The Guide to Digital Signage in Museums

Museums and digital signage are natural bedfellows. With so much information accessible within a museum, digital signage technology gives museum management the opportunity to offer visitors much more ways to interact or to find the information they're looking for.

Some of the world's biggest museums such as the Tate Modern in London have already adopted digital displays to do more than just welcome museum visitors.

Whether you're managing a museum, art gallery or other cultural center, there are many reasons to integrate digital signage into your experience.

Use Cases for Digital Signage in Museums

Museum signage has traditionally come in the form of static wall mounted signs, freestanding signage or floor and wall markings. And while these do still have a place in museums and art galleries, digital signage offers a uniquely versatile and engaging communication method.

Find out more: What is digital signage?

By using strategically placed digital display boards, these are some of the best uses for museum digital signage.

1. Welcome signage

Digital welcome signage serves as the first point of interaction, setting the tone for what’s to come. The simplest form of welcome signage is just that, a simple message welcoming guests and guiding them towards the important points to get their experience started right.

This might be to guide visitors to the right ticket office queue, or simply to highlight what's on.

Digital signage can be used to dynamically display essential information such as opening times, ticket prices, ongoing exhibitions, or even a brief introduction video.

Typically, welcome signage is found in lobbies and reception areas, but can also be installed outside the venue, or at the entrance to the exhibition area.

2. Wayfinding and directional signage

Navigating the labyrinthine corridors and galleries of a museum can be a daunting task for visitors. Even if your museum is relatively small and compact, you still want people to explore and find the best parts.

Using digital wayfinding and directional signage alleviate this challenge by providing clear, easy-to-follow maps and directions.

Wayfinding can include everything from interactive maps, signposts, suggested routes or itineraries to messages highlighting special exhibits or pointing to the restaurant.

Interactive digital signage elements such as interactive kiosks can enhance this experience, allowing visitors to search for specific exhibits or facilities and receive customized route recommendations.

3. Promoting events

Museums are often hubs of activity and cultural experiences. Whether promoting free talks, guided walks, upcoming events, workshops, lectures, or special exhibitions, digital signage can be an eye-catching way to ensure visitors don't miss out.

By using high-impact visuals and dynamic content, museums can effectively grab attention and stimulate interest, encouraging visitors to partake in additional experiences beyond the standard museum tour.

4. Sharing social content

For every business, museums included, social media plays a pivotal role in shaping public perception and promoting events. Digital signage is a great tool for museums to showcase user-generated content, reviews, and hashtags in real-time. This not only amplifies the museum’s online presence but also encourages others to share their experiences and improve the social presence.

A fun way to create a hub in your museum is with a social media wall. This is a large digital screen which displays tiled content from your social media accounts for everyone to see within the physical space.

5. Interactive touchscreen kiosks

Interactive touchscreen kiosks are a popular form of digital signage, providing visitors with an immersive and educational experience. Through high-resolution imagery, videos, and interactive timelines, these kiosks can delve deeper into the stories behind exhibits, highlight unseen aspects of artifacts, and even offer virtual tours of inaccessible areas.

These kiosks can also be used as a wayfinding system, for example with a map of the building or the galleries. And you can also add interactive touchscreens for visitor experience feedback, or for visitors to interact with your other services...

6. Newsletter sign up

Building a relationship with visitors extends beyond their time at the museum. And of course, keeping people coming back regularly is one of the best ways of building your museum community.

Digital signage can facilitate this by offering an easy and accessible way for visitors to sign up for newsletters, ensuring they stay informed about future exhibitions, events, and news. This not only nurtures a lasting visitor connection but also aids in building a loyal community of supporters.

This can be done either using a touchscreen kiosk or tablet, or by using QR code technology to enable people to sign up via their own devices.

7. Social media sign up

Similar to newsletter sign-ups, digital signage can prompt visitors to follow the museum on various social media platforms.

This can also be paired with social media walls, event promotions or any other content that you're displaying on your digital displays,

8. Live streaming events

Digital signage can be a useful tool for live streaming, whether that's a guest speaker's talk, a theatrical or musical performance or an art installation. This can be particularly useful for museums with limited space, or for streaming the video content from a partner location.

9. Additional information for exhibits

Each exhibit within a museum has a story waiting to be told. Digital signage next to or integrated within displays can provide visitors with additional information, context, and interesting facts at the touch of a button, enriching the educational value of the museum visit.

Another option is to add information on the objects in a collection at the entrance to a gallery, or provide information on multiple screens dotted throughout the exhibition.

10. Earn revenue from local advertising

Beyond its informational and educational benefits, digital signage offers a lucrative revenue stream through local advertising. Because museums and art galleries tend to be a focal point for tourists and visitors, they make great locations for certain businesses to promote their services, for example local tours, other attractions, restaurants or retail centers.

Through allocating screen time to local businesses, museums can tap into an additional source of income, which can be reinvested into exhibits, events, or the maintenance of the museum.

11. Artist profiles

For museums dedicated to visual arts, digital signage can serve as an interactive platform to showcase artist profiles, interviews, and behind-the-scenes content. This not only highlights the creative process behind the artworks but also fosters a deeper connection between the artist and the audience.

12. Video walls

A video wall can be an eye-catching and engaging feature in any museum or gallery. Whether it's streaming a welcome video, as part of an installation or playing a looped presentation such as the history or your venue or promotional material for up and coming events. Video walls can offer stunning visuals and a great way to either welcome your arrivals or help them engage with the venue.

13. Promote unique offers or products in your shop

The museum experience does not end at the exit. Through digital signage, museums can entice visitors into the museum shop by showcasing unique products, special discounts, and exclusive merchandise related to current exhibits. A great way to enhance both the potential for sales and improve the visitor experience.

How to add digital signage technology to a museum

Digital signage software such as ScreenCloud makes it easier than ever to setup a digital display system using readily available technology.

All you need is:

• A standard TV screen or smart TV, or
• Computer monitors, or
• Touchscreen tablets, or
• Digital signage booths and freestanding screens

You can also, of course, mix and match these different screen types. All you need to do is simply mount your screens in your chosen locations and then connect them wirelessly using ScreenCloud's digital signage software.

Screens can be linked using consumer grade connection dongles such Amazon Firestick, Google Chromecast or our own Station P1 pro.

Read more: Digital signage hardware.

Once you've connected your devices, it's simple to create content using ScreenCloud's dashboard complete with display templates, digital signage apps and much more.

It's also simple to segment content, according to your requirements. For example, setting up specific signage for your foyer and reception area, and signage zones for each of your gallery areas, shop, restaurant and so on.

Read more: How to manage digital signage across multiple locations.

Try ScreenCloud for museums and cultural spaces

ScreenCloud gives you the power to create stunning displays, an accessible wayfinding system and bold and engaging gallery signage.

And with ready to use templates, you don't need to be a graphic design expert to make your digital museum signage look professional. It's also easy to add your own branding, schedule content in advance, and create content for special events or a specific exhibition.

Find out how easy it is to get started with digital signage with ScreenCloud.

Sign up for a free trial today - or schedule a demo.