OUTPUT

I saw the remastered version of the 1993 dinosaur classic Jurassic Park a couple of weeks ago, in which there's a scene where Lex discovers the touchscreen information panel in one of the park's 4x4s. Not as interesting as the raging Tyrannosaurus rex, perhaps, but certainly ahead of its time, and an indication of how far digital signage for information has come. Eighteen years ago, a touchscreen was something to get excited about; now the technology is used for such everyday chores as buying a train ticket, or even making a phone call. Therefore it's sometimes a little easy to get complacent about it. Fortunately, the now established Digital Signage Best Practice Award scheme at the Viscom Düsseldorf trade fair reminds us how useful, lucrative and downright cool digital signage applications can be.

Several of the winners expanded the interactivity inherent in touchscreens to the application itself, such as the Miele VirtuReal Kitchen, a planning tool for people designing their kitchens. Using both touch and gesture controls, consumers can literally see how Miele stoves, cooking tops and exhaust hoods would look together in their homes. Similarly, a special award went to eyefactive for its MultiTouch counter, a 6m-long touch-sensitive counter surface designed to let several visitors to Mann+Hummel's stand at an automotive trade fair flick through the company's product range simultaneously.

Lower-end, more commonplace applications – with a twist, of course – were recognised in the Digital Signage Best Practice Awards too. The Guiding Signage prize went to ECE Projektmanagement and dimedis's shopping centre customer information and guiding system, through which shoppers can search for a specific destination 'intuitively in several languages', says Viscom. All searches are saved in the system, allowing the mall's marketers to keep an eye on popularity. Another award winner was Scala, for its interactive ordering system for the Holyfields restaurant chain, which allows diners to select and order dishes via illustrated touchscreen terminals positioned in the foyer. Once the food is ready, the guest, now seated at the table, receives a notification.

What strikes me about these award recipients – and the final winner, the Campus Media network, designed to provide up-to-date information to users – is their utter usability. There are some ingenious designs for glasses-free 3D, augmented reality, immersive digital displays around, but it's hard to see how these can become more than exciting interactive treats, and to be absorbed into the everyday world, to achieve indispensability for regular transactions. Having said that, when watching Jurassic Park in 1993 we may have wondered how touchscreens could be integrated into our workaday lives, so who knows what will come next.