calendar_today March 24, 2026March 25, 2026

The Evolution of Digital Building Directories: Today’s Modern Features & Benefits 

This is not your Father’s Oldsmobile” is one of the classic lines in the advertising industry, dating back to a series of commercials shot in the 1980’s which urged people to reconsider what the brand Oldsmobile meant to them by looking at how much the car had changed from the previous generation. The same could very much be said for an admittedly less sexy product, digital building directories. 

How Digital Building Directories Have Changed Over Time 

Coincidentally, at about the same time as those car commercials were running, the first commercially available touchscreens were beginning to be made available, and within a decade, a few brave, early adopters began installing directories using touch technology in their buildings. 

But just as the cars of the 1980’s bear little resemblance to the cars of today, those early directories bear little resemblance to today’s models in either form or function. 

But that’s where the analogy stops, because while no one today would mistake a 1980’s car for a current model, we still struggle to convince a surprisingly large number of people that the directories of today can do so much more than direct visitors to the correct floor. Let me explain. 

The Physical Evolution of Digital Building Directories 

They Start Growing 

Of course, like other products with screens (televisions or computer monitors, for example), there are some obvious trends in directories from a hardware standpoint, with size being the most obvious. 

When the first touchscreens entered the market some 20 years ago, screen sizes ranged between 15″ and 22″ (like televisions, measured diagonally), and this evolved only very slowly. In fact, even 8–10 years ago, screen sizes had increased only modestly, with 32″ perhaps the most common size for “larger format” touchscreens that found their way into shopping malls and other larger venues. 

Today, of course, that has all changed, with 43″ – 55″ screens the most commonly installed sizes and 70″ and larger screens popping up with increasing frequency at much more reasonable price points than even two or three years ago. 

They’re More Sensitive 

Touch technologies have also continued to evolve with touch films, applied to regular monitors competing with touchscreens, which in turn have continued to employ increasingly sophisticated but also reliable technologies, while at the same time shrinking form factors so that the touchscreen of today is some 40%+ thinner than those of 5 years ago. 

Sharpness & Clarity Improve Dramatically 

Picture sharpness would be another attribute worth noting, with HD being replaced by UHD and 4K now common and moving to 8K.  

Modern Features That Make Digital Building Directories More Than Directories 

But it is in the area of software features and functionality that we notice the biggest change over the past decade, as digital building directories have moved from a place to locate tenants to interactive digital information hubs for the building. 

The opportunity to provide relevant information to visitors as they enter the building is almost endless. The features we now routinely deploy on our building directories would include: 

• Building amenities such as washrooms, food and beverage options, entrances to underground parking 

• Live local transit information showing the arrival time of the next bus or train 

• Links to third-party data feeds showing news, weather, sports or entertainment 

• A neighbourhood map showing local restaurants or tourist attractions 

• Inter-building connectivity, if the building is part of a complex or connected to other properties via underground or elevated walkways or paths 

• Accessibility features, not just for the mobility impaired, but also for the visually impaired, through the incorporation of headphone jacks and special keyboards 

• Additional languages to serve populations whose first language is not English 

• QR codes are widely incorporated so that after searching for and finding a piece of information—whether a map to your destination or a store coupon—you can scan the QR code to your mobile phone and take it with you, making it a highly practical and user-friendly feature 

How Digital Building Directories Benefit Tenants and Building Staff 

Finally, while a great deal of the focus of directory information is naturally directed toward building visitors, tenants and employees of the building can also benefit from the information displayed on the directories. 

Along with a number of the features listed above, such as transit information and information feeds carrying news, sports and the like, we have found that sustainability information reflecting efforts by building tenants and management alike to reduce energy consumption or waste production generates significant interest and pride among those who work at the property. 

Similarly, building announcements such as welcoming a new tenant, or information about building initiatives such as tenant appreciation events, blood donor clinics, holiday toy or food drives or participation in Earth Day, foster a sense of community among those who call the building home for a good portion of their day. 

Today’s Digital Information Hub is not your Father’s (or Mother’s) Building Directory, indeed! 

Equip Your Building with Modern Building Directories Today 

Looking to evolve your property experience with modern digital building directories? Contact us to learn how today’s interactive directory solutions can improve navigation, communication, accessibility, and tenant engagement in your building.