There is a famous saying, “It’s not how you look, it’s how you feel”. Billy Crystal spoofed the saying when he did his satire of Fernando Lamas. In his version, he said, “It’s not how you feel, but how you look”. When it comes to recognition systems, which is more important? Look or feel? Do we wish to elicit emotions with the mention of a name while feeling the texture of a physical plaque or do we want to present the individuals in an appealing way with information and meaning and forgo the physical? During discussions with potential clients about APIOH - A Place In Our Hearts and our web based recognition systems, the comment about whether the goal and desire of APIOH is to replace the physical plaque boards inevitably comes up. We always respond that APIOH can replace, supplement or provide an alternative to physical systems of recognition.
APIOH provides a ‘Sense’-ible approach. APIOH presents recognition in an eye appealing manner. Visitors to an APIOH View display can read information contained in the presentation and see pictures of those being presented. However, touch is a different matter. APIOH relates to the sense of touch through its touch screen interaction, so on a macro level, an individual can connect to the overall presentation through touch. However, on an individual level, APIOH does not invoke the same sentiment that the texture of a physical plaque does. Many individuals have related that they do not want to lose the emotional value of a physical plaque and the meaning it conveys as it relates to the person being presented on that plaque. People have told me they get comfort when they visit the physical plaque of a deceased loved one. They maintain a physical connection to the departed when they lay their hand over the plaque. These individuals do not want to lose that opportunity by ‘replacing’ the physical with the virtual. So to those organizations we suggest that they do n0t get rid of the physical plaque system. Instead they should supplement the limitations of the physical plaques with the depth of APIOH’s virtual ones.
The goal of an APIOH system within an organization is up to the organization utilizing it. If an organization is looking to free up wall space, APIOH provides the ability to house significantly more plaques in a much smaller footprint than physical plaques – all while providing significantly more information behind each plaque. If an organization wants to supplement its plaque system by providing an additional resource for extended physical plaque information, it can. If an organization wishes to add an alternative to the physical plaque systems, APIOH can be that alternative.
Certainly, APIOH is not everyone’s everything. But neither are physical plaques. APIOH is not out to rid the world of physical plaques. On the contrary, we want to add the missing elements of the physical plaques. Let us enhance the experience and emotion elicited by physical plaques with the depth of information, photos and other content that can be provided through APIOH.
Tags: APIOH, Donors, Life events, Memorials, Recognition Systems