Get practical advice from experts on systems, communications, content and design. Whether you’re using digital signage, or just considering it, we can help you communicate better. DSDR has won a 2022 Gold Quill Award, a 2022 Gold MarCom Award, a 2021 AVA Digital Award Gold, 2021 Silver Davey Award & 2020 Communicator Award of Excellence, and on numerous top 10 podcast lists. https://www.visix.com/news/visix-digital-signage-done-right-ranks-as-top-communications-podcast-for-2020/
Episodes
Tuesday Sep 19, 2023
Tuesday Sep 19, 2023
EPISODE 123 | Guest: Fanette Ronjat, professional services consultant for Visix
We’re drowning in data. Every organization has statistics, goals, deadlines and other info that they need to communicate to their employees, students, visitors and stakeholders. Making sure that data is accurate, timely and easy to understand is paramount. Data-driven content on digital signs can help.
In this episode, we walk through different types of data feeds, how best to get them onto screens, and the benefits and hurdles of designing good data-driven content for displays.
- Understand the benefits of data-driven content
- Hear lots of examples of what you can put on digital signs
- Learn when to use text and when to use data visualizations
- Explore the common mistakes and challenges involved
- Discover how Visix digital signage software and services can help
See the full transcript HERE
Get more content ideas and inspiration in our Masterclass Guide 3: Digital Signage Content
Tuesday Sep 05, 2023
Tuesday Sep 05, 2023
VUCA & How Digital Signage Can Help
EPISODE 122 | Guest: Debbie DeWitt, marketing communications manager for Visix
In this episode, we look at how business leaders and communicators can prepare for and react to the real and perceived effects of VUCA – Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity. To meet these challenges, they need to be diligent, flexible and adaptable at speed.
A good digital signage system can be an extremely valuable tool for delivering real-time, targeted and motivating communications to employees, stakeholders and the organization as a whole.
Join us as we explore how digital signage can help you adapt, communicate and lead with agility in a VUCA world, where change is constant, and uncertainty is the only certainty.
- Learn the origin of VUCA and why it should matter to you
- Understand why flexibility, adaptability and speed are crucial
- Hear four reasons digital signage is a great tool in a VUCA environment
- Explore how to combat VUCA with Vision, Understanding, Clarity and Agility
- Get content ideas to combat each of the four VUCA attributes
See the full transcript HERE
Get more communications advice in our free guide: Digital Signage Communications Planning
Tuesday Aug 22, 2023
Tuesday Aug 22, 2023
Benefits and Tips for Digital Directories
EPISODE 121 | Guest: Jill Perardi, director of professional services for Visix
Giving people attractive, easy-to-read digital directories can save them time and improve the visitor experience. The trick is to plan ahead, know your audience’s needs and give them just enough information on screen.
We’ll walk you through the best practices and most common mistakes in digital directory design. Whether you’re using our digital signage software or need a custom directory design, this episode will get you started with practical tips and advice.
- Hear the benefits of digital directories over printed signs and placards
- Get advice on where to put your screen or kiosk
- Learn about auto-updating directories tied to data sources
- Explore different ways to make your directory interactive
- Understand the basics of good directory design
See the FULL TRANSCRIPT
Grab our free infographic 8 Advantages of a Digital Directory
Tuesday Aug 08, 2023
Tuesday Aug 08, 2023
The Evolution of Booking Spaces
EPISODE 120 | Guest: Trey Hicks, COO & CSO of Visix, Inc.
People need to meet, work and thrive, no matter how their workplace or work schedule is organized. As hybrid models incorporate more office hoteling, hotdesking and other shared workspace policies, tech tools are having to adapt to meet more modern standards.
In this episode, we step through the history and challenges of space booking and how different technologies have improved the experience. We also give an overview of our new Choros WebAR space booking platform – the latest innovation for booking spaces.
- Hear about the challenges of booking spaces before digital tools came along
- Learn about the various room sign solutions that have been introduced
- Discover the pros and cons of using space booking apps
- Understand how simple QR codes can facilitate faster, easier reservations
- Explore the advantages of BYOD space booking with Choros
See the FULL TRANSCRIPT
Get our free infographic 12 Ways to Streamline Space Booking here.
Tuesday Jul 25, 2023
Tuesday Jul 25, 2023
Connect without Corporate Jargon
EPISODE 119 | Guest: Jennifer King, executive communication coach
Corporate jargon is something that’s used in every workplace, but does it serve the audience or the speaker? Jargon has its place and might be efficient, but it can often dilute, obfuscate and even offend. To communicate effectively, the needs of the listener have to be prioritized. Otherwise, things can go very wrong.
