---
title: Designing Interactive Digital Experiences Around the Customer Journey
description: "Interactive Digital Experiences & the Customer Journey | iMediaSign \nLearn how to design interactive digital experiences around the customer journey, from discovery and engagement to action and continued interaction."
image: https://imediasign.com/hubfs/interactive-digital-experiences-customer-journey-featured.webp
---

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# Designing Interactive Digital Experiences Around the Customer Journey

 September 9, 2023  •  By [Don Anyiwo](https://imediasign.com/resources/author/don-anyiwo)

![Interactive Digital Experiences: Design around the Customer Journey](https://imediasign.com/hubfs/interactive-digital-experiences-customer-journey-featured.webp)

Interactive technology is most effective when it helps someone accomplish something.

A touchscreen, kiosk or digital display may look impressive, but the technology itself isn't the experience. What matters is what a visitor can **discover, understand, explore or do** because the technology is there.

That's why interactive experiences should be designed around the **customer or guest journey**, rather than around the screen.

Whether the environment is a conference, trade show, venue or corporate space, the same principle applies:

**Understand where people are in their journey, what they need at that moment, and how interaction can help them move forward.**

---

## Start With the Journey, Not the Technology

It's easy to begin an interactive project by asking:

**What should we put on the touchscreen?**

A better question is:

**What does the visitor need to accomplish?**

Someone arriving at a conference may need to find registration.

A trade show attendee may want to locate an exhibitor.

A venue guest may need directions.

A prospective customer may want to explore products or services.

An employee may need access to company information.

The technology should support those objectives rather than forcing visitors into an experience simply because a touchscreen is available.

A useful framework is:

**Discover → Engage → Explore → Act → Continue**

Let's look at each stage.

---

## Discover: Make the Experience Easy to Notice

Before someone interacts with a kiosk or touchscreen, they have to understand that an experience is available.

Location matters.

Interactive displays placed in high-traffic areas may attract attention naturally, but the screen itself should also communicate its purpose quickly.

A visitor should be able to answer:

**What is this?**

and

**Why should I interact with it?**

without studying the screen.

Examples might include:

**Find Your Session**

**Explore Exhibitors**

**Find a Meeting Room**

**View Products**

**Check In Here**

**Explore the Venue**

Clear purpose is usually more effective than a generic invitation such as *Touch Screen to Begin*.

---

## Engage: Give People a Reason to Interact

Attention doesn't automatically lead to interaction.

The first screen should communicate immediate value.

At a conference, that might mean:

**Find today's sessions**

At a trade show:

**Explore products**

At a venue:

**Find your destination**

The visitor should understand what they will gain by interacting.

This is where visual design, concise messaging and a clear call to action matter.

The goal isn't to explain every feature available within the experience.

It's to make the **first useful action obvious**.

---

## Explore: Make Navigation Intuitive

Once someone begins interacting, the interface needs to stay understandable.

People using public kiosks generally don't receive training.

Navigation should therefore feel familiar and predictable.

Consider:

**Clear choices**

Avoid presenting too many options simultaneously.

**Readable text**

Design for the actual viewing environment rather than a desktop monitor.

**Large touch targets**

Buttons and interactive elements should be easy to select.

**Consistent navigation**

Visitors should always understand how to go back, return home or begin again.

**Short paths**

Common tasks shouldn't require navigating through unnecessary screens.

If visitors repeatedly need assistance to use the experience, the interface probably needs simplification.

---

## Act: Design Around the Desired Outcome

Interaction should lead somewhere.

Depending on the environment, the desired action might be:

**Find a destination**

**View a session**

**Locate an exhibitor**

**Explore a product**

**Submit an inquiry**

**Scan a QR code**

**Register interest**

**Complete a survey**

**Request information**

**Check in**

Define those outcomes before designing the interface.

This makes it easier to determine which features belong in the experience and which features simply add complexity.

---

## Continue: Connect the Physical Experience to What Happens Next

The customer journey doesn't necessarily end when someone walks away from the display.

Interactive experiences can help visitors continue on another device or through another channel.

A QR code, for example, can allow someone to:

**Save information**

**Open directions**

**Visit a website**

**Download a resource**

**Continue product exploration**

**Submit information on their own device**

This creates a bridge between the physical environment and the visitor's ongoing digital journey.

The important point is that the handoff should be useful.

Don't add a QR code simply because one can be generated. Give the visitor a reason to scan it.

---

## Interactive Experiences at Conferences

Conferences create several opportunities for interactive technology because attendees regularly need to find information and navigate unfamiliar environments.

