“Techorating” is one of the latest design trends to hit the electronic digital signage community. The term—first coined by LG Electronics 2008—refers to the incorporation of technology into an overall decorative theme of a room or space. 

 

The initial notion behind techorating was about designing a living space with all high-tech gadgets and equipment. LCD and plasma flat panel televisions, surround sound audio, home theatre design, and other consumer electronics have been invading the home and techorating is all about making them fit into a room so that they are aesthetically pleasing. Over the last couple of years, however, techorating has migrated into many commercial applications such as the electronic digital signage space.

 

“Techorating is the next wave in digital signage,” says Melody Craigmyle, VP of marketing at Almo Pro AV, Lutherville, Md. “The concept is taking the medium to a whole different arena where it’s more about communicating a feeling or experience by using light and color to transform a space. It’s an entirely new way of thinking about the use of AV equipment as art and decoration. It further expands the possibilities for the design and user experience of AV technology.” 

 

LG’s EzSign TV allows users to easily customize messages on a personal computer and upload the content via a USB device for no additional cost. (Image courtesy of LG Electronics)

The Art of Techorating 

“Techorating is the blending of modern display technologies with the art of decorating a space to ensure that the design and electronics suit the style and function of the space,” explains Alan C. Brawn, principal at Brawn Consulting, Digital Signage Experts Group in Vista, Calif. “The successful techoration of a space can serve as a functional and decorative part of the system and in the process expand the look and feel of the environment.”  

 

Brawn recently ran a seminar on “The Art of Techorating” at Almo’s E4 AV Tour event in New York this past fall.

 

“From the digital signage perspective, techorating helps deliver the message in a more impactful manner. The concept goes beyond hanging a sign or flat panel display on a wall or on a stand and makes it part of the room instead of an afterthought,” he says.

 

Education is Key Brawn points out that sign shops looking to enter this area need to get educated with the technology. 

 

“Traditional sign shops must first learn the basics of dynamic digital signage,” he says. “The most efficient path to this knowledge is by taking the digital signage certification course offered by the Digital Signage Experts Group (www.dseg.org). There are more than 4,500 people who have completed the online course and it saves a lot of time in coming up to speed and provides a professional credential in the process that is recognized by everyone in the digital signage industry.”

 

He adds that in terms of application categories, they follow many of the same segments that the traditional sign industry serves. 

 

“Techorating as a subset of digital signage is perfect in areas where the look and design of a total environment helps promote the message. Restaurants, retail, hospitality, museums and many corporate venues are perfect,” Brawn says.

 

“Hospitality and retail can benefit greatly from signage designed to complement and enhance décor,” says Dan Smith, director for digital signage sales for LG Electronics USA Commercial Displays, Lincolnshire, Ill. “Striking advertising, content or information is only striking if consumers want to look at it. Sleek models with high-quality pictures and bright, vivid color deliver advertising and content messages clearly and directly. They achieve a level of interactivity that static signage cannot reach.”

 

Suppliers Looking to Address this Segment

Brawn reports that many electronic manufacturers have already begun to realize that marrying electronics into decor is important to designers as they address form and function by offering products such as wireless speakers, decorative wall mounts and by incorporating sleeker designs, color accents and other features into their products that simplify the process.

 

“There  are a number of hot products to use in techorating a space and technologies like those from Christie MicroTiles that let a designer offer unusual shapes and sizes in area as diverse as the walls, ceilings, soffits, and even the floors,” Brawn says. “Video walls are now relatively inexpensive and with the new thin bezel designs they can make a huge impact and appear nearly seamless. The new short-throw pico projectors are also a hot item. You can do a full wall with a short-throw projector and not have the viewer be in the light path of the display. These are not only cool to look at but very cost effective as well.”

 

The Message is Clear at LG

LG’s Smith points out that the goals in the hospitality market are different from retail, but the story is still the same.  

 

“Especially in the case of hotels, owners want their décor to match the luxury experience they’re offering,” Smith says. “LG offers a variety of display-types and features to help them. For example, many of our monitors can display images from both the vertical and horizontal position, for additional versatility. We have a variety of thin LED models, which come in black glossy or matte finishes and provide a sophisticated aesthetic. In hospitality settings, we’ve also had requests for video walls, which can transform entire lobbies with branding that matches the business’ core values.”

 

The design and engineering team at Kelley Technologies applied their experience and imagination to turn the designers’ bold visions for the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas into stunning reality. More than 400 of Samsung’s new LCD screens are being employed in video columns.

Smith says LG has a new product for hotel restaurants and bars called EzSign TV. He explains that this is their first electronic digital signage display to incorporate live TV without additional hardware. It streamlines content delivery into one place, and eliminates the need for common elements of a restaurant’s décor, like banners or specials menus.  

 

“EzSign TV is an interesting new product for techorators to consider because it marries digital signage and live TV,” Smith says. “With EzSign, traditional elements of restaurants’ décor, like banners, specials menus, etc., can be incorporated into the same displays offering entertainment.  Now, spaces that might otherwise be occupied can potentially become new design opportunities.”

