Digital directories for malls and shopping centers
Quick answer: DigitalSignage.com runs mall and shopping-centre directories on a portrait touch screen at each entrance, anchor junction, escalator landing and parking lobby, with the tenant list kept in a shared Google Sheet that every screen follows through the Google Sheets component. A 6-directory mall budgets $3,000 to $8,000 per installed directory kiosk as a planning estimate, and software is $18 a month at the Plus+ list rate, because touch components are part of mediaCLOUD Plus+ and every screen is billed once an account has 4 or more. Braille and tactile signs stay wherever ADA section 703 requires them; the screens add audio, contrast, a reach-range layout and a phone handoff.
Key facts
- A common planning figure is one directory per entrance plus one per anchor junction, so a mall with 4 entrances and 2 anchor junctions runs 6 directories.
- Touch targets must sit 15 to 48 inches above the floor under ADA 2010 Standards section 308, which on a 55-inch portrait kiosk leaves the lower 33 inches of glass for buttons.
- Tactile and braille identification signs mount with the baseline 48 to 60 inches above the floor under section 703.4 and remain required at permanent rooms and spaces whatever the screens do.
- IK10 glass under IEC 62262 withstands a 20 joule impact, a 5 kg mass dropped from 400 mm, and is the floor for a kiosk that stands unattended after hours.
- A directory that holds a shopper for 30 to 60 seconds can give advertisers at most a third of its attract loop without burying the map.
- Three tenant changes take about 20 minutes in one morning when the tenant list lives in a Google Sheet and the screens follow it.
- Six directories on mediaCLOUD Plus+ cost $18 a month, $216 a year, at the list rate; a locked-down kiosk presentation is an Enterprise feature priced in the public calculator.
Last updated November 4, 2026. Sources: our placement, accessibility, touch display, IP rating and cost guides; ADA 2010 Standards; WCAG 2.2; IEC 62262.
Where should digital directories go in a mall?
At the places where shoppers stop and decide: just inside each entrance, at the junctions by the anchor stores, on escalator and elevator landings, in the parking lobbies and at the edge of the food court. A directory in the middle of a corridor is passed, not used, because nobody stops in a stream of people.
| Location | Why shoppers stop there | Orientation and size | Content emphasis | Planning count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entrance vestibule, inside the second door | First decision, 5 to 10 m past the door | Portrait 49 to 55 in touch | Map with you-are-here, search, today's promotions | 1 per entrance |
| Anchor store junction | Routes split toward the anchors | Portrait 55 in touch, or landscape 65 in non-touch | Category list, anchors by direction, restrooms | 1 per junction |
| Escalator and elevator landings | Level change, a 20 to 30 s wait | Portrait 43 to 49 in | Level directory, restrooms, elevator for strollers and wheelchairs | 1 per landing cluster |
| Parking lobby and elevator vestibule | Arrival, and remembering the car later | Portrait 43 to 49 in, IP54 if open to the garage | Level and zone reminder, nearest entrance, store search | 1 per lobby |
| Food court edge | Long dwell, 10 to 20 min | Landscape 55 to 65 in non-touch | Court map, vendor list, events | 1 per court |
| Restroom and family room corridors | Short, single purpose | Static sign | Identification and braille | Static only |
Bottom line: one touch directory per entrance and per anchor junction, a smaller one per landing cluster and parking lobby, a non-touch board at the food court, and static tactile signs on the service corridors.
Give the kiosk a stopping zone. A common planning figure is 5 to 10 metres past the door before shoppers slow down, and 1.5 metres of clear floor in front of the screen so a group can stand there without blocking the route. Our placement guide and retail industry guide cover sightlines and glare from storefront glass.
A freestanding kiosk is a protruding object in the ADA sense. Section 307.2 of the ADA 2010 Standards limits objects between 27 and 80 inches above the floor to a 4 inch protrusion from the wall, so a floor-standing directory needs a base or skirt that a cane detects at or below 27 inches. Enclosure makers build this in; check the drawing before ordering.