Thoughtful, intentional language is what’s needed to connect with today’s employees, visitors and customers. In every context, communicators need to remember that their target audience is people.
- Understand why each interaction needs to be treated as unique
- Explore specific jargon terms, and how they’re used and misused
- Consider what unintentional messages certain language might be conveying
- Hear how some terms can be dehumanizing
- Learn which terms need to be discarded and which ones to keep
See the FULL TRANSCRIPT
See more about Jennifer’s coaching by clicking this link
Tuesday Jul 11, 2023
Tuesday Jul 11, 2023
Common Technical Mistakes to Avoid
EPISODE 118 | Guest: Joe Murray, technical operations manager and lead systems engineer for Visix
We want to be sure that your digital signage software implementation goes as smoothly as possible. To that end, we’ve rounded up some of the most common technical mistakes we’ve seen in the past so you can avoid them. This is an episode we think your IT team will very much appreciate.
In this episode, Joe Murray walks us through some of the more common issues that can crop up before, during and after implementation, and gives practical tips on how to avoid them.
- Learn the reasoning behind installing prerequisites on your own hardware
- Explore the importance of domain policies, publishing ports and SSL certificates
- Understand our three authentication types and why you should choose one early
- Prevent misunderstandings about the OS version on Visix media players
- Hear about wifi for players, video codecs and Windows Authentication on home PCs
See the FULL TRANSCRIPT
For more systems info, download our free Masterclass Guide 1: Digital Signage Systems Overview.
Tuesday Jun 27, 2023
Tuesday Jun 27, 2023
Quick Guide to Digital Signage Benefits
EPISODE 117 | Guest: Debbie DeWitt, marketing communications manager for Visix
The case has certainly been made for businesses needing digital signage, but what, specifically, can and should you put on your screens? In this episode, we give you a quick guide with 14 digital signage benefits and content ideas in just over 15 minutes.
Whether you have a digital signage system or are considering one, these tips will help you understand how digital signage can better engage your audience with dynamic visual communications.
- Hear how digital signage can actually save you time
- Explore realtime metrics and event schedules that auto-update
- Discover ideas for improving space management
- Understand why the visitor experience is everything these days
- Learn how your digital signs can become a source of revenue
See the FULL TRANSCRIPT
For a wrap up of these quick tips, download our infographic: 14 Things Digital Signage Can Do For You
Tuesday Jun 13, 2023
Tuesday Jun 13, 2023
IC23 InfoComm Preview of New Products
EPISODE 116 | Guest: Sean Matthews, president & CEO of Visix
In this InfoComm preview, hear all about the three (count ‘em, three) new products Visix will unveil at this year’s show that all aim to greatly improve the user experience. There’s support for a digital signage player that’s becoming ubiquitous, an affordable solution for office hoteling and hotdesking, and a brand new product that aims to completely disrupt the room booking industry and mindset.
- Hear about Visix digital signage support for the BrightSign player
- Explore the benefits of the new pocket-sized EPS 42 E Ink sign for office hoteling
- Discover how the hybrid workplace is changing habits and expectations
- Learn about Visix’s disruptive new space booking product Choros
- Get information on where to find Visix at InfoComm 2023
See the full transcript HERE
Find out more about our new products premiering at IC23 here.
Tuesday May 30, 2023
Tuesday May 30, 2023
Digital Signage Today & Tomorrow
EPISODE 115 | Guest: Daniel Brown, editor of Digital Signage Today
The digital signage space is facing a period of rapid change that shifts the focus to the audience and the experience, instead of the message and the product. Innovations in workflows and approaches are being augmented by technological advances like holograms, IoT, AR and AI. Sustainability considerations have also come to the forefront of everyone’s minds. And, as always, it’s ultimately about the content you put up on your screens.
- Learn why it’s all about the user experience today
- Understand why DEI is important for today’s audiences
- Hear how academic research is impacting the ways businesses communicate
- Discover how coopetition is changing the way businesses interact with each other
- Explore how advances in holograms and mixed reality are impacting many diverse sectors, from branding to healthcare
See the FULL TRANSCRIPT
To see the latest in the world of digital signage on Digital Signage Today, CLICK HERE
Tuesday May 16, 2023
Tuesday May 16, 2023
Digital Donor Walls: Benefits & Tips
EPISODE 114 | Guest: Jill Perardi, director or professional services for Visix
Digital donor walls are being used by companies, non-profits, hospitals, schools and other organizations to celebrate and encourage philanthropy. Studies have proven that recognizing donors with a well-designed presentation on big screens can drive more donations than static plaques.
In this episode, Jill Perardi shares her design expertise and real-world client stories about the advantages of using digital donor walls to recognize donors and encourage giving.