 

He adds that these solutions can be built to stream content from multiple sources, including live, integrated television broadcasts, dynamic menu boards and targeted advertising and news. 

 

“LG’s family of digital signage displays offer control over how much techorating to do, offering options for a minimalist design of a few selectively placed touch-screen monitors all the way up to a massive 15" x 15" tiled wall of 47-inch super narrow bezel displays,” Smith says.

 

Screen Solutions from Samsung

“We are constantly looking at ways to improve our display panels and for ways to expand into new markets,” says Bill Beaton, senior manager, LCD marketing, Samsung Semiconductor, Inc., based in San Jose, Calif. “Our super narrow bezel products have the industry’s thinnest bezel, which provides a close-to-seamless appearance when tiling panels together. We also are looking at ways to continue to simplify the use of the products, so that smaller and medium size businesses’ end users can more easily integrate our products into their designs.”

 

Beaton points out that earlier this year Samsung launched a 22-inch transparent display that he says is perfect for retail window showcases. 

 

“The transparent LCD display allows the retailer/brand to show specifications or some complimentary content for a product to catch consumers’ attention and draw them into the store for a closer look,” Beaton says. “There are endless applications for transparent display in retail markets and beyond. We are in the very early introductory stages of market entry and are excited to see what new applications integrators, designers, architects, etc. are coming up with.” 

 

He adds that Samsung expects to introduce a larger version of its transparent LCD in the near future.

 

Samsung launched a 22-inch transparent LCD display for retail window showcases that allows the retailer/brand to show specifications or some complimentary content for a product to catch the consumers’ eye and draw them into the store. (Image courtesy of Samsung)

The Cosmopolitan Hotel Experience

Brawn says a prime example of techorating in a public space can be found at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas. Visitors to the hotel experience multiple genres within the artistic spectrum: visual art, new media, music, performance, and design all integrated into the unique landscape of the property.  

 

“The entire Cosmo Hotel is an exercise in design and techorating,” Brawn says. “They use the flat panel laden columns almost like a forest of trees to walk through and combine this look with a mirror ceiling and polished floor to mesmerize the people entering the hotel and registering for a room. It goes beyond a shorter wait time and falls into the category of an experience. They constantly change the content on the columns and the backstop of the registration area to create a new look every few minutes.”  

 

Kelley Technologies: Up to the Challenge

The video columns at the hotel were installed by Kelley Technologies, Las Vegas. Kelley’s design and engineering team applied their experience and imagination to turn the designers’ bold visions for the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas into stunning reality.

 

The design and engineering complexities of turning eight, 20-foot high, four-sided columns into the dazzling visual showcases envisioned by the designers and owners presented a unique challenge to their team.

 

“To find the right solution for making the video pillars, we conducted interviews with a number of LED signage and flat-panel display makers,” says Mark Roberts, COO at Kelley Technologies. “On the last day of the interviews, our President and CEO, Brooks Pickering, was visiting Samsung. There he saw a demonstration of some prototype ultra-thin bezel LCD screens and he knew we had the solution.”

 

“It was then up to us to design it and come up with all the processing power behind the scenes to make it run flawlessly and look so impressive,” he says. “Our team worked to blend our systems and technology experience with the Samsung (model 460UT) LCD screens to construct a genuinely unique visual experience for guests arriving at the hotel. We developed the new technologies, hardware and systems to seamlessly put in place over 400 of Samsung’s new LCD screens and take the video columns from concept to finished product.”

 

The Kelly Technologies team’s creativity extended far beyond the hotel lobby. 

 

“We were also responsible for a number of other exceptional guest experiences at the $3.9 billion hotel and casino, installing over 6,300 flat panel screens in guestrooms, restaurants, bars, and casino and pool deck,” Roberts adds.

 

Roberts says that AV is an integral part of the décor and style of the entire hotel. 

 

“The look and feel of that hotel would not have been possible five years ago,” he says. “But now with flat panel displays coming down in price, and being offered in enough sizes, it makes the whole concept more cost effective and easier to implement.”

 

Future Opportunities

Almo’s Craigmyle feels that sign shops are perfectly positioned to offer these kinds of services. “Sign shops already have a big advantage; they have the clients in place and have been working with them on static signage for years,” she says. “They also know their clients’ key messages and have the expertise in content, design, and understand the impact of how that message will have on the viewer.”

 

Going forward, Craigmyle sees the advertising element and the techorating element coming together to really speak to the public in exterior spaces. 

 

“It’s very important that shops and AV integrators get involved earlier on the projects and partner with architects, designers and IT departments,” Craigmyle says. “AV can no longer be an afterthought; it has to be an integrated part of the planning process. It’s not about just selling a sign or a flat panel display. They are going to need to become a partner, and that’s where they are going to make margins on their services and expertise they provide. I see this as a real revenue opportunity,” she adds.

 

“Sign shops already have the relationship with end users; many of them are ready to migrate to dynamic digital signage at least as a part of their signage budget,” Brawn says. “The technology that is used in techorating is relatively simple, to be honest. What is not so simple is the look and feel that the interior designer can bring to the project, and the content creation and knowledge of what makes signage effective that the traditional sign companies can provide,” he says.