Outdoor Drive-In Theatre…

… I don’t know about you, but I used to love going to the community drive-in theatre.  You didn’t have to worry about talking during the show,… you could laugh out loud without feeling embarrassed,… and depending on the car, you could recline the seats to a more comfortable viewing position.  The downsides were the windows fogging up on chilly nights, and the long walk to and long lines at the concession building.  Perfect for a date actually,… a cheap one at that.  But most are gone today, at least in my community.  They’ve been replaced by better speakers, comfy rocking chairs, a cup holder, and ticket prices that keep edging up (not a cheap date anymore).

Last week I visited the new-age drive-in theatre,… the Detroit Auto Show.  It had the basics; lots of cars, lots of speakers and lots of large screens.  While some of these screens could rival the scale of the outdoor drive-in theatre, there is a lot more ‘theatre’ at this show than one would think.  As with auto shows over the years, there are still lots of new cars perched on rotating platforms, with individuals holding mics extolling the features of the vehicle on display.  But beyond the cool car designs, I was struck by the number of non-US products (the entire lower level was all Chinese manufacturers); the number of alternative fuel engines (hydrogen, batteries, diesels) and the overall level of merchandising.

Focusing on the merchandising,… it wasn’t just the cars, but all the exhibits and displays with a variety of messages to attract show attendees.  Beyond the simple engine displays propped up on pedestals, there were larger exhibits that showed the entire ‘infrastructure’ of the car; how it all actually works.  Using brightly colored parts, they highlighted how the standard gasoline engine and drive train has been modified to provide electric or alternative fuel power.  It was extremely informative, and educational,… taking what is hidden for the most part, and making it visible to the consumer.

Directly behind or adjacent to these exhibits were large flat screen displays, telling another series of stories regarding the vehicles on display.  Their messaging tended to be informative for the most part, but included as well an emotional under tone,… using sounds and images to attract and excite.  These displays were always in groups of 3, 5 or as much as a dozen.  Some were side to side, others were stacked one on top of the other,… but all tended to be the same content for easy viewing by large crowds (similar to going into Best Buy’s TV section and having every TV on the same station).  And finally behind these screens were much, much larger screens; room-sized displays that one could see from across the large exhibit hall.  These were all about generating excitement,… including individual, emotive words vs. phrases and sentences.  Like bugs to a bug light, these large, fast-moving images grabbed one’s attention and drew one towards that part of the floor.

While each of the these three merchandising techniques described above were useful in and of themselves,… they achieved their full effect when combined with each other, in layers of content.  Some were informative, some emotive; some with photos, some with graphics; some with sound, some without.  And some of these displays were within reach at human scale,… while others were at a distance at architectural scale.  This was not done without a lot of thoughtful design, grounded in the art/science of information design. 

This is no different than what we have in an office setting,… where effective meetings, conferences and collaborations require layers of content.  Some close and within reach for detailed review and some at a room scale useful as reference.  It is a mix of analog and digital content; a mix of real time information and content previously generated; and a mix of people and content that is present in the space, and others brought in through videoconferencing.  Whether it is cars or work process that is on stage,… the information and information tools need to be designed, just as the architecture and the furniture need to be designed, with intent and with purpose.  Does design matter…?