Interactive print display delights visitors

Experimental, innovative, playful and surprising – these attributes are probably high on the wish list of every advertiser. One company that has definitely earned them for its newest display is the London-based agency Dalziel and Pow. Their “engaging space display” was shown at the inaugural Retail Design Expo and proved to be a hit with the event’s 14,000 visitors.

The display consisted of a large interactive board that told stories with sounds and sights when touched. Each of the 48 illustrations tells a different story, some simple and fun, others complex and captivating.

Dalziel and Pow had created similar work on a smaller scale for the Portuguese children’s wear brand Zippy and now wanted to show a prototype to a larger audience. The giant interactive illustration featuring every-day items such as shoes, buildings, and musical instruments served as an interface that looks more like a mural than a typical touchscreen. The agency screen printed conductive ink onto the panels and used projection-mapping software for the animations, sounds, and interactions.

“We are always looking for ways to enable our forward-thinking clients to inform, surprise and delight”, says Ross Phillips, Design Director, Digital at Dalziel and Pow. “Our ideas enrich the retail experience and create a dialogue between customer and brand.”

While there are no similar projects planned at the moment, the combination of in-store displays and interactive technology is intriguing. And one lesson learned will probably apply to the next project as well: “The technology was fairly straightforward but the real challenge was in the production of content”, says Phillips.