Digital Signage

As for our assignment 1 in environmental design which is to come up with a design for a signage, I chose to model a digital signage for 1 Utama which is an LCD monitor directory for easy navigation of the whole shopping centre. It includes maps and and directory of shops,restaurants and etc.

According to Wikipedia :

Digital signage is a form of electronic display that shows information, advertising and other messages. Digital signs (such as LCD, LED, plasma display, or projected images) can be found in public and private environments, such as retail stores and corporate buildings.

Digital Signage Displays are most usually controlled by basic Personal Computers by way of proprietary software programs, avoiding any large capital outlays for the controller equipment.

Advertising using digital signage is a form of out-of-home advertising in which content and messages are displayed on digital signs with a common goal of delivering targeted messages to specific locations at specific times. This is often called "digital out of home" or abbreviated as DOOH.

The benefits of digital signage over static signs, in situations where changing signs are preferred over static signs, are that the content can be exchanged more easily, animations can be shown, and the signs can adapt to the context and audience, even interactively. Digital signage can offer superior return on investment compared to temporary and/or promotional signs made from other substrates.

This is the digital signage in 1 Utama:

These are some examples of digital signage:

About 1 Utama Shopping Centre

1 UTAMA SHOPPING CENTRE

Wittily tag lined "It's all in one!", top Malaysian shopping destination 1 Utama Shopping Centre is indisputably a premier lifestyle and entertainment mecca with something for everyone.

Nestled in MSC Malaysia Cybercentre status township Bandar Utama, the award-winning shopping centre has gone on to redefine the shopping scene, achieving many industry firsts such as the Skybridge, a lush tropical Rainforest inside the mail and its Secret Garden, South East Asia's largest rooftop garden.

Spanning over 5 million sq ft and boasting 6 retail levels for your shopping pleasure, a day in 1 Utama is a day well spent. Browse through blue-chip department stores, speciality attractions and entertainment galore - a fine combination of over 650 trendy shops for an experience like no other. 1 Utama is also within walking distance to luxurious 5-star One World Hotel and high rise offices Plaza IBM, KPMG Tower and 1 First Avenue.

For easier navigation, 1 Utama has various themed zones: Highstreet, Oval, Rainforest, Secret Garden, Promenade, Promenade Lakeside, Centre Court, Courtyard, Sportszone and the Entertainment Zone.

Highstreet :

Stay one fashionable step ahead of others at this high fashion zone. Highstreet opens up endless style opportunities with its fine selection of fashion labels. Abuzz with edgy fashion and the latest designer collections, Highstreet's appeal is undeniable.

Oval :

You can catch the latest happening at the Oval zone. With its unique architectural shape, the Oval takes pride in being one of the largest promotional spaces to be offered in a Malaysian shopping centre, providing complete flexibility for a variety of events.

Rainforest :

Take a break from shopping at 1 Utama's Rainforest, a specially conceived area that features koi ponds, suspension bridge and lush foliage, right at the heart of the mall. Relax in a calm setting replete with fresh water fish swimming in our expansive aquarium.

Entertainment Zone :

Dedicated to movie buffs, gamers and karaoke enthusiasts, the Entertainment Zone is a definite spot you'll love to be in. With state of the art 13-screen Golden Screen Cinemas, CrossFire arcade and Neway karaoke centre, you are sure to find fun and leisure that's to your liking.

Sportszone :

Featuring 36-lane bowling centre U-Bowl, popular gym Celebrity Fitness. Asia's largest indoor rock climbing Camp5 and 1 Utama's rooftop attractions It's a Hit! Batting Cages and Padang is the Sportszone.

Promenade Lakeside :

This adventurous section of the mall lets you learn how to scuba dive from professionals and partake in plenty of F&B outlets serving resort-styled delicacies and mouth-watering food.

Secret Garden :

A popular tourist attraction is the Secret Garden, an elaborate showcase of 500 species of exotic flora. Each plant is specially created on a bed of bio-carbon soil and meticulously nurtured by a team of renowned botanists.

Centre Court :

For family fun, Centre Court offers a variety of retail shops know for its simple charm and ambience.

reference : http://www.1utama.com.my/

Navigational Design

The first blog entry that we'll be talking about is Navigational Design.

It is the design of method of finding one's way

around the information structure.

Usually can be found in a public place such as shopping mall, parks, office buildings, hotels, galleries, showrooms, exhibitions and much more.

navigational design is important as a part of a structure of a place. It helps people to find their ways easily and effectively to where they wanted

to go.

It is such as signages, navigation maps, electronic information centers, etc.

Here are some images of them;

ATM signage at a shopping mall

Digital Sign in a convention centre

A hotel sign board

toilet sign in a mall

1 Utama Shopping Centre

I picked 1 Utama Shopping Centre as my research because of its informative and well-structured navigational design.

1. The first thing that i saw when entering the mall was the signage of floor level stated near the escalator,which indicates where am I now and what is the next level on the upper floor.

See picture below;

The pink color signage shows on which level you are now and the orange signage shows the next level above. Simple but smart. The signages do not take a lot of space for people to walk through and are located at a suitable position which people can differentiate lower ground and upper ground.

2. These are the signage symbols to exit door, toilet, toilet for disables and diaper changing room.
The only thing i would comment on these signs are that they are located further from the places it directed to and somehow confusing for people to search. Whats good is that its clear enough to see the signs even from far.

3. As you can see in the picture, there is a big 'H' sign hanged by the pillars. That 'H' is actually stands for 'high street' to classify one area from another.

4. These are some of the signages which classifies certain areas for certain products.

5. All the details and maps of the areas in One Utama mall can be found in the

1 Utama Digital Directory.

Introduction

Salam,

My name is Siti Khodijah Azhar. Bachelor of Multimedia (Honours) Media Innovation. This blog is dedicated for the studies of Environmental Design MMI 1023. Research and studies will be posted soon. Welcome and enjoy:)

Bye!