- Hear the benefits of digital donor walls and why they’re better than plaques
- Discover how to create effective donor walls for static or interactive screens
- Learn about preparation and budgeting for a digital donor wall
- Understand the importance of good digital design and ADA compliance
- Explore the use of multiple screens, touchscreens and audio
See the full transcript by clicking HERE
Get more design tips in our Masterclass 4: Digital Signage Design Guide by clicking HERE
Tuesday May 02, 2023
Tuesday May 02, 2023
Use AI to Create Content Today
EPISODE 113 | Guest: Debbie DeWitt, marketing communications manager for Visix, Inc.
AI is a hot topic these days, but can it really be used to help with digital signage content and other communications efforts? The short answer is, yes. Using just a few tools, and a basic knowledge of prompts, anyone can use AI tools to generate ideas and suggestions, text, images, videos and more.
Listen to find out how you can use AI to create content right now, and get lots of practical advice and links to get you started.
- Understand how AI can help generate text for messages and campaigns
- Discover AI tools for graphics, images and videos
- Explore how prompts work and what to include in them
- Hear how AI can act as an editor, scheduler and motivator
- Get links to online tools you can start using today
See the full transcript by clicking HERE
For more content inspiration, download our Masterclass Guide 3: Digital Signage Content HERE
Tuesday Apr 18, 2023
Tuesday Apr 18, 2023
EPISODE 112 | AI Personas & Ethics
Guest: Josh Bachynski, AI innovator and thought leader
Do you have certain employee groups or demographics you’d like to communicate with more effectively? Can you identify your ideal audience representative? Artificial intelligence can help, but Using AI tools to create personas and improve communication requires a solid understanding of their capabilities and limitations.
In this episode, we continue our conversation with Josh Bachynski to explore the current state of AI tools and how communicators can use them, what the future may hold, and the ethical considerations that will need to guide our development and use of these technologies.
- Learn what personas are and how to create them using AI tools
- Find out how AI can help you communicate better using employee personas
- Understand the importance of learning how to leverage AI tools ASAP
- Recognize the limitations and pitfalls inherent in current AI tools
- Explore the ethical implications of using AI for business decisions
To see the FULL TRANSCRIPT, click HERE
Connect with Josh Bachynski on LinkedIn to talk about how you can use AI in your business today.
Tuesday Apr 04, 2023
Tuesday Apr 04, 2023
EPISODE 111 | Adapting to the AI Age
Guest: Josh Bachynski, AI innovator and thought leader
The information age is over. The AI age is here. With ChatGPT, Bard and other AI-powered chat agents exploding onto the scene, how we search for and interact with information is changing rapidly, and will continue to evolve at breakneck speed. Communicators will have to adapt quickly to adopt and leverage these tools.
In this episode, we have an insightful and thought-provoking discussion with Josh Bachynski, an innovator and thought leader in technology and artificial intelligence, on the current and future implications of AI for communicators and society at large.
- Discover different AI categories and what’s available now.
- Explore how AI will evolve and affect us in the very near future.
- Learn about AI use in internal communications and marketing.
- Discuss AI-powered chat agents, their advantages and limitations.
- Get links and recommendations to start using AI chat agents today.
For the FULL TRANSCRIPT, click this link
Connect with Josh Bachynski on LinkedIn to talk about how he can use AI to help your business today.
Tuesday Mar 21, 2023
Tuesday Mar 21, 2023
6 Growing Content Trends for Digital Signage
EPISODE 110 | Guest: Ellyce Kelly, professional services consultant for Visix
Content is anything you put on screens. Coming up with the subjects and formats for your visual communications is a daily challenge that shouldn’t be dictated by your content management software. To engage viewers, messaging needs to be driven by your audience’s interests, needs and expectations. Content trends aren’t only about what you say, but also how you say it.
In this episode, Ellyce Kelly walks us through six of the digital signage content trends we’re seeing. Get practical tips for new and expanded content to bring your messaging in line with current tastes.
- Understand why keeping up with content trends is important
- Learn about purpose-led and people-first communications
- Get tips on why and how to produce video snippets
- Explore increased data visualizations and interactivity
- Consider alerts as part of your content strategy
For the FULL TRANSCRIPT, click this link here
Get more content trends and ideas in our Masterclass Guide 3: Digital Signage Content here
Tuesday Mar 07, 2023
Tuesday Mar 07, 2023
Internal Communication Trends for 2023
EPISODE 109 | Guest: Debbie DeWitt, marketing communications manager for Visix
In the post-pandemic world, organizations have not only changed their physical footprints and in-office policies, they’ve had to reevaluate their priorities and processes to attract and retain valuable talent. The stopgaps that emerged in 2020 have evolved into more permanent, human-centric forms that are leveraging new tech and trends to meet reimagined goals.
