What Makes a Good Outdoor Digital Wayfinding Kiosk?
Digital wayfinding isn’t limited to indoor applications; it can also be a highly useful addition in a wide variety of outdoor retail and recreational settings. Ongoing advances in materials construction, temperature regulation, and environmental protection have made outdoor kiosks more durable and functional than ever.
At Oppna Digital, we provide end-to-end digital wayfinding solutions for a variety of markets, including those that conduct operations outdoors. Through our extensive experience in hardware procurement and management, as well as user-focused, functional software design, we’ve learned what makes a great outdoor digital wayfinding kiosk. We’ve outlined those features below.
Hardware Design: Environmental Protection
First and foremost, a great outdoor digital wayfinding kiosk must remain fully functional through a range of weather conditions. This can be accomplished through a variety of customized hardware features, including:
● Material selection. Regardless of geographic location, outdoor kiosks must be fashioned from high-quality, durable materials to successfully withstand environmental impacts. At Oppna Digital, we’ve forged strong relationships with industry-leading metal and panel manufacturers to ensure the most robust kiosk construction and long-term performance.
● Adequate airflow. Proper airflow is an essential component of any wayfinding kiosk, but in outdoor deployments, air circulation is especially critical. Without plenty of venting and airflow, warm weather conditions can potentially damage some of the more delicate interior components of an outdoor kiosk.
● Temperature control. In addition to adequate airflow, continual internal temperature regulation is a must for any outdoor kiosk. A kiosk should be fully operational through a range of internal temperatures, ideally from -22 °F to 190 °F.
System Performance
In many geographic locations, environmental conditions are notoriously harsh. A great outdoor digital wayfinding kiosk should offer long-term performance in spite of those conditions. What should you look for in terms of performance?
● Display lifespan. To maximize the benefits of digital wayfinding, continuous system operation is essential. After all, have you ever seen a billboard turn off? Due to the heavy operational demands placed on kiosk hardware, displays should last a minimum of six years, preferably longer.
● Proper NanoLumens. At their core, digital wayfinding kiosks are designed to provide a user-focused, interactive experience. As such, high-quality, experiential LED displays are essential.
● Energy-efficiency. When facility operations shut down for the day, kiosk power management is essential. To help mitigate unnecessary power consumption, outdoor kiosks should feature power cycling, which allows them to shut down during extended periods of inactivity.
Flexibility in Design & Functionality
Last but certainly not least, a great outdoor digital wayfinding kiosk should offer flexibility in terms of hardware design and software functionality. You should have a variety of options in regard to kiosk size, color, and display, as well as operational solutions that are fully customized for your unique needs.
Thoughtfully designed digital wayfinding software should also be capable of integrating with a variety of digital platforms to display ads, event notifications, and facility directions. As well, integration with existing content management systems (if applicable) should be an option.
Oppna Digital: Your Source for End-to-End Digital Wayfinding Solutions
Ready to learn more about how outdoor digital wayfinding kiosks can enhance your facility? Get in touch with our team at Oppna Digital! As a full-service digital wayfinding solutions provider, we specialize in comprehensive software development, hardware management, wayfinding design, professional implementation, maintenance, and support. Anything you need to bring your outdoor wayfinding deployment to life, we’re here to deliver it.
To learn more about our digital wayfinding solutions, give our team a call at 651-237-5677. Ready to see what sets us apart? Contact us today to request a demo!