located across several city blocks. Wayfinding stations make it easy for new students to determine how far they have to travel for certain events, classes, or special lectures.

Those same wayfinding stations also make it easy for guests to figure out which parking lot to use so that they can be as close as possible to the building they need. The same way, finding stations also facilitates other navigational needs like locating the bookstore or finding a cafe or restaurant.

A big benefit to university digital signage as a wayfinding station is that it reduces confusion, particularly for guests and new students, while also improving satisfaction for those who are trying to navigate different parking lots, special events, or community offerings that are held on a college campus.

Event Promotion

Digital signage university campus promotions become much easier with this technology. Compared to things like flyers, it's much easier to catch the attention of students who are passing by when you have a larger digital screen to display pertinent information. 

Consider this:

A university has an upcoming lecture with a special guest lecturer. To draw attention not just from the student body but from the community, digital signage presents displays in parking lots at the edge of campus and in areas of high traffic in and around different campus buildings. The result is increased ticket sales and attendance.

Universities can incorporate dynamic content with videos and movement to promote campus activities or upcoming events in a way that static printouts simply can't. More importantly, larger outdoor digital signage stations can provide information for people who are passing by, driving through different areas of campus, or parking in various parking lots. This increases exposure to students and visitors alike.

Educational Content

Digital signage for universities offers a place to display educational material, present research highlights, and even post the news. 

Equally important, it's a place for universities to curate a culture of good morality teamwork by recognizing the achievements not just of students but of staff. There can be places throughout digital signage to celebrate certain academic achievements, to recognize students who have received fellowships, or to highlight the accomplishments of recently published research papers.

‍

Community Building

University digital signage is a way to not only recognize achievements and showcase upcoming events but also to foster community building. By sharing stories and successes, particularly about students or faculty, university campuses can foster a sense of belonging.

Cafeteria Menus

With digital signage university campus dining halls can offer real-time updates on meal options, queue times for different checkouts or cafeteria areas, and dietary information. This can do away with a lot of the uncertainty that students and guests might have when trying to pick food options and make it easier for students to figure out what food meets with their dietary needs or allergies before they get to the front of the line. As such, this facilitates faster payment processes and fewer lines.

‍

Conclusion

There are several significant benefits to the incorporation of university digital signage including the opportunity to improve communication, streamline campus safety awareness, and support sustainability efforts. In a university setting, digital signage has diverse applications ranging from educational content to cafeteria menus to community building and more. There is great potential for digital signage to transform university communication and engagement strategies. As university administrators, consider investing in or upgrading their digital signage infrastructure.

‍