In this episode, we step through 12 internal communication trends taken from experts and surveys across the industry, with practical tips you can start using today.
- Understand how collaboration tools and techniques have evolved
- Hear how visual content is being prioritized across communication mediums
- Explore the “Purpose Revolution” and the roll of frontline management and leadership
- Discover how communicators are prioritizing mobile, personalization and alignment
- Learn how AI, analytics and evidence-based communications are changing everything
See the FULL TRANSCRIPT
Get more advice in our free Masterclass Guide on Digital Signage Communications Planning
Tuesday Feb 21, 2023
Tuesday Feb 21, 2023
ISE 2023 Wrap Up
EPISODE 108 | Guest: Brian Galante, president and co-founder of Dimension PR
Trade shows are one of the most important ways that vendors can introduce new products, check in on technology trends and form lasting partnerships. For the first time in years, crowds are returning to the show floor in full force to see what’s new in the AV/IT industry.
In this episode, we get a quick wrap-up of the major themes and products on show at this year’s Integrated Systems Europe show from Brian Galante.
- Get the skinny on show attendance and vendor partnerships
- Explore the growing crossover between residential and commercial markets
- Delve into the main themes of the event: immersion, collaboration and sustainability
- Look at hot products on the show floor: holograms, audio innovations and powerless displays
- Hear about new space booking tech and trends for the modern workplace
Get the full transcript here
Learn more about Integrated Systems Europe here
Tuesday Feb 07, 2023
Tuesday Feb 07, 2023
How Digital Signage Helps Facility Managers
EPISODE 107 | Guest: Sean Matthews, president & CEO of Visix, Inc.
Facility managers have to keep the big picture in mind while juggling a lot of disparate systems and teams. Using enterprise digital signage software can help pull those systems together for a unified visual communications strategy. Combine message management with event schedules, wayfinding, emergency alerts and even space management – all managed from a single UI. Not only can it reduce workload and waste, but it also adds up to better employee, customer and visitor experiences.
- Understand how digital signage fits into facility management
- Hear how digital signage helps facilities remain relevant and competitive
- Learn how integrated communications are more effective
- Explore interactivity for events, wayfinding, menu and donor boards
- Discover affordable e ink solutions for space management
See the FULL TRANSCRIPT
For more systems info, download our free white paper: Simplify and Diversify Facility Management with Digital Signage
Tuesday Jan 24, 2023
Tuesday Jan 24, 2023
How to Choose the Right Digital Signage Player
EPISODE 106 | Guest: Joe Murray, technical operations manager and lead systems engineer for Visix
Digital signage is a system, and that system includes displays, content management software and some specialized hardware to get your content to the screens. Choosing the right hardware depends on what your content is, how many screens you’re feeding and where you want your media players to live.
Joe Murray walks us through the full line of Visix digital signage players and gives practical tips for how to choose the best options for your content strategy.
- Understand what a digital signage player does
- Learn why OS, processor and other specs are critical
- Discover different mounting options for various form factors
- Hear specs and use cases for Visix media players
- Explore HTML5 playback options
See the FULL TRANSCRIPT
For more systems info, download our free Masterclass Guide 1: Digital Signage Systems Overview.
See player specs on our webpage here: Digital Signage Media Players
Tuesday Jan 10, 2023
Tuesday Jan 10, 2023
Designing Menu Boards for Screens
EPISODE 105 | Guest: Jill Perardi, director of professional services for Visix
Menus can go digital and contain as much information as you like. But designing menu boards is not the same as creating paper menus, so you need to keep a few things in mind to have maximum effect and provide the best customer experience possible.
In this episode, Jill Perardi walks us through some best practices, and shares real-world successes and misfires you can learn from:
- Understand the difference between printed and digital menus
- Learn some design tips to make your menus easy to read
- Hear how auto-updating content simplifies things
- Discover how good menu board design affects revenues
- Explore the possibilities of interactivity
Get the FULL TRANSCRIPT
Get more design tips in our Masterclass 4: Digital Signage Design Guide
Tuesday Dec 27, 2022
Tuesday Dec 27, 2022
10 Digital Signage Tips in Under 10 Minutes
EPISODE 104 | Guest: Ellyce Kelly, professional services consultant for Visix, Inc.
As we approach the year’s end, we’re giving you our quick countdown of 10 digital signage tips that you can start using right now. Or you can work these into your content strategy when you get back to the office in the new year. Either way, isn’t it worth just 10 minutes of your time to improve your visual communications?
