BrightSign has announced its collaboration with C&G Partners to implement an extensive new digital signage network at Rockefeller University in New York City. Rockefeller University sought out C&G Partners to replace its legacy system of easels and posters with a custom-built digital signage network. The university initiated the campus-wide digital initiative to better promote campus academic lectures, faculty candidate symposia, evening lectures and its campus wayfinding directory.
Digital signage was deployed in strategic locations throughout the university’s existing 14-acre campus, as well as the new campus expansion, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation – David Rockefeller River Campus. In total, more than four dozen BrightSign XT244 players now feed content to an equal number of 49-inch LG 49UH5C 4K screens with custom mounts, frames and power-handling infrastructure.
BrightSign’s players were chosen by C&G Partners for their durability, low maintenance, smooth video & graphics processing power, and the players’ ability to seamlessly integrate with the Signagelive CMS platform used to manage content throughout the campus.
“We specify BrightSign players regularly. They give our clients a rare combination of reliability, ease of maintenance, smooth playback and importantly, a choice of software,” said Jonathan Alger, Managing Partner, C&G Partners. “We joke that BrightSign’s players will outlast us all, and I bet that’s not far from the truth.”
The system had to account for a myriad of content types and communicate with various audiences ranging from Nobel prize-winning scientists to first-time visitors. Content and design had to be accessible at a glance, but also be captivating for deeper viewing – effectively communicating key information to both internal and external audiences.
Based on an extensive discovery process, C&G Partners established best-practices for content duration and quantity, with customization based on Rockefeller University’s specific needs. To that end, a location plan for screen installation and configuration was carefully developed, keeping in mind campus architecture and visitor flows. Screens were configured in both diptych and triptych formats based on each specific location.
To capture the institution’s innovations in bioscience in a compelling way, C&G Partners took actual biomedical imagery generated in the university’s labs and transformed it into abstract art. This artwork was used as background for animated spots and in the development of eye-catching branded content. Custom templates were designed for each of the different content types that could be easily populated by in-house teams. The color palette was defined not only to be captivating, but as a system to easily delineate different types of information. Adobe Creative Suite was used to generate content templates because the university already had a team well versed in that standard package.
“Our creative work blends the technical, the artistic and the communicative, which isn’t always easy,” continued Alger. “And of course, the pressure is a little higher when you know you are using scientific imagery as art that will be seen daily by real-life Nobel Prize winners. But Rockefeller University has always been a client keenly interested in doing things the right way, and that makes it all worthwhile for us.”
Unifying all of Rockefeller University’s digital communication platforms not only educates students, faculty and visitors, but it also ensures uniform presentation of the university’s brand identity throughout the campus.
