Two jobs, one screen
An interactive exhibit spends much of its life with nobody touching it. What it shows during those quiet periods does two jobs. It tells passers-by that the screen can be used, and it puts the exhibit back in a clean starting state after the last person leaves. The first job is the attract screen. The second is the idle mode, or reset.
Treating them as separate design problems helps. The attract screen is about making a good first impression. The reset is about reliability and fairness to the next visitor.
What an attract screen needs to do
A visitor approaching from across a room needs to answer three questions quickly: what is this, is it for me, and what do I do? A good attract screen answers all three without reading a paragraph.
- Show what the experience is. A moving view of the actual content, such as a zooming image or a few objects from the collection, is usually clearer than an abstract logo.
- Say how to start. A short instruction such as “Touch to begin” is standard because it removes doubt. Pair it with a visual cue, like a pulsing hand icon or a button that looks pressable.
- Match the input method. If the exhibit uses a camera, a physical object or a handset rather than a touch layer, the screen must show that. People assume every screen is a touchscreen, so a display that is not one needs a clear message.
Motion catches the eye, but too much of it can feel like an advertisement, and visitors have learned to ignore those. A slow, purposeful loop is generally better than a fast, flashing one. This is a limit of flashy design that attention design discusses at more length.
Keeping the loop honest
The attract loop should represent the experience. If it promises a game and the exhibit is a text archive, visitors feel misled. Loops also should not run so long that a person who watches for thirty seconds has seen everything and lost interest. Some teams show a few short sequences that change, so regulars see something new. Whether this raises use is hard to say without observing visitors, so it is worth checking in the gallery rather than assuming.
Sound needs particular care. Audio from an attract screen can bleed into neighboring exhibits and wear on staff who hear it all day. Many exhibits keep the attract mode silent and start sound only after a touch.
Idle mode and resetting
Eventually a visitor walks away mid-task. Without a reset, the next person arrives to find a deep page, a half-finished quiz or a language they cannot read. An inactivity timer solves this by returning the exhibit to the start after a period with no input.
The right timeout depends on the content:
- Too short, and the exhibit resets while someone is reading a long caption or helping a child.
- Too long, and the next visitor sees someone else’s leftover state, and the attract screen rarely appears at all.
A common approach is a warning before the reset, such as a gentle “Are you still there?” message with a countdown and a button to continue. Video and audio content usually need their own timing, since a person watching a film is not touching the screen but is plainly still using it. Teams usually settle on timings by watching real use and adjusting.
Things a reset should clear
When the exhibit resets, think about what the previous visitor leaves behind:
- Selected language, which should return to the default or to a visible language switch.
- Entered text, names or photos, which may be personal. Clearing them is a matter of respecting visitor privacy as much as tidiness.
- Zoom levels, filters, scroll positions and open menus.
- Accessibility settings, which should be easy to turn back on but should not carry over to the next person unexpectedly.
Accessibility and comfort
An attract screen should not be the only place a key instruction lives. Text needs enough contrast to read at a distance and in gallery lighting, and flashing content should be avoided because it can be a problem for some visitors. Sensory friendly settings, such as a quieter mode, are worth considering where the loop is bright or loud.
Testing the quiet moments
Attract screens are easy to leave until last, because they are not the main content. Yet they are the part most visitors see first. Watch a few visitors walk past, note how many glance at the screen and how many touch it, and ask staff what they see at the end of the day. Small changes to wording, size or timing can shift behavior noticeably, and they cost very little to try.