In today’s world, there are so many choices, that it’s hard to know which technology is the right fit for you and your needs. This article will help you understand some key questions you should ask yourself when choosing technology for your venue or event. By understanding your goals, target audience, and risks, you can make an informed decision about the right solution, as not every innovative technology will solve every problem.
Questions you should ask
If you’re looking for an interactive and fun installation, you might wonder which technology is right for you. To make the best choice, you have to understand your needs. Here at Gluk Media, we always start by asking essential questions to help you find the best solution.
Some key questions are: what type of information do you wish to display? Who is the target audience? What is your goal? What do you want to achieve with this immersive solution? Where do you want to integrate it – museum premises or online?vBy understanding your goals, target audience, and other aspects, you can make an informed decision about the right technology.
What’s your goal?
When it comes to technology, what is your goal? It’s an important question to ask yourself before you invest time and money into an interactive installation. New ways to display information can be a great way to achieve many different goals, but it is essential to understand your own needs and what you’re looking for in technology. To specify it, we would ask – what do you want your user to get? What do you want them to feel, know and do after experiencing it? Some might answer:
- We want to inform users about great attraction points in our national park and hope he gets interested and knows their next destination point;
- We want to impress users by showing our national park-related content. We want it to be impactful, Instagram-able, and leave users with positive emotions.
These are different goals and different technologies are needed to achieve them. For example, to improve communication with visitors, you might consider installing an interactive terminal on museum premises. Though if your goal is to create a more impactful installation, you might consider projection mapping or a gesture-based controlled solution. It’s necessary to understand your needs and what you’re looking for in technology before making a final decision. By taking the time to answer these questions, you’ll be able to choose the right technology for your interactive installation.
How much information would you like to convey?
Knowing how much information you want to convey will help you choose the right technology. Ensure you do not have too much or too little, as this can lead to users not understanding your message. The level of detail you want to share with your users will determine the technology. For example, a simple video display might suffice if all you need is to show a looping video. However, if you want viewers to interact with the installation, you need technology that allows that, such as QR codes, gesture control, or tactile solution.
Also, if you want to deliver a lot of information, something like an interactive terminal or a book might be the best option. Otherwise, if you only want to provide a small amount of information and focus on the visual effect to create a WOW feeling and positive emotions, then using a tactile solution or VR / AR experience might be better. When thinking of information scope, do not forget to look from the users’ perspective – is it interesting for them?
Who’s your target audience?
When choosing technology for an interactive installation, it is necessary to consider who your target audience is. Different technologies can be better suited for different audiences, so choose one that will meet the needs of your specific audience. Answer the following questions:
- Will this technology be interesting for my visitors? – you won’t surprise a teenager with QR codes or touch screens anymore.
- Will my target audience understand how to use it? Will they willingly do it? – if you focus on an elderly audience, do not use too complicated tech. It has to be simple.
Quick immersive solutions more easily attract groups of people. So think of what your users want to do and help them to experience it with specially tailored solutions.
How much time users will have?
How much time users will have with the technology will affect their experience. So find a balance that allows users to interact with the technology enjoyably. If users only have a short amount of time, choose the technology that is easy to use, the content provided is manageable to crunch and instructions are available at a reach of a hand. Otherwise, users may feel frustrated or confused, not knowing where to start or what to do. For such cases you need to focus on short attention catchers and fast message delivery solutions – AR screens, like Magic mirror, AR tablets, or interactive walls. If users usually have more time, then information points (terminals), VR experiences, and various gaming solutions are a way to go.
Now, if users have a lot of time, they can afford to be more creative with your technology. You can provide more information since users will have plenty of time to explore everything at their own pace. Just be sure not to overwhelm them with too much information at once.
Where will it be used?
Another thing to consider is whether the installation will be indoors or outdoors. If outdoors, then weatherproofing might be a concern, as not only the content but the hardware depend on it as well.
Next is whether the installation will be in a secure space. In a public area, durability and vandal resistance might be concerns, while in private – aesthetics might matter.
Furthermore, consider whether the installation will be part of a temporary event or permanent. A short-term exposition needs to have portability and set-up time solved. If it is part of a permanent installation, then the space required for installation sturdiness will be a thing to consider.
Finally, another question to consider is what kind of environment the installation will be in. Crowded spaces direct to choose a technology that takes as little space as possible. If it’s in a loud environment, then headphones might be preferable. If it’s in bright sunlight-lit premises, then AR tracking might not work correctly. If it might encounter harsh conditions, then ruggedness might be a concern.
Each of these questions can help narrow down the field of potential technologies. We are sure that answering all these questions will make you understand which technologies are more relevant and which are impossible to implement. You can download our questionnaire or contact us to discuss your unique situation.