Timelines and information kiosks · For facilities managers, communications staff and administrators
A digital timeline wall for the lobby, without repainting the corridor
Mount a touchscreen where the timeline should be and put your history on it, era by era. When a date turns out to be wrong or a new chapter begins, you change it from your desk instead of calling the sign shop.
No account needed to start. Free to use. No payment details required.
What is a digital timeline wall?
A digital timeline wall is a touchscreen mounted in a lobby or corridor that shows an organization’s history as a timeline visitors can tap through. HistoryShowcase runs it in a web browser on your own touchscreen, full screen or as an installed app, and saves the live site so the wall keeps showing it if the network drops.
Updated
- Made for
- Facilities managers, communications staff and administrators
- Where it goes
- Main lobby, A long corridor, Outside a meeting room
- Layouts
- Timeline, Photo gallery, Portrait gallery
- Visitors can filter by
- Era, Year
- Cost
- Free to use. No payment details required.
Lettering on a wall can’t keep up
Vinyl timelines look sharp on the day they go up. Then a new wing opens, a founder’s birth year turns out to be wrong, or a department is renamed, and the wall stays as it was because changing it means a vendor, a ladder and a quote. A few years later the most recent panel is out of date and nobody wants to touch it.
A digital timeline wall puts the same history on a touchscreen in the same spot. Each era becomes a set of stories with years, photos and short write-ups, and the next chapter is one more story at the end. If you like your lettering, keep it for the headline dates and let the screen beside it carry everything else.
How does a digital timeline wall compare with a vinyl lettering timeline?
| What matters | Vinyl wall lettering timeline | HistoryShowcase |
|---|---|---|
| Reading from down the hall | Large, bold and visible from a distance | Best read up close at the screen |
| Space needed | A long stretch of wall | One screen-sized spot |
| Room for detail | As much text as the wall allows | Each event opens into a story with photos |
| Adding the next chapter | New letters, or a crowded final panel | Add a story at the end of the timeline |
| When the network drops | Not a concern | Keeps showing the saved live site |
What to put on a digital timeline wall
The founding
Who started it, where, and the first photo you have of the place.
Every move and expansion
New buildings, wings and locations, each dated, with before and after photos.
Name changes
What the organization was called in each era, so older visitors recognize the name they knew.
Leaders and long-serving staff
Directors, presidents and people who gave decades, placed on the year they started.
Community moments
The storm, the fundraising drive, the anniversary dinner: the events people bring up when they see the wall.
This year
Recent milestones at the end of the line, so the wall reads as current, not as a plaque.
How to organize a timeline wall
A wall screen is read by people passing through, so keep the home screen to a few eras that each open into stories.
Your siteSince 1912
- Our timelineTimeline
Every milestone in order, with an era sub-collection for each period.
- Buildings then and nowPhoto gallery
Old and new photos of the same places, captioned with the year.
- LeadersPortrait gallery
Directors and presidents in order, each with a profile.
Visitors can narrow it by
- Era
- Year
How do you put up a digital timeline wall?
Choose the spot on the wall
Pick a place with an outlet and a network signal, out of direct sunlight, and mount the screen low enough for visitors to reach comfortably.
Build the timeline from your desk
Start at /start in any browser, add your eras and milestones, and check each one in Preview.
Pair the screen
On the touchscreen, enter the pairing code from the editor, two words and four digits used once within ten minutes, then save the start address in the browser’s start-page setting.
Where should a digital timeline wall hang?
- Main lobbyThe first wall visitors face while they wait.
- A long corridorWhere a lettered timeline would normally run, with the screen at one end.
- Outside a meeting roomPeople waiting for a meeting have a few minutes to browse.
Digital timeline wall questions
Can we keep our existing lettering timeline?
Yes. Many walls work best with both: the lettering gives the headline dates at a glance, and the screen next to it holds the stories, photos and corrections.
What happens after a power cut or restart?
Save the site’s start address in the kiosk browser’s start-page setting so it opens your timeline again after a restart. Running full screen or as an installed app, the screen also keeps a saved copy for offline use.
Who can update the wall?
Add colleagues by email as owners, editors or viewers. Changes save as you type and appear on the live site, so mark a new story Private until it’s ready.
Is this only for schools?
HistoryShowcase was built for schools, and setup asks for a school name and colors. A hospital, company or club enters its own name and uses the same timeline layout and touchscreen setup.
Related ideas
Put your whole timeline on one wall
Free to use. No payment details required.
