Why we chose e-ink for room signs

When we set out to build a room sign, the obvious choice was a small tablet. We tried it. Then we chose e-ink instead, and never looked back.

It sips power

A backlit tablet needs a cable, or a nightly charge, or both. E-ink only draws power when the screen actually changes. That means a Vejlo sign runs for months on a single charge, quietly doing its job without a wire snaking up the wall.

It reads like paper

E-ink is reflective, like paper. It's crisp in direct sunlight, readable from across the hallway, and it never glares. A backlit screen washes out; e-ink just gets clearer.

It never shows a black screen

Tablets sleep. When they do, a booked room can look like an off room, and confusion follows. E-ink holds its last image with zero power, so the status is always there: free or booked, until when.

It belongs on a wall

The best hardware disappears. A Vejlo sign looks like it's part of the building, not like a gadget somebody forgot to plug in. That's the point: the technology fades, and the information stays.

Curious how it looks in place? See the product.