How do you keep the tenant list current?
Keep it in one shared Google Sheet and let the directories read it, so leasing or marketing edits a row and every screen follows. The Google Sheets component in SignStudio shows a shared sheet and updates when the sheet changes, which removes the publish step that printed directories and most hand-built kiosk apps depend on.
| Sheet column | Example | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Tenant name | Northside Books | Search, alphabetical list |
| Category | Books and stationery | Category browse |
| Level | 2 | Level directory, map |
| Unit number | 214 | Map node, route text |
| Phone | 555 0100 | Contact line on the detail view |
| Hours | 10:00 to 21:00 | Open-now flag |
| Status | Open, Opening soon, Closed, Moved | Hide or flag a tenant without deleting history |
| Map node ID | L2-214 | Key for the mapping engine |
| Promo line | 20 percent off until Sunday | Rotating promotion strip |
Bottom line: nine columns, one row per tenant and a Status column instead of deletions give a directory that leasing can maintain without touching the screen layout.
The searchable map itself is a separate layer. Mapping vendors supply the floor plan engine with search, you-are-here and route drawing, and SignStudio shows it on the kiosk through the Web Page component, which displays any public URL or embed and reloads it at the refresh interval set in SignStudio. SignStudio drives the attract loop, the lists, the promotions and the screens around the kiosk.
Our documentation does not describe a built-in floor-plan router or turn-by-turn directions inside SignStudio, so plan on a mapping vendor or a web app of your own for that part, and ask support (support@digitalsignage.com, live chat at https://chat.digitalsignage.com/) before promising it. Our interactive directories guide covers map design, search behaviour and route display.
Can a directory screen carry advertising?
Yes, in the attract loop and in a fixed banner zone, as long as the map and the search stay one touch away. Share of voice is the fraction of loop time an advertiser gets; a directory in attract mode holds a passing shopper for 30 to 60 seconds, a common planning figure, so a 60 second loop with 20 seconds of advertising keeps two thirds of the loop for the mall's own content.
Two 10 second slots in a 60 second loop play 60 times an hour each, 720 times in a 12 hour day and 21,600 times a month per directory, from the plays-per-hour arithmetic in our loop length and dwell time guide. Six directories give an advertiser 129,600 plays a month for a single slot, which is the number to put on the rate card.
Once a shopper touches the screen, advertising moves to a banner. On a 1080 x 1920 portrait canvas a 1080 x 200 pixel banner is about 10 percent of the height, enough for a tenant's promotion without crowding the map. Our point-of-sale advertising guide shows how tenants supply the creative and how to keep paid content off notice zones.
Proof of play, a log of which file played on which screen and when, is an Enterprise feature on DigitalSignage.com priced in the public calculator. On Plus+ the evidence for an advertiser is the loop schedule, which fixes each slot's share of airtime, plus remote screenshots from SignStudio player management, which shows each directory online with its last check-in.
How do you make a mall directory accessible beyond braille?
By giving every piece of information a second route: audio for people who cannot see the screen, high contrast and large type for low vision, a low reach-range layout for wheelchair users, generous targets and timeouts for limited dexterity, and a handoff to the shopper's own phone, where their screen reader and text size are already set.
