Aruliden has unveiled its new design for Compass which is a complete reimagining of the traditional real estate sign - something that hasn't been redesigned for decades. The new smart real estate sign, providing a more productive, innovative experience to real estate agents, home sellers, and potential home buyers.
The interactive smart sign, the first of its kind, is round in shape, with a sleek, modern look and a matte black finish. As soon as a consumer steps within 20 feet, the sign emits a soft glow, connects directly to the Compass app through bluetooth and offers details about the listing and exclusive content related to the property. The sign is made up of durable, customizable materials to increase the life of the sign and reduce Compass' environmental footprint.
"We set out to design the new Compass sign with a few specific challenges in mind," said Johan Liden, Aruliden Co Founder. "One of the main challenges was deciding how to not only reinterpret the classic real estate sign into a new icon for Compass but also improve on its ability to communicate information in a clear, concise way. Not only did the information need to be clear, but the sign needed to accommodate a variety of layout options, based on the agent's information requirements.
"Another challenge was designing a sign that can be installed in a variety of situations and locations, from front yards to fences to townhouse facades. Since this sign houses a fair amount of technology, it needed to be able to withstand the elements equally in each location it might be installed.
"Beyond the form of the sign itself, we wanted to use illumination in a way that could be subtle but enticing and unique. Figuring out what this illumination would look like, and when and how it would be triggered was a major design challenge.
"A wide range of research went into the development of this sign. We started by exploring how we can make the sign as future-forward as possible, with a deeper level of interaction than the printed sign could give you. By researching various methods of smartphone interaction, we landed on a method of using QR codes to give customers a deeper level of information and interaction with a particular property. Another topic was finding the right materials and finish treatments that would allow the sign to not only stand up to weather abuse but be reusable over a period of years; saving on sign costs and materials in the long run.
"The practical installation and deployment of the sign was also key to its success. Even though this sign is a large step forward in design and technology, it still needed to be easily understood and installed by regional vendors, leveraging the current tools and methods they use. Discussions with installers and research into the installation process gave us the understanding we needed in order to make sure this sign can be deployed as easily and efficiently as possible.
"Regional mandates on sign size, illumination, and placement also needed to be understood. A large amount of research went into how we might illuminate this sign in a tasteful and unique way. We studied various types of illumination styles, animations and triggering methods in order to find a solution that would trigger a customer's attention only when they were in range; saving battery and creating a more direct link between users and the sign. This required a lot of research into the right sensors and placement of those sensors in order to create this triggered response, as well as sensors that would measure noise and ambient light levels; giving the sign a sense of its surroundings.
"Finally, we wanted to focus on the overall aesthetic of the sign. Beyond the technology inside, the form of the sign itself stands as a clear new icon for Compass and enables an amount of flexibility and recognition that is beyond what is currently on the market. This is not just a benefit for the Compass brand, but for agents, sellers, and buyers as well.
"Once we move past the physical design of the sign, there are layers of interaction that add a depth and richness to the experience. The light ring, with its subtle glow and animation, allows the sign to visually speak up and engage with potential buyers in a new and exciting way. The illumination cue, however, is not the end of the experience. Once the customer approaches the sign, there is yet another level of interaction for them. If a customer doesn't have the Compass app, they can scan the QR code and be taken to the home page or app store.
"During its life cycle, the sign itself is able to collect valuable data, measuring ambient light and noise levels in its environment, communicating that information back to Compass. This data can be used by Compass to deepen their understanding of real estate markets, enabling them to adapt the way they deploy signs and better understand neighborhoods and their customers."
Photos: Courtesy of Compass