Why Interactive Signage Matters: Insights from the Judges of the Seeed Contest
Interactive signage isn’t just about flashy screens or fancy interfaces—it’s about storytelling, context, and connection. Whether it’s a small DIY dashboard on your desk or a smart display for your community garden, good signage quietly bridges the gap between people and the information they care about.
We launched the Interactive Signage Contest with one goal in mind: to inspire makers, developers, and designers to reimagine how we communicate through hardware. From e-Ink displays to GUI dashboards, from ambient info tools to poetic visualizations—we’re celebrating creative ways to bring data to life.
As part of this contest, we invited eight global judges from diverse fields—design, engineering, open source, STEAM, SDGs, community engagement, practicality, and entrepreneurship- to each focus on a specific evaluation area.
But we didn’t want this to be a black-box jury. We wanted our community to hear from the judges directly. What do they care about? What inspires them? What are they looking for?
So, we asked them a few short questions. The answers that came back with generous and full of creative energy. Here’s a glimpse into one of them.
David Groom — Community Editor at Make:
“I get to see a HUGE number of maker projects and products,” David says. “It’s easier than ever to build dashboards, GUIs, and signage. But that also means it’s harder than ever to stand out.”
So what does it take to stand out?
“Distinct UIs. Novel designs. Weird form factors. I love projects that try something different.”
David also brings his personal inspirations into his judging. One standout example? The Designers Republic, known for their iconic album covers and their visual work for the video game WipE’out”. Their style: bold, expressive, and radically informative.
“They’ve created countless posters and other tools that convey information brilliantly.”
When it comes to advice for contestants, David keeps it real:
“Try something different! Think about what you would find useful or appealing in your life—make that real. Then test it with your friends and community, and iterate.”
His personal excitement lies in ambient information—tools that quietly inform you, without demanding your attention.
“I still have multiple Chumby and similar devices around the house—telling me everything from weather alerts to music trends. I also love e-Ink and MIP displays, and hope to see some creative uses of those in the contest.”
Over the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing more judge spotlights like this one. We hope their thoughts encourage you to:
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Experiment boldly
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Embrace strange form factors
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Think about ambient, quiet, beautiful information
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Design not just with tech, but with feeling
The Seeed Interactive Signage Contest is open until August 15th, 2025. Submit your project, tell your story, and help shape the future of how we see and share information.
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