Understanding media situatedness and publication practices in place-based digital displays

Digital public displays are evolving towards becoming more ubiquitous, but also towards alternative media publication paradigms that challenge prevailing assumptions. In our work, we are particularly interested in the concept of place-based displays, which are managed independently by a local display owner to serve the communications goals of a specific place. We analysed usage and content data from 35 place-based displays to understand how their specific properties can affect the respective media publication practices and the situatedness of the content. The results show that publication practices tend to be less formal and much more situated than what is now common in most display networks. These display owners seem to have perceived the need to balance between the values of immediate and spontaneous communication and the values of branding and media planning. This might confirm the expectation that future display systems may evolve towards becoming a medium that is more open to new forms of self-expression, appropriation and Human connectedness.