See the FULL TRANSCRIPT
Get more advice in our free Masterclass Guide on Digital Signage Communications Planning
Tuesday Dec 13, 2022
Tuesday Dec 13, 2022
Why Your Business Needs a Digital Signage System
EPISODE 103 | Guest: Debbie DeWitt, marketing communications manager for Visix
No matter what size organization you have, business digital signage is a necessary tool to engage employees, increase their productivity and further your business goals. This is just as true with a hybrid workplace as it is for someplace where everyone is on site all the time.
In this episode, we talk about how digital signage can help unify a disparate workforce, enhancing their interactions with your company and reminding them that they’re still part of a team.
- Explore the difference between business digital signage and retail signage
- Hear different benefits for different sized organizations
- Learn how to include remote workers
- Understand how localization makes your content relevant
- Discover how simple managing a digital signage system can be
See the FULL TRANSCRIPT
For more ideas, get our free white paper: Employee Engagement in the Digital Workplace
Tuesday Nov 29, 2022
Tuesday Nov 29, 2022
9 Quick Digital Design Tips
EPISODE 102 | Host: Derek DeWitt, communications specialist for Visix
Whether you’re designing for digital signage software, PowerPoint presentations, social media or downloadable resources, you’ve got to nail the basics to break through to your audience. In addition to good graphic design, you need to understand your audience and the context of your messaging to communicate effectively.
In this episode, we give you nine practical digital design tips you can start using today to attract more viewers, engage them longer and ensure your communications are motivating them to act.
- Understand how knowing your endpoint resolution is crucial
- Explore six basic design principles (contrast, colors, fonts, etc.)
- Learn to organize visual information for more impact
- Hear how colorblindness, eye strain and ADA guidelines affect designs
- Discover multiple ways to get your audience to interact and provide feedback
Get the FULL TRANSCRIPT
Download our handy infographic to take these tips with you.
Tuesday Nov 15, 2022
Tuesday Nov 15, 2022
Digital Signs for Hotels & Hospitality
EPISODE 101 | Guest: Dave Leo, region sales manager – North Central for Visix
Digital signs for hotels and other hospitality venues are the most efficient way to communicate large amounts of timely information to visitors in an environment that’s constantly changing. Anything from wayfinding to advertising and even flight information can be updated quickly and easily on screens to give people the best guest experience possible.
And today it’s even easier to use this technology. Cloud-hosted options mean no more server rooms, and events and other feeds can be pulled from elsewhere to populate displays with eye-catching content that people want to see. Weather, alerts and other streams can all be automated to save your staff time and free them up for more personalized guest service.
- Hear examples of how digital signs are being used by hotels
- Discover how seamless it is to integrate with scheduling systems
- Explore interactive wayfinding, emergency alerts and other content ideas
- Understand the power of under-the-hood analytics
- Learn how cloud solutions and third-party content can streamline system management
See the FULL TRANSCRIPT
For more information, download our free white paper: Maximize the Guest Experience with Digital Signage for Hotels and Resorts
Tuesday Nov 01, 2022
Tuesday Nov 01, 2022
Using Design Themes on Your Screens
EPISODE 100 | Guest: Debbie DeWitt, marketing communications manager for Visix
Design themes are super useful for both launching and maintaining momentum on a digital signage system. It helps you maintain consistency, helps reinforce your branding and it makes things a lot easier for multiple content contributors. Most importantly, it makes your screens look good.
In this episode, we’ll walk through the different element of a digital signage design theme, talk about why you need one, and give you lots of inspiration and links to get started.
- Understand what a design theme includes
- Learn the benefits of using themes for digital signage
- Get ideas for different types of design themes
- Discover where to find theme inspiration
- Hear about different ways to create a theme
See the FULL TRANSCRIPT
Get more screen design advice in our Masterclass Guide 4: Digital Signage Design
Tuesday Oct 18, 2022
Tuesday Oct 18, 2022
Digital Signage Analytics & Why It Matters
EPISODE 99 | Trey Hicks, COO & CSO of Visix, Inc.
A powerful tool for any communications efforts is digital signage analytics, which can not only give you an overview of how successful your messaging is but can also help drill down to something as granular as individual contributors.
In this episode, Trey Hicks from Visix discusses why analytics matters, what to look at and how to use that data to help achieve your digital signage objectives.
- Learn what makes analytics data meaningful
- Discover data tools that may be already built into your system
- Understand the power of reports
- Explore how power users can help others in the organization
- Hear how to share analytics results effectively
See the FULL TRANSCRIPT
See our blog on analytics: The Value of Communications Analytics