Potential applications include:

- Searchable agendas
- Speaker information
- Session lookup
- Venue maps
- Interactive wayfinding
- Exhibitor directories
- Sponsor information
- Surveys
- Event information
- QR-based content handoff

Not every function needs to exist on one kiosk.

The best experience depends on what attendees need at that particular location.

For example, an interactive kiosk near registration might emphasize schedules and navigation, while one near an exhibit hall might emphasize exhibitors and sponsors.

---

## Interactive Experiences at Trade Shows

Trade show visitors often encounter large amounts of information in a limited amount of time.

Interactive displays can help exhibitors organize that information around visitor interests.

Possible experiences include:

**Product exploration**

Allow visitors to browse products or services.

**Guided discovery**

Help visitors identify which solution fits their needs.

**Interactive presentations**

Provide access to videos, diagrams, specifications or demonstrations.

**Lead capture**

Allow interested visitors to request follow-up information.

**Content handoff**

Let visitors continue the experience on their own device.

The goal shouldn't be to replace booth staff.

A well-designed interactive experience can support conversations and provide another path for visitors who prefer to explore independently.

---

## Interactive Experiences in Venues

Venues have a different customer journey.

Guests may need information before they ever interact with staff.

Interactive kiosks can support:

**Directories**

**Maps**

**Meeting-room information**

**Event listings**

**Amenities**

**Property information**

**Wayfinding**

The experience should reflect the physical environment.

A kiosk placed near an entrance may emphasize orientation, while one positioned on a meeting level might prioritize events and room locations.

---

## Interactive Experiences in Corporate Environments

Interactive displays can also support employee and visitor experiences.

Applications might include:

**Visitor information**

**Company information**

**Directories**

**Campus navigation**

**Internal communications**

**Product demonstrations**

**Self-service information**

Again, the use case should determine the technology.

If information only needs to be viewed, a standard digital display may be sufficient.

Interaction adds value when the visitor needs to **search, choose, explore or submit something**.

---

## Know When Not to Use a Touchscreen

Interactive technology isn't automatically better than non-interactive digital signage.

If attendees simply need to see:

**Welcome messaging**

**Schedules**

**Directions**

**Announcements**

**Sponsor recognition**

a standard display may be the more appropriate solution.

Touchscreens make sense when the visitor benefits from making a choice or exploring information.

This distinction can reduce unnecessary complexity while improving the overall experience.

For conference-specific display planning, see our [**Conference Digital Signage Planning Guide**](https://imediasign.com/resources/conference-digital-signage-planning-guide).

 

---

## Design for the Physical Environment

An interface that works well on a laptop doesn't automatically work well on a public touchscreen.

Consider:

**Viewing distance**

People may notice the display before they're close enough to interact.

**Screen orientation**

Portrait and landscape experiences require different layouts.

**Reach**

Important controls should remain comfortable to access.

**Lighting**

Contrast and readability can change dramatically in bright environments.

**Traffic**

A kiosk shouldn't create congestion in an already busy attendee pathway.

**Session behavior**

Public experiences should provide a clear way to reset for the next visitor.

The physical environment is part of the user experience.

---

## Measure Useful Interaction

Interactive experiences also create opportunities to understand what visitors find useful.

Depending on the implementation, useful measures might include:

**Sessions started**

**Content viewed**

**Products explored**

**Directories searched**

**QR codes accessed**

**Forms completed**

**Popular destinations**

**Average interaction duration**

But measurement should begin with the purpose of the experience.

A high number of screen taps isn't necessarily success.

If the purpose is helping attendees find sessions, successful navigation matters more than raw interaction volume.

---

## Design Around the Outcome

The strongest interactive experiences don't begin with:

**“We have a touchscreen. What can we put on it?”**

They begin with:

**“What is someone trying to accomplish here?”**

Then technology becomes a tool for improving that moment.

For iMediaSign, that means designing interactive experiences around **people, place and purpose**—whether someone is navigating a conference, exploring a trade show booth, finding their way through a venue or interacting with a brand.

If your project requires attendees or visitors to actively search, explore or interact with information, explore our [**Interactive Kiosks**](https://imediasign.com/solutions/interactive-kiosks) solutions.

 

 Bring the Experience to Life

## Planning an event or interactive experience?

 From digital display rentals to interactive touchscreen experiences, iMediaSign helps organizations create engaging technology experiences for live environments.

[Request a Quote](https://imediasign.com/requestquote) [Explore Solutions](https://imediasign.com/solutions)

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