| Need | What the directory does | Figure to design to | Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blind visitor | Audio prompts with a headphone jack, a tactile start button, QR or NFC handoff to the phone's screen reader, a staffed desk nearby | Audio on every step; the jack 15 to 48 in above the floor | ADA 2010 section 308; WCAG 2.2 |
| Low vision | High-contrast mode, large type, a zoom control | 4.5:1 for text, 3:1 for large text; body text 24 pt or larger on a 1080p portrait canvas as a common planning figure | WCAG 2.2 1.4.3 |
| Wheelchair user | All controls in a lowered touch zone, forward approach | Controls 15 to 48 in above the floor; 30 x 48 in clear floor space; 44 in maximum over a 20 to 25 in deep obstruction | ADA 2010 section 308 |
| Cane user | Detectable base | Leading edge at or below 27 in, or 4 in maximum protrusion between 27 and 80 in | ADA 2010 section 307.2 |
| Limited dexterity | Large, spaced targets and a long timeout with a warning | 24 x 24 CSS px minimum; 44 px or 10 mm as a common planning figure; warn 20 s before a timeout and allow an extension | WCAG 2.2 2.5.8 |
| Deaf or hard of hearing | Captions on any video, visual confirmation of every action | Caption every clip | WCAG 2.2 1.2.2 |
| Photosensitive | No flashing content | Nothing flashes more than 3 times a second | WCAG 2.2 2.3.1 |
| Non-English speakers | Language switch on the first screen | Allow 30 to 40 percent extra space for translated text | Our localization guide |
Bottom line: design the touch zone for 15 to 48 inches, text at 4.5:1 contrast, targets of 44 pixels or more, a 20 second timeout warning, audio on every step and a QR handoff, and keep the tactile signs.
Braille does not go away. ADA 2010 Standards section 703 requires tactile characters and braille on signs that identify permanent rooms and spaces, such as restrooms, exits and family rooms, mounted with the baseline 48 to 60 inches above the floor. A screen is an addition for directional and changing information; the question "what are the alternatives to braille wayfinding signs" has the answer "additions, not alternatives".
For blind visitors the useful additions are non-visual routes: audio on the kiosk, a phone handoff by QR code or NFC tag so their own screen reader reads the directory, and a staffed information desk. Indoor navigation apps that guide a blind user turn by turn with Bluetooth beacons are a separate vendor layer, not a DigitalSignage.com feature.
Our guide on accessible signage for blind and low-vision audiences and our ADA kiosk compliance guide cover the details: mounting heights, tested contrast pairs, the audio layer and the ten-point checklist that a tender can copy.
Our documentation does not describe a text-to-speech or screen-reader mode inside SignStudio, so the kiosk application or mapping vendor supplies the audio layer; ask support (support@digitalsignage.com, live chat at https://chat.digitalsignage.com/) before promising it. The QR component for the phone handoff is part of mediaCLOUD Plus+, and our QR code size guide gives the pixel sizes.
How vandal-resistant must a mall directory be?
IK10 glass and a steel enclosure wherever the kiosk stands unattended after hours or near a door, and IK08 where it is staffed or inside a store during opening hours. IK codes come from IEC 62262 and state the impact energy a surface survives, which is the figure to put in the tender instead of "vandal-proof".
| IK code | Impact energy | Equivalent drop | Where in a mall |
|---|---|---|---|
| IK07 | 2 joules | 0.5 kg from 400 mm | Counter-top screens inside a staffed store |
| IK08 | 5 joules | 1.7 kg from 300 mm | Food court and concourse positions staffed during hours |
| IK09 | 10 joules | 5 kg from 200 mm | Busy concourses, escalator landings |
| IK10 | 20 joules | 5 kg from 400 mm | Entrances, parking lobbies, anything open overnight |
Bottom line: specify IK10 at entrances and parking lobbies, IK09 on busy concourses and IK08 only where staff are always within sight.
Projected capacitive touch works through thick protective glass, which is why it suits enclosures; our touch screen technologies guide compares it with infrared frames. Add an anti-graffiti film, a locked service door, concealed cables, floor anchoring against tip-over, and a recessed power switch. An indoor concourse needs no IP rating; a parking lobby open to the garage needs IP54 or better, from our IP ratings guide.
What does a 6-directory mall cost?
