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Work Samples

Work Samples - Kiosk

Kiosks are highly individual projects. No two design processes are exactly the same. But for a fully interactive, immersive informational vantage point, a well designed kiosk can do wonders to enhance a visitor's experience. A kiosk must fit well within its environment, operate for extended periods without supervision and above all, inform, entertain and service its intended audience. Admittedly, the implementation of a kiosk is not often the best way to convey information. But when the circumstances are right, there is nothing better to allow a visitor to experience a much more enriched and self-guided experience than any other form of information exchange.

Their initial investment costs are higher than most other forms of communication exchange and their planning must be approached with a view to the long term, both in sustainability of informational content and serviceability of the mechanics involved. When these and other elements are taken into account a sturdy and reliable informational system can be set in place with an administrable, low overhead of update and maintenance.

What follows is an example of a kiosk project fashioned as an integral part of the Eck Visitors' Center on the campus of the University of Notre Dame.

Eck Visitors' Center Kiosk, University of Notre Dame

In the case of Notre Dame, they approached the idea of a kiosk with an open mind. They were aware of the up front costs and were willing to establish a viable kiosk structure as part of the construction costs of their new visitors' center. The programming and development plans were carefully architected to adhere to Notre Dame's main goals, to present a top class impression of the University's campus, attitudes and life style. At all times the impression was to be in keeping with the high ideals of the University.

The need and utility of a kiosk was well considered. Its purpose was to enhance the already excellent walking tour and informational access points while not adding additional, highly select personnel to accommodate unexpected or overflow visitor traffic. The kiosk would serve as a supplement to the walking tour to be utilized by the less able or visitors on inclement days. The interactive map would allow new eyes to orient themselves to the campus and facilities.

The kiosk also afforded specific Notre Dame centric world wide web access to allow the latest information to be presented to the visitor. The kiosk would serve to allow access to specific questions even when the center's personnel would be temporarily overwhelmed by crowds. The supplementary nature of the kiosk was designed to enhance the visitors' experiences.

Notre Dame has an extensive history and every visitor will have a particular interest in part of that history. The history time line section of the kiosk was designed to allow a visitor to slide into the span of history that most intrigued them and discover the activity of the long lived institution at their own pace and focus of interest.

The people of Notre Dame were also a unique aspect of the University experience and here the kiosk afforded a unique perspective from which to meet the diversity of souls who've traversed the grounds. Through selectable video clips the visitor could hear first hand accounts of people's experience with the university, be they faculty, students or alumni. The fully accessible abilities of this kiosk served the plans and needs of the University quite well.