"In Your Face"
Tips and Hints for Successful Kiosk Implementation
by Dave Heyliger
Sound Advice
Introduction
Stop. Look. And maybe even listen. These are the impulses that a kiosk application must transmit to ensure traffic and secure success. The mission is simple: first you need to get the potential visitor to stop what they were doing and notice that there's a kiosk in their immediate proximity. Then you need to get them to actually look at the thing and consider using it. And sometimes - note not always - you can achieve greater visitation success by including audio within your design.
Success with audio isn't a sure thing, and it isn't a no-brainer. As always, there are factors that must be taken into account when considering audio. These factors include:
- The purpose / functionality of the kiosk
- The target audience
- The surrounding audience, and
- The kiosk location.
For example, ATM kiosks don't play a musical diddy or provide audio feedback is because they don't have to perform these operations to be successful. People will seek them out because they provide a useful function. But a kiosk on the floor in a Las Vegas casino would literally have to scream "I am here! Look at me!" - and it still probably wouldn't be noticed (unless it was a fast-cash ATM, mind you). And a kiosk located in a retail store might want to consider adding audio impact. Keyword: might.
Audio Applications
The term "audio" in this article refers to voiceover audio (narration), musical audio, and video audio. Within this realm, audio can achieve the following tasks:
- Provide feedback - a button "click" on objects when touched or clicked.
- Draw attention - occasional "I am here" music and/or voiceover.
- Provide impact - excitement, drama, or suspense generated via music.
- Provide assistance - audio instructions
- Assist the handicapped - audio information for people without sight.
- Drive people nuts.
Success with Audio
Including audio within your kiosk implementation will more than likely provide a positive impact on the experience and an increase in memory retention. I can't quote the facts or statistics about the percentage increase in retention, but suffice it to say that if you see and hear something, you have a greater chance of remembering the message (except for TV: I can watch TV yet hardly remember anything just a short time later).
When planning for audio, consider not only your implementation, but also how your implementation will be perceived by all that come in contact with it. If the location and implementation is such that it doesn't interfere or invade personal space of other shoppers, visitors, pedestrians and/or employees, then your application may benefit from the addition of audio.
Ask yourself if audio is even necessary (remember the ATM discussion above) by examining the location and functionality of your kiosk. If your decision to include audio is "yes", consider the following tips below as guidelines:
- Use professional quality talent and/or music.
- Consider providing the audio as an option (a "touch to listen" button).
- Use audio only when necessary.
- Keep it short & sweet so as to avoid information overload.
- Adjust the volume to acceptable levels.
- Optionally allow users to control the volume but reset the volume upon a time-out.
- Provide a "cancel audio" button for all clips (give them a choice).
- Remember that if your kiosk changes often, so might your narration (watch costs).
- During unattended modes, consider intermittent music or voice only if you deem this "necessary" for success, and if you do include it, keep it terse and at reasonable intervals.
Failure with Audio
Audio failure is easily achieved - and always not on purpose. Probably the number on factor in audio failure is designing an inconsiderate application. I have had many clients express the desire to have either a video or series of videos (with audio included) and/or music clips constantly run during the attraction mode sequence (during times when no one is at the kiosk). And every time I give them the same response: not a good idea.
Take a good look at item #6 under Audio Applications above. You will drive people nuts. Nuts to the point of unplugging the kiosk or dismantling the speakers or worse! And this "nuts factor" usually doesn't involve the kiosk visitor, but rather the employee, clerk, or secretary that is in near proximity of your application. Thoughts will dance through their head: "If I hear that %@!# theme music one more time, I'm gonna…". Not pretty.
Below are {possibly} some sure-fire ways to have audio assist in the failure of your kiosk. However, in some kiosk implementations, one or more of these could spell success - there are no set rules:
- Include a constant loop "theme music" during unattended mode
- Overwhelm them with incredible surround sound.
- Don't give them a choice to cancel: make them hear your message
- Make it loud to draw attention.
- Play long drawn-out clips.
- Use MIDI.
Music and Voiceover Talent Online
Need music or a professional voice? Go online! There are tons of sites and eager talents just waiting for you. These sites usually have samples in MP3 and other file formats that let you try before you buy.
My personal music favorite is The Music Bakery for tunes (
www.musicbakery.com) and for voice I have found a really good talent in Mike Jansen (http://www.skywardpictures.com). Alternatively you can use InfoSeek, AltaVista, or your favorite search engine to find hoards of others. I also decided to start an Audio Advice page on the Rocky Mountain Multimedia web site. Check it out and/or help add to it by visiting www.rockmedia.com/audio.html.About the Author
Dave Heyliger (heyliger@rockmedia.com) is founder and president of Rocky Mountain Multimedia, Inc. (
www.rockmedia.com), and has been creating kiosk software and interface solutions for hundreds of clients since 1993. Feel free to check out this and any previous article contained within this series by visiting the online section at www.rockmedia.com/kioskmagazine.html.
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Glenwood Springs, Colorado 303.933.7300 Dave Heyliger | heyliger@rockmedia.com |