Office of Communications

Digital Signage Guidelines and FAQ

Overview

Oberlin’s digital signage system features content that supports institutional initiatives and the institution’s mission more broadly, as well as emergency messaging when necessary. This includes campus programming, activities, and events submitted by recognized student organizations, academic departments, and administrative offices and that are approved by the Office of Communications.

Information shared on display panels is referred to as “slides.” Approved submissions are added to a standard schedule of content that is produced and curated by the Office of Communications and presented on display panels across campus. Requests for slides to appear in the standard schedule must be made through the slide submission form. 

The following standard-of-use guidelines were established by the Office of Communications to aid in the production of content shared on campus digital signage. Content that does not adhere to the following guidelines is subject to revision.

Digital signage, digital display,
or display panel:
Electronic screens deployed throughout campus to promote campus news and share vital information. They are mounted in high-traffic areas and social spaces for maximum visibility.
Slide:
Information shared on a display panel. Campus departments, offices, and student organizations may submit slides for use on digital signage or may request support to have slides made. All slides measure 3840 pixels wide by 2160 pixels tall and must be created in accordance with display panel best practices and campus policies and guidelines.
Standard schedule:

The collection of active slides that appears on campus display panels at all times. The standard schedule is managed by the Office of Communications and includes submissions from offices, departments, and student organizations throughout campus.

Authorized content manager:
Individual employees authorized and trained by the Office of Communications to create and manage content on behalf of their office or department. Students are not eligible to be authorized content managers.
Rise Vision:
The web-based platform used to manage content on display panels campus-wide. In addition to designated members of the Office of Communications, authorized content managers are trained to use Rise Vision for curation of content on their department or office’s display panel.
Call to action
(often abbreviated CTA):
Any desired response from a student, employee, or other audience based on a communicated message. (Examples include registering for an event, signing up for an appointment, etc.)

Guidelines for Submitting Digital Signage Content

  • Content can be submitted by an Oberlin student, faculty, or staff member on behalf of official organizations, offices, or departments. Content may also be submitted to the Office of Communications by the city of Oberlin if it pertains to events or news relevant to the campus community.
  • Content should be related to a campus event or a call to action such as academic deadlines, Winter Term registration, etc.
  • Events and call-to-action items are eligible for display panel slides only after they are submitted to the Oberlin Events Calendar. Complete this form to submit your event to the Oberlin calendar. 
  • Requests for slides must be received a minimum of seven business days prior to the requested posting date. (This allows for time to design slides.)
  • Requests should include the following when applicable: event title, name of individual speaker, date, time, location, and information about pricing and advance registration. 
  • Slides must be designed using Oberlin’s institutional Canva suite or other approved software and in accordance with campus design guidelines (see best practices and resource links below).
  • Slide submissions must include the name of the submitting office, department, or student organization. 
  • Completed slides submitted for approval must adhere to all specification requirements regarding dimensions, file type, and appropriate branding (where applicable); all slides must be designed to be 3840 pixels wide by 2160 pixels tall.
  • In most instances, slides will be displayed for a maximum of seven days, excluding month-long celebrations and announcements pertaining to public health and safety. 
    • If an event has a sign-up or registration deadline, please use that date in the request form. If the sign-up deadline has already passed, we cannot include it.
  • Content must be free of offensive language and images. 
  • All submissions may be edited for content and clarity. 
  • All content decisions are made by the Office of Communications.

Authorized Content Managers 

A select number of campus display panels are curated by authorized content managers representing various departments or offices. These display panels may present a hybrid of standard schedule content and department- or program-specific content.

The following guidelines pertain to the role of authorized content managers:

  • Authorized content managers must be trained by the Office of Communications on Rise Vision, the web-based platform used to manage display panel content and schedules. 
  • Display panels managed by authorized content managers must also include the standard schedule unless otherwise approved by the Office of Communications. 
  • Content must be saved in a department’s/office’s labeled folder in Rise Vision storage. 

Please consult with the Office of Communications with questions regarding acceptable use issues not specifically addressed in these guidelines.

Storytelling Content

“Storytelling” content refers to all content on campus display panels that is not part of the standard schedule maintained by the Office of Communications. Generally, this refers to content that is managed by an office or department in the vicinity of a given display panel. It may consist of departmental information, alumni success stories, faculty/staff/student achievements, and other similar messages.

Permission to share storytelling content on departmental or office-managed display panels must be obtained by the Office of Communications, and all subsequent storytelling content must be similarly approved by Communications prior to use.

Guidelines for storytelling content:

  • All storytelling content must advance the institutional mission.
  • Storytelling content should follow display panel best practices for design (see below).
  • Storytelling slides created by authorized content managers will not appear in the standard schedule, but can be made available to share on other office-managed displays. 
  • Slides with animation and/or video are permitted for use on office-managed displays and displays designated for sharing storytelling content.

Best Practices 

Keep the following guidelines in mind to help your slides have maximum impact.

Essential Elements

  • Design each slide to be 3840 pixels wide by 2160 pixels tall.
  • Include only the most vital details: Who, what, where, when, and a call to action. 
  • Images must be of sufficiently high quality to display well on 4K display panels. 
  • Include the name of the presenting office, department, or organization.

Readability

  • Use larger font sizes, as most people will be reading messages from a distance.
  • Summarize your intended message using the fewest possible words. 
  • If the slide cannot be read within 4-6 seconds, it won’t be read fully.
  • Keep in mind: All slides are configured to run for a maximum 10-second duration.
  • Keep all text a reasonable distance from the edges of the slide.

Editorial Style and ADA Conformity

  • When writing times, use caps without periods for AM/PM and avoid use of “:00” (11 AM, 10:30 PM)
  • When writing dates, avoid st, nd, rd, or th (July 8, not July 8th)
  • Refrain from using clip-art whenever possible.
  • Text and background must have high-contrasting colors for readability. Contact webteam@oberlin.edu for more information on color contrast and visibility standards.

Managing Digital Signage Screens:

  • Do not adjust display panel settings without contacting Comms or CIT.
  • Only use remotes to power displays on/off.
  • Report any issues with screens using a CIT Support Request.

What are all the screens for?

Digital signage (also known as digital displays or display panels) is used to share information about events and initiatives throughout campus and to broadcast emergency messages when necessary.

Who operates the screens?

Most display panels are managed by the Office of Communications. In some instances, panels are managed by designated and trained users (called authorized content managers) in a given department or office.

What’s a slide? 

Slides are the individual images used to promote an event or other campus initiative on display panels around campus. Slides that appear on display panels in this way are part of the standard schedule, which is managed by the Office of Communications.

Where do slides come from?

Slides are created by the Office of Communications or by individual users of institutional Canva accounts on behalf of offices, departments, or organizations. All slides are created in accordance with campus brand standards and best practices for design.

What size is a slide file?

All slides created for digital displays must measure 3840 pixels wide by 2160 pixels tall.

How can I request a slide?

Students, faculty, and staff members may request a slide on behalf of official organizations, offices, or departments. Use the Display Panel Slide Request Form to request support in creating a slide. Use the same form to submit completed slides for consideration.

How long can my slide be promoted on digital signage?

Slides appear for a maximum of one week, with occasional exceptions for monthlong initiatives and other institutional priorities.

I see a display panel that’s not working properly. What should I do?

Thank you for noticing! Please alert the Center for Information Technology by submitting a CIT Service Request using the “Report an Issue” button.

I’d like a display panel for my office or department. What should I do?

All requests for new display panels are submitted for approval to the Office of Communications using the Digital Signage Request link. 

Additional Resources