About $35,000 in year one as a planning estimate as of November 2026, of which software is $216. The hardware figures come from our interactive displays guide and interactive directories guide; the mapping engine is quoted by its vendor and is not included.
| Item | Planning figure | 6 directories |
|---|---|---|
| Freestanding portrait directory kiosk, 49 to 55 in PCAP touch, installed | $3,000 to $8,000 each, $5,500 used | $33,000 |
| Player, where the enclosure does not include one | $150 to $250, $200 used | $1,200 |
| Software, mediaCLOUD Plus+ (touch components) | $3 per screen per month, every screen billed from 4 | $216 a year |
| Enterprise kiosk lockdown, if required | Per screen in the public calculator | Quote |
| Mapping engine subscription | Set by the mapping vendor | Quote |
| Electricity, 55-inch screen at 12 hours a day | About $75 a year each | $450 a year |
| Tenant sheet and map setup, staff or agency time | 20 to 40 hours, a common planning figure | Internal |
| Year-one total before mapping and lockdown | $34,866 |
Bottom line: the kiosks are 95 percent of the budget and the software under 1 percent, so spend the specification effort on the enclosure, the glass and the placement.
Worked example: updating three tenant changes in one morning
On a Monday the leasing office reports three changes: a shoe store at unit 214 has closed, a cafe has moved from unit 108 on level 1 to unit 310 on level 3, and a phone repair kiosk has opened at kiosk position K-7. The tenant list lives in a shared Google Sheet shown by the Google Sheets component, and the floor-plan engine is the mapping vendor's web app shown in the Web Page component.
| Step | Action | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Closed store | Open the sheet, set the Status of unit 214 to Closed | 3 min |
| 2. Moved cafe | Change Level from 1 to 3, Unit from 108 to 310, Map node from L1-108 to L3-310 | 4 min |
| 3. New kiosk | Add a row: name, category, level 1, unit K-7, hours, map node L1-K7 | 3 min |
| 4. Map engine | Move the cafe's pin and add K-7 in the mapping vendor's editor | 5 min |
| 5. Verification | Open player management, take a remote screenshot of two directories, search for the cafe on one kiosk | 5 min |
| 6. Total | 3 + 4 + 3 + 5 + 5 | 20 min |
Bottom line: three changes reach all six directories in about 20 minutes of one person's morning, with no publish step and no visit to the kiosks.
The printed alternative is slower and dearer. Reprinting 6 directory panels at $150 to $400 each, a common planning figure rather than a quote, costs $900 to $2,400 per change cycle and takes a week or two; 12 cycles a year is $10,800 to $28,800 and 12 weeks of out-of-date panels. The sheet-driven directories cost $216 a year in software and are never out of date for longer than the component's refresh.
How to do this in DigitalSignage.com
Build the directory as a portrait scene at 1080 x 1920, the Portrait HD preset in SignStudio, with the attract loop as scheduled content and the interactive part behind a touch button. Touch components (buttons, lists, forms, a soft keyboard) are part of mediaCLOUD Plus+; a locked-down full kiosk presentation that the shopper cannot leave is an Enterprise feature.
- Create the shared Google Sheet with the nine columns above and share it with the leasing office.
- Build the attract scene (map, promotions, advertising slots) and the directory scene with a list bound to the sheet through the Google Sheets component.
- Embed the mapping vendor's page in the Web Page component and set its refresh interval.
- Add the QR component with a link to the mobile directory, sized from the QR guide for an arm's-length scan.
- Set the idle timeout so the kiosk returns to the attract loop and clears the search, which also protects the previous shopper's privacy.
- Install the free DigitalSignage.com SignPlayer on each kiosk's player, pair it with the registration code shown on screen typed into SignStudio under Register SignPlayer, and group the six kiosks so one campaign reaches them all.
Give the leasing office an Editor role scoped to the directory group and marketing a Content Manager role, from our user management guide. Our documentation does not describe a search-term report, a text-to-speech mode or a floor-plan router inside SignStudio; for those, ask support (support@digitalsignage.com, live chat at https://chat.digitalsignage.com/).
