Multi-screen journeys: what role should each screen play?

Installing several screens in a store, company or public-facing venue is not enough to create a coherent digital journey. When every display runs the same loop, audiences soon stop noticing it. Conversely, a collection of unrelated messages can make communication difficult to understand.

The key is to give each screen a specific purpose, then organise content according to its location, the available viewing time and the expected action. Multizone digital signage adds another option: it brings several levels of information together on one display without losing sight of the overall communication scenario.

Start with the visitor journey, not the number of screens

Before defining formats, observe the route people actually take. Where do they enter? Where do they slow down or wait? At what point do they need to choose, understand an offer or find a direction? These situations determine a screen’s role more effectively than its size alone.

A screen at the entrance can introduce the venue and its priority information. A display in a circulation area needs to communicate very quickly. In a waiting area, the available attention span allows for more detailed explanations. In a store, a screen near a department can highlight a product category or provide context-specific advice.

Give every location an editorial purpose

A simple map helps prevent systematic repetition. For every location, the project team can identify the intended audience, likely viewing time, priority message, secondary content and person responsible for updates. This approach turns a group of screens into an organised editorial system.

• Entrance screen: identify the venue, welcome visitors and announce key information.
• Circulation screen: deliver a brief, visible message that can be understood immediately.
• Destination screen: explain an offer, service, process or specialist topic.
• Waiting-area screen: present several topics in a loop suited to the expected dwell time.
• Internal screen: share useful employee information without mixing it with public-facing messages.

When should a multizone layout be used?

A multizone layout is relevant when a display needs to keep reference information visible while its main content changes. SanCube can divide a screen into several areas that simultaneously show a primary message and complementary elements such as the date, time, weather, local information, news or other useful services.

The largest area can be reserved for the current topic, while a secondary area maintains a practical reference and another carries a short information feed. The playlist can also alternate between these layouts and full-screen media. Full screen retains its impact for a priority announcement, while multizone layouts support routine information periods.

Do not confuse multizone layouts with multi-screen orchestration

Multizone signage organises several pieces of content on one screen. Multi-screen orchestration coordinates the contribution of several displays to a shared journey. The two approaches complement each other, but they do not answer exactly the same question. Not every screen therefore needs the same layout, or even a multizone design.

Orchestration can be editorial without requiring every image to change at precisely the same moment. A welcome message can introduce a topic, a second screen can provide more detail further along the route, and a third can remind the visitor of the expected action. Consistency comes from language, visual identity, campaign timing and clearly assigned roles.

Build a scenario that remains manageable

1. List all locations and record the viewing context for each screen.
2. Define one main objective per location: welcome, direct, inform, promote or support waiting time.
3. Separate permanent information, scheduled campaigns and urgent messages.
4. Choose which screens genuinely benefit from a SanCube layout and which should remain full screen.
5. Prepare content templates so updates follow consistent zones, formats and legibility rules.
6. Test the journey on site at the actual viewing distances and under real reading conditions.

Centralise standards without removing all local autonomy

Consistency also depends on governance. A central team can prepare the visual identity, templates and shared campaigns, while local managers update selected local information. Rights, responsibilities and the approval process should be defined before launch, particularly when several departments contribute content.

Developed by ALLSAN, SanDisplay can be used to create, schedule, distribute and remotely supervise content across a screen network. It supports this overall organisation: content is prepared for a defined destination and scheduled on the relevant displays rather than being sent indiscriminately to the entire network.

Check the hardware before finalising content

Editorial choices must remain compatible with the technical setup. Size, orientation, brightness, viewing distance and operating pattern all affect content design. ALLSAN selects and integrates professional displays around these constraints. SanCube eligibility should also be checked early, as the multi-display option is not available for every previously installed screen and is limited to latest-generation displays.

Three questions to answer before deployment

Should the same campaign run on every screen?

A shared campaign can create continuity, but its treatment should reflect each location. The entrance can introduce the subject, a destination area can explain it, and a waiting-area screen can incorporate it into a broader loop. The theme remains consistent without requiring the same file everywhere.

Does every screen need a multizone layout?

No. A multizone composition is useful when several pieces of information need to remain visible simultaneously. Full screen may be clearer for a short message, an alert or a strong visual. Alternating between both formats helps preserve a clear hierarchy.

How can day-to-day management stay simple?

Limit the number of templates, name screens clearly, assign responsibilities and establish an update calendar. A simple, documented and tested scenario will be more sustainable than numerous zones and variations that are difficult to maintain.

Are you planning a journey combining several displays and multizone layouts? Contact ALLSAN to discuss your project and review the editorial roles, hardware and content distribution structure.