Signs of the Times - September 2013 - (Page 64)
School Spirit You Can Touch
Dimensional Innovations, an Overland Park, KS-based design and
fabrication firm, has built and
installed everything from 3-D signs
to touchscreens in several highprofile stadia: the NFL’s Kansas City
Chiefs’ Arrowhead Stadium, MLB’s
Miami Marlins Stadium and the
Consol Energy Center, home of the
NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins.
Increasingly, interactive touchscreens and displays have become
a vital part of such stadium environmental graphics. Today’s spectators
are accustomed to interactivity
through mobile devices and social
media, and tactile screens extend
such engagement.
“Interactive projects have several
variables – screen technology,
location, content and client goals,”
Tucker Trotter, Dimensional Innovations’ owner, said. “Sometimes,
we offer solutions to clients. In
other cases, we provide specifications.
Done right, it can be an amazing
tool to drive memorable, unique
experiences. They communicate
with people when and where they
want to be reached, which is important in today’s media-saturated
world. But, the technology is only
as good as the ideas behind it.”
University of Michigan representatives hired Dimensional Innovations
to create an interactive display for
the Crisler Center, the school’s
on-campus basketball arena. All
told, the system incorporates 54
monitors; it comprises 17 freestanding
interactive displays, which feature
information about the school’s
various sports. Hall of Honor multitouch video walls call up photos
and information about Wolverine
athletes inducted into the school’s
hall of fame, and three Kids Zone
interactives allow young ones to
play games and engage in ageappropriate activities.
For the system, Dimensional
Innovations sourced Planar Clarity
64 SIGNS OF THE TIMES / SEPTEMBER 2013 / www.signweb.com
Matrix’s LED-embedded LCD displays.
Trotter said he liked their very
narrow bezel, which allows a tight,
seamless fit between monitors, and
enables what he calls a “fluid, uniform
digital canvas.”
He continued, “We had to integrate a diverse array of content.
There are video-replay walls, donor
information, recruiting updates,
historical information and other
material. From a design perspective,
we also manage traffic flow and
usage. The multi-touch video wall
allows up to five users at once, so
display location and setup are vital
to making the system accessible.”
To ensure a program’s technical
success, Trotter said the location
of the data room is an important
factor. He said running high-definition
cable over long distances can require
booster cables and other modifications that can increase cost
and reduce efficiency. He said a
tempered-glass surface to protect
the screens is also essential, although
he’s hopeful that improved screen
technologies will someday make
this step unnecessary.
“The most important thing to
consider is the ‘why’ of the project,”
Trotter said. “Many feel they need
digital content merely for the sake
of digital content, but that limits the
technology’s effectiveness. It’s probably better to have no dynamicdisplay system than a poorly designed
one. We start all conversations asking
about the program’s purpose, its
intended audience and the desired
outcome.”
http://www.signweb.com
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Signs of the Times - September 2013
Signs of the Times - September 2013
Contents
ST Update
Technology Update
Who Uses the Phone Book?
Vinyl Apps
Strictly Commercial
Lighting Techniques
The Moving Message
Technology Review - DGS 3D POP store system
Technology Review - KIP C7800 poster printer
Design Matters
New Products
When the Cheering Starts
Enter the ST Intl. Sign Contest!
Starting at the Bottom
LED Lamps for Box/Cabinet Signs
The Aria’s 260-ft. Pylon Sign
Industry News
Advertising index
Editorially speaking
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