Frequently asked questions
Digital directories for malls and shopping centers
A mall runs a portrait touch directory just inside each entrance, at each anchor junction, on escalator landings and in parking lobbies, with a non-touch board at the food court. The tenant list lives in a shared Google Sheet that the screens follow, advertising takes at most a third of the attract loop, touch targets sit 15 to 48 inches above the floor, and IK10 glass protects unattended kiosks. Six directories cost about $35,000 in year one as a planning estimate, of which DigitalSignage.com software is $216 at $3 per screen per month.
Where are the best locations for digital directories in a shopping center?
Where shoppers stop and decide: 5 to 10 metres inside each entrance, at the junctions by the anchor stores, on escalator and elevator landings, in parking lobbies and at the edge of the food court. A common planning figure is one directory per entrance plus one per anchor junction. Leave 1.5 metres of clear floor in front and 30 by 48 inches of clear floor space for a wheelchair user.
Who supplies touchscreen digital directories for malls?
Three suppliers, usually: a kiosk enclosure maker or integrator for the hardware ($3,000 to $8,000 per installed directory as a planning estimate), a mapping vendor for the floor-plan engine with search and routes, and a digital signage platform for the attract loop, lists, promotions and the screens around the kiosk. DigitalSignage.com supplies the platform: touch components on mediaCLOUD Plus+ at $3 per screen per month, kiosk lockdown on Enterprise, and the Google Sheets and Web Page components to show the tenant list and the map.
Are there accessible wayfinding options for blind users in malls?
Yes, as non-visual routes alongside the screen: audio prompts with a headphone jack and a tactile start button on the kiosk, a QR code or NFC tag that hands the directory to the visitor's phone where their screen reader is already set up, tactile and braille signs at permanent rooms under ADA section 703, and a staffed desk. Beacon-based turn-by-turn apps for blind users are a separate vendor layer, not a signage feature.
What are the alternatives to braille wayfinding signs in a mall?
Additions rather than alternatives. ADA 2010 Standards section 703 still requires tactile characters and braille on signs identifying permanent rooms and spaces, mounted 48 to 60 inches to the baseline. Digital directories add audio, a high-contrast mode, large type, a lowered touch zone within 15 to 48 inches and a phone handoff for directional and changing information that braille signs cannot carry.
How do you update a mall directory when a tenant moves?
Edit the tenant's row in the shared Google Sheet: level, unit number and map node. The Google Sheets component shows the sheet and updates when it changes, so every directory follows without a publish step. Move the pin in the mapping vendor's editor, then take a remote screenshot from SignStudio player management to confirm. Three changes take about 20 minutes.
What does a digital directory for a mall cost?
As a planning estimate as of November 2026, $3,000 to $8,000 per installed portrait touch kiosk, $150 to $250 for a player where the enclosure has none, about $75 a year in electricity, and the mapping vendor's subscription. Software on DigitalSignage.com is $3 per screen per month on mediaCLOUD Plus+ with every screen billed from 4, so six directories are $216 a year; kiosk lockdown on Enterprise is priced in the public calculator.
Can a mall directory screen show advertising?
Yes. Sell slots in the attract loop, at most a third of it, and a banner of about 10 percent of the screen height once a shopper is using the directory. Two 10 second slots in a 60 second loop each play 720 times in a 12 hour day per directory. Proof of play is an Enterprise feature; on Plus+ the evidence is the loop schedule plus remote screenshots.
Related guides
- Digital signage for retail
- Interactive retail displays
- ADA accessibility compliance for kiosks and signage
- Accessible digital signage for blind and low-vision audiences
- Interactive wayfinding and digital directory systems
- Point-of-sale advertising and upselling on screens
- IP ratings for outdoor digital signage
- How big should a QR code be on a digital sign?
- Digital wayfinding kiosk: hardware, software and cost
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Maintained by MediaSignage Inc., operator of DigitalSignage.com since 2006. Product behavior on this page comes from our own SignStudio and SignPlayer documentation; where we do not document a step, this page says so instead of guessing. Last reviewed November 4, 2026.