The Rise of Lift Lobby Screens

In the 2010s, Singapore's town councils and HDB began installing digital screens in lift lobbies. These screens display rotating messages: weather updates, government announcements, town council notices, and occasionally, festive greetings.

At first glance, they seem like a modern upgrade from paper bulletin boards. They're digital, always-on, and professionally managed. But they have a critical flaw: they're one-way communication tools.

What's Missing?

1. No Resident Input: Lift screens are controlled by town councils or management corporations. Residents can't post their own notices—about lost pets, renovation works, or community events. The boards are effectively corporate announcement channels, not community platforms.

2. Limited Content Rotation: Because lift screens must cycle through multiple messages, each notice appears for only a few seconds before disappearing. If you miss it, you have to wait for the loop to restart—assuming you remember to watch at all.

3. No Searchability: If you're looking for information about a specific topic—say, renovation notices from the past month—you can't search a lift screen. You'd have to stand there watching the loop repeatedly, hoping the relevant notice appears.

4. No Interaction: Lift screens are passive displays. You can't reply to a notice, ask a question, or share additional information. Community communication is inherently interactive—but lift screens aren't.

The Community Board Advantage

A true community board—whether physical or digital—allows residents to actively participate. They can post notices, respond to inquiries, and build connections with neighbors. This interactivity is what makes bulletin boards valuable tools for fostering community spirit.

Digital community boards organized by postal code take this further. They're searchable, archived, and accessible 24/7 from any device. Residents can browse notices at their own pace, filter by category, and engage with content that matters to them.

The Hybrid Future

Lift screens aren't going away—and they shouldn't. They're excellent for time-sensitive, official announcements that every resident needs to see. But they're not a substitute for a resident-driven community board.

The ideal solution is a hybrid approach: lift screens for government and management notices, paired with digital community boards where residents can freely post, search, and interact. Together, they create a comprehensive communication ecosystem that serves both top-down and bottom-up needs.

Conclusion

Digital lift screens are a step forward from paper notices—but they're not the final answer. To truly replicate the community-building power of traditional bulletin boards in the digital age, we need platforms that empower residents, not just inform them. Singapore's neighborhoods deserve communication tools that are as interactive, inclusive, and accessible as the communities themselves.