The ultimate checklist to help you find the right display solution

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The old saying ‘a picture says more than a thousand words’ has never been more relevant than in the age of digitalization. Today, business intelligence, big data and analytics are uncovered and represented visually in the form of text, graphics, images and videos. Large screen visualization solutions enable the digital transformation across all industries. From control rooms, board rooms to specific engineering visualization rooms, there are endless applications. Yet, not every digital visualization solution is equal. And not every solution will serve the same need. There are three main display technologies on offer: DLP (Digital Light Processing) projection, tiled LCD panels (Liquid Crystal Display) and LED walls (Light Emitting Diode). Each has its pros and cons. Therefore, it can be challenging for organizations to know how to compare these options and to understand which criteria will matter for their needs.

There are a few guidelines to take into consideration when deciding which technology to adopt for your visualization and collaboration spaces. This checklist exercise is a good method to eliminate non-suitable options for your given case. Therefore, such an exercise should be done as early in the process as possible to ensure that all relevant factors have been taken into consideration. The design principles used within Cyviz are doing all of this to ensure the highest quality and end results of a given project, and in this article we outline the main factors to consider when deciding on display solutions. Also, it aims to help decision-makers to find the right fit for their space and budget. Here are the steps to get you going:

1. Start with the user experience
2. Think about the application type
3. Consider ergonomics and environment requirements
4. Remember the total cost of ownership

The user experience

The starting point is to define the fundamental principles of a good user experience. Decision-makers should ensure that the solution delivers the following:

1. A display size in proportion to the room size for all viewers to be able to see. This is pretty basic.
2. The content should in addition be readable to all participants. Another fairly basic requirement.
3. It should offer a collaborative experience, that encourages interaction and engagement, between participants and with the content. This is where the additional value is delivered!

The type of application

• Operations timeframe. Is it an office hour space for meetings or a 24/7 environment like control rooms and operations centers?  Are there specific requirements or challenges for support and services? To reduce service intervals on an offshore platform for instance, the use of a solid-state illumination source to avoid the high frequency of lamp replacement could be an option.
• Content and image quality. The type of content will decide whether a seamless image or one with bezels is acceptable. A control room environment will be more forgiving for the bezel than a high-end boardroom where spreadsheets cells cannot be compromised by bezels. On the other hand, a seamless image in a control room provides choice and flexibility to change content and applications.

The physical space including ergonomics and environmental requirements

• The brightness and ambient light in the room, windows size and positioning, will determine the required brightness and contrast of the display.
• The seating arrangement will influence the screen size and required pixel size.
• The room design and layout will play a big part, where walls and support pillars need to be taken into consideration when positioning and choosing the display to assure a functional room with good viewing angles.
• The walls and floors composition and strength must be able to support the weight of the display, and there must be room to house the chosen display option.
• Noise and heat dissipation may impact the climate and the room environment.

Don’t forget the total cost of ownership

Finally, when considering different display solutions or video wall options, decision-makers need to consider the total cost of ownership. Beyond the cost of design, equipment, delivery and installation, the cost of support and maintenance must be included, as well as potential downtime when maintenance is required. For example, a lamp based solution will be cheaper upfront but more expensive to maintain. More maintenance means more downtime.

Cyviz takes a unique approach to designing collaboration and meeting spaces. We take responsibility from A to Z. Our design team’s expertise ranges from designing mechanical rigs, to selecting furniture and advising on viewing distance. They will even get involved with the colors of the walls in the room. This knowledge is essential when testing, proofing and selecting the components, and ultimately this sets the scene for the user experience.

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[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]https://www.cyviz.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/0.jpg[/author_image] [author_info]Evodie Fleury works as Product Marketing Manager at Cyviz. She has spent time working in technology across products, marketing and people for 7 years.[/author_info] [/author]