The University of Edinburgh’s Visitor Centre offers visitors, including alumni and tourists, a dedicated location for advice and information about the University, its campuses and the local area. A friendly destination, the Centre also hosts a gift shop.
Seeking an interactive presentation for its large on-site touchscreen kiosk, the Centre approached Hookson for an engaging and updateable solution.
Our main aims were to:
Exploit touchscreen technology to attract visitors to the Centre and gift shop
Provide quick, easy access to campus information
Offer background information about the University, including content around the institution’s history, key facts and alumni
User Flows core to the Solution
In creating a robust and appealing touchscreen journey, Hookson concentrated on providing a well-crafted and logical flow of information.
A touchscreen must invite and retain engagement, so on-screen movement was designed to attract visitors to the kiosk without distracting or irritating.
Four core elements underpinned our approach:
Use of an animated holding screen
We created an attractive space upon which eye-catching images and headlines highlighted University achievements and encouraged further exploration.
An interactive focus on the University’s distinguished history
Our range of content types, including careful use of infographics, provided fascinating and easy-to-navigate background on historical events, notable alumni and key facts.
A highly interactive campus map
Utilising the full potential of touchscreen technology, we designed a tactile map that invited users to discover and explore all five of the University’s campuses. Commencing with an overview of the wider Lothians area, our map encouraged and enabled users to zoom in to street-level detail of buildings and useful locations. Given the scale of Edinburgh University’s estate, the powerful interactive components of the map provided both an engaging experience and a useful wayfinding feature.
An expandable solution
Of great importance to the Visitor Centre was the ability for fuss-free expansion and updating of presentation content. Hookson ensured a future-proof build in this regard, meaning existing content could be refreshed, and new content and features introduced.
Visitor Experience Results
Hookson’s touchscreen presentation has proved a big hit with Centre and gift shop visitors.
The interactive map element has greatly assisted wayfinding, with visitors eagerly using the touchscreen to chart their course across campuses. Hookson’s map feature has also fostered more visitor/staff conversations, and assisted in opening up the University’s sprawling campuses to all.
Plans are now in place to elevate the Centre’s touchscreen kiosk with expanded infographics and new video content. The result will be a greatly enhanced visitor experience led by up-to-the-minute touchscreen technology.
