Digital Signage (VVBS)

The Digital Signage system on the Fox Cities campus exists to inform students and staff and visitors to the campus about campus-related events or activities. Non-campus events will not be posted. Events held by off-campus groups but held on campus are acceptable.

Make slides that will make an impact:  Download a VBBS tutorial and template.

Guidelines:

• Remember digital signage is like a billboard along the highway.  Viewers have only a few seconds to glance at, read, and comprehend all the content presented.  Too much content is a problem.  Rarely will people stop and read it.  Less is more.
• Think headlines. Complete sentences are rarely necessary.
• Remember, content is visible to a wide range of audiences of all ages and backgrounds.  Good taste matters.
• Content should be submitted to Terri Perkins at least 24 hours prior to the event.  Please allow sufficient time for review and the possible return of content to submitters if revisions are necessary.
• Along with the content to be posted, identify the beginning and ending day of the content. Typically the end date is the day of the event, e.g., “January 1 through January 8”.
• Content may be submitted as far in advance as you like.  The system has the ability to house but not display content until the specified begin show date/time occurs.
• We reserve the right to ask the submitter to modify submitted content. We also reserve the right to reject submitted content.
• We reserve the right to program content to appear on specific days/times.
• We reserve the right to immediately suspend these guidelines and/or displayed content in the event of an emergency.

Static Images (aka Slides)

Technical specifications:
Aspect ratio: 16 x 9 (ie. 1920×1080 or 1240×720)
JPEG or Powerpoint slides acceptable formats

Usage:

• Display period is typically 10 days prior to the day of the scheduled event
• Exceptions to display period rule would be events such as “enroll for fall/spring/summer classes”  or ongoing public programs such as Barlow, WESM, etc. so long as they conform to all other guidelines
• 1 event per slide
• No two slides in the rotation should be for the same event
• No two slides should look alike.  (e.g. Book Fair had the same template for each author hosted on campus)
• Slides should conform to rules of good composition (good contrast, easy to read fonts, suitable font sizes, etc.)
• Pictures/backgrounds permissible
• Slides may not appear in a designated sequence.
• Avoid use of
  • multiple logos 
  • years (e.g. 2015) in dates.  Use instead the form “Monday, May 11.”
  • for questions call/email
  • URL’s
  • Words like “Attention Student” or “Important Notice”

Video:

Technical specifications:

• MPEG-2
• 1280×720
• 29.970
• Video: 5,000,000 bps
• Audio: 128 Kbps
• only 720p.
• Audio levels must be consistent in volume, avoid extreme soft or loud in as much as hallway monitors don’t adjust.
• Video must be trimmed to first image/last image

Content/Usage:

• Spots may vary in length (do not have to conform to 15/30/60 second broadcast durations), but no longer than they need to be.  Tight editing means greater viewership.
• Use of copyrighted material is prohibited unless written prior consent has been furnished along with the video file
• Static graphics in the video must conform to static image requirements (composition, content, etc.
• The video will be programmed at the discretion of Fox Cities campus IT to air once every 100-300 cycles of static images.