When you want to make the best kiosk, you go to the pros. TapSnap turned to the expertise of industrial design company Olea Kiosks to realize their vision for a high-tech photo booth that is fully integrated with social media.
“We wanted a really big 42-inch, active fun experience with a multi-touchscreen that allowed multiple people to take their picture all at the same time,” says Scott McInnes, the CEO and founder of TapSnap, which launched in April this year and now has franchise operations in most major North American cities. “We’ve worked with Olea Kiosks before and we knew they would help bring our vision to life.”
With hundreds of customers and 15 different custom products, Olea Kiosks produces 2,000 to 3,000 kiosks a year, manufacturing them in their Los Angeles County headquarters.
Here’s what the CEO Frank Olea had to say on the creation of TapSnap.
Less is More
“I tried to put myself in the perspective of people renting the kiosk,” says Frank. “A bride has spent thousands of dollars on dresses and décor and flowers. The last thing she wants is a big black box in the middle of her wedding. TapSnap had to have style. It needed to look clean. The white design means it just blends in. It is just really very simple. We went at it with the idea that less is more.”
Portability
The goal was to make TapSnap as light and transportable as possible and slim enough that it would be easy to fit the machine into any venue.
“We knew the situation wouldn’t always be ideal,” says Frank. “That sometimes TapSnap owners would be carrying it out of people’s backyards and upstairs and into all of the wacky places you can go.”
A two-part system solved the portability problem: a giant touchscreen, and a sawhorse-inspired stand that can be set up and down quickly. The tablet is aluminum to keep the weight down, while the stand is mild-grade steal for weight and stability.
“TapSnap was designed with portability in mind,” says Frank. “You won’t find anything like that on the market right now.”
There are other portable photo booths on the market, he says, “but they look portable.”
Frank designed it to look as much like a giant tablet computer as possible so people would recognize the machine as something they know and feel comfortable with it.
“We didn’t want people to be afraid of it,” says Frank.
TapSnap in Action
Just a few days ago, Frank took TapSnap to a friend’s fortieth birthday party.
“My friend was complaining that too many people were hanging out at the photo booth instead of the party. Most of the guests were in their 40s but acting like teenagers with the machine,” he says.
“The open air design and the large-format screen gets everybody going. It snowballs. Because you can see what’s happening it’s such a draw. And you get photos you couldn’t get from a photographer. This is people acting the way they want to act.”
Made to Last
TapSnap is made to last.
“Everything is designed so it can be easily fixed if something goes wrong,” says Frank. For example if the touchscreen glass gets broken, it is possible to extract and replace the glass using ordinary hand tools. Other parts are similarly replaceable.
TapSnap is Green
TapSnap is designed for the long-haul, but years down the road it can easily be broken down and recycled. The computer and touchscreen can be removed and become e-waste.
The aluminum from the touchscreen and the steel from the stand can easily be recycled.
“TapSnap is definitely a very green product,” he says.
Comments