I’m not sure this tip can really be considered maintenance but it’s surely an important consideration and why not add it to your maintenance schedule.  It’s a great idea to take a look at the effectiveness of your kiosk and some of the things that can have an effect.  Reevaluation of these things may open your eyes to ways to increase a kiosks effectiveness.

My real estate agent once told me that the top 3  considerations for buying real estate are location, location, and location.  This can be equally important with your kiosk considerations.  Is your kiosk in a high traffic area?  Not enough traffic will certainly limit its use.  Too much traffic and you can also limit the use. Many people are uncomfortable if they feel they are in the way. Is the kiosk near a window that causes glare on the screen? Is the kiosk in an area with other exhibits with similar educational content or not. Maybe there are other physical issues to be considered. Be open to change. Often it’s pretty easy to move a kiosk.

Another area of reevaluation is content. Stale and outdated content reflects poorly on your organization and can cause your kiosk users to get disinterested. Is there new educational information that should be added? Do you have new exhibits or offerings to promote? Maybe you started a Facebook page that can be promoted. Fresh content can make a big difference in its effectiveness.

The 3rd area of reevaluation is technology. You may think that once the kiosk is up and running the technology is what it is. That may not be true. If your kiosk uses a printer, a faster printer may be available. There may be a new printer that may cost less money to use (cheaper ink, etc.). Maybe your computer is running slow or your keyboard or trackball is wearing out. These may be easy to swap out. Take a close look at your technology and look into upgrades that make sense.

Regular reevaluation can make a big difference in the effectiveness of your touch screen kiosk or interactive exhibit. Don’t get stuck in the “set it and forget it” mode. You may not realize that some simple changes can make your kiosk easier to use and more accessible to your museum visitors.

Have other reevaluation tips?  Let us know.

Chris Meyer

President

CD Meyer, Inc./point2explore

point2explore is product line of customizable touch screen kiosk programs including interactive games and informational programs.  point2explore products are currently running in over 100 museums and have been used in corporate events across the country. Visit our web site at http://www.point2explore.com.