At 325 Main Kendall Center in Cambridge, an employee checks the Split Flap display over the exit for updated transit times, wanting to see when the next train will arrive. While waiting for the elevator at the 1333 building in Dallas, a CEO checks the Split Flap hanging on the wall and learns about an upcoming networking event. A resident of The Clark in Philadelphia sees a weather update on the lobby Split Flap display calling for rain – and heads back upstairs to grab an umbrella.
During the workday at our headquarters, Creative Director Sarah Van Bemmel learns from the Split Flap near the entrance that Director of Sales Kristy Brunhofer closed her latest deal.
Assembly Supervisor Chris Novak tests a Split Flap display going to a client with a large production facility – ensuring that it’s ready to share weekly sales and marketing updates. Digital Marketing & SEO Specialist Melissa Houghton and Jah-meir Reed, Multimedia Specialist, update the display recommendations for food, entertainment, and sightseeing in Philly, using the Split Flap companion technology, Algorithm.
At a time when most office messages vanish into digital noise, these moments remind us: attention can still be intentional at the office.
Inter-Office Communication: The Impact of a Split Flap Board
Imagine an office where the first sound isn’t a Slack ping or an incoming Zoom call – it’s the subtle clack of an analog Split Flap board. The message on the board reads, “Meeting at 10 AM – bring questions.”
Similar to the early days of Twitter, where users were limited to a 140-character limit, this single message cuts through the digital noise of the office. Our devices deliver hundreds of messages a day – 376 billion emails worldwide, 40+ push phone notifications – creating unlimited connectivity, but endless digital saturation. The more that is sent, the less that is seen.
The Psychology of Analog Tools
Despite digital alternatives, there’s a lasting emotional resonance in turning the page of a catalog or taking down notes with a richly inky black pen. In offices flooded by pings and push notifications, these analog experiences are not only nostalgic, but necessary. And it doesn’t just feel better, analog technology has a positive impact on learning and mental health.
- Experts say that the act of engaging with a physical book is “experienced in the body,” leading to better reading comprehension.
- Handwriting “activates” the brain, and is preferable over typing for “learning and memory retention.”
- Listening to a vinyl record instead of a mp3 results in a “warmer sound,” as it is uncompressed audio with no “tone loss”
A Split Flap display, known for their presence in early 20th century train stations and airports, lives in this same family of tactile tools. The subtle sound of clacking as a departure time is announced taps into the romanticism and occasion experienced by holding a vintage suitcase or typing on a typewriter. Now, revitalized Split Flap displays give offices the chance to tap into digital-free spaces while capturing the same nostalgic feel.
What does it mean to invest in a message?
In the virtual office, messages accumulate, minimizing their impact. To effectively invest in a message requires time, consideration, and delivery, similar to the feeling of receiving an unexpected letter in the mail or a fresh bouquet of flowers at work. An impactful message invokes the senses, whether it be through sound, sight, smell, touch or taste — and it definitely isn’t a mention in a chat that could be easily scrolled past.
“Screens are really good at cramming a lot of information into a small footprint which is very efficient, but can leave you burned out,” says Colin Lew, Project Engineer at Oat Foundry.
“The Split Flap is a way to present information in a way that is more paced and less manic than a screen. The cue of the Split Flap is an invitation to engage and that can be enough to let you reset.”
A message curated on a Split Flap display or similar analog tool feels deliberate, rather than disposable. Rather than contributing to the endless digital landscape and its challenges (digital eye strain, prolonged screen usage, and channel fragmentation), a message that takes up real space takes up actual attention.
A medium that celebrates the moment
An office that invests in the delivery of messages builds a strong culture that:
- Signals to employees that their time is valuable
- Shares with clients that presence is appreciated
- Commemorates the completion of goals
A Split Flap display that invites their employees to join the weekly office meeting, announces the arrival of an important client or marks a company milestone goes beyond mere communication – it offers connection.