Digital Signage by Jeffrey Schaeffler

¶ … Digital Signage by Jeffrey Schaeffler

This book presents a broad an engaging overview of the current and possible future developments in the world of digital signage. Though not devoted strictly to transportation applications of digital signage technology, the book does probe public receptivity to the advent of digital signage in many different areas, making a compelling argument for its implementation in transportation applications. Specifcally, Schaeffler notes how communication has become more effective due to digital signage, and the improvements that this enhanced communication leads to. His enthusiasm for the technology is catching; I found myself deeply engaged in what could easily have been a dry and technical discussion of new technologies.

That being said, Schaeffler does present a lot of very well researched and pertinent information in relation to the development of digital signage technology and its many uses in filling various communication needs, from management-employee relations to producer-consumer information sharing and even to directing travelers at an airport. I especially enjoyed the way Schaeffler links digital signage to other aspects of our constantly evolving technological society. This book in part examines the changing trends in the way we receive and respond to various communications, a topic which is of great personal interest to me. Communication is essential to the way we perceive and interact with the world, and I believe that Schaeffler does a decent job of demonstrating this fact's importance. Some of the conclusions he draws strike me as perhaps a little far-fetched, but only time will tell if digital signage will have the full individual impact Schaffler credits it with. Technologies, especially those involving changes in communication, have a way of surprising us, and Schaeffler and I are both excited to see what changes increased digital communication will bring.