Lecture 1 - VDIS10012 Retail Design, An Introduction

VDIS10012 Retail Design An Introduction to Retail Design

by Ron Newman

An Introduction to Retail Design VDIS10012 Retail Design

Design for retail environments is one of the most widely sought after and exciting specialisations in the broad field of interior design. Retail design draws together studies in the psychology of space and its use, addresses the social, cultural and environmental requirements of product presentation and sale of the products presented. A retail design brief is by necessity complex and demanding of the designer. Additionally, retail environments most often “house” brands and an understanding of intellectual property (IP) is vital.


From the sophistication of the Louis Vuitton shop window on the cover slide of this presentation to image of shoes above, retail design and presentation traverses the distance from the very professional to the very lay approach to display. This subject will help students address these differences in both budgets and client perceptions while understanding the needs of the customers who enter the retail space.


Interior Designers often consider retail design to be a very creative and strongly commercial discipline that combines several different areas of expertise together in the design and construction of retail space. Retail design is primarily a specialised practice of architects and interior designers however it also incorporates elements of industrial design, graphic design and advertising. Retail design is a very specialized discipline due to the heavy demands placed on retail space.


The primary purpose of retail space is to stock and sell product to consumers, therefore the spaces must be designed in a way that promote an enjoyable and hassle-free shopping experience for the consumer. The retail space should be specially tailored to the kind of product being sold in that space; for example, a bookstore requires many large shelving units to accommodate small products that can be arranged categorically while a clothing store requires more open space to fully display product.


Retail spaces, when they form part of a retail chain, must also be designed to draw people into the space to shop. This can be achieved by a store front which acts as a billboard for the store, often employing large display windows that allow shoppers to see into the space and the product inside. In the case of a retail chain, the individual spaces which are part of the internal space design must be unified in their design.


Retail design first began to grow in the middle of the 19th century, with stores such as Bon Marché and Printemps in Paris, followed by Marshall Fields in Chicago, Selfridges in London and Macy's in New York. These early retail design stores were swiftly followed with an innovation called the chain store. The first chain store was opened in the early 20th century by Frank Winfield Woolworth, which quickly became a franchise across the US.


Other chain stores began growing in places like the UK a decade or so later, with stores like Boots. After World War II, a new type of retail design building which we know as the shopping centre came into being. This type of building took two different paths in comparison between the US and Europe. Shopping centres began being built out of town within the United States to benefit the suburban family, while Europe began putting shopping centres in the middle of town.


The first shopping centre in the Netherlands was built in the 1950s, as retail design ideas began spreading east. The next evolution of retail design was the creation of the boutique in the 1960s, which emphasized retail design run by individuals. Some of the earliest examples of boutiques are the Biba boutique created by Barbara Hulanicki and the Habitat chain of boutiques established by Terence Conran.


The rise of the boutique was followed, in the next two decades, with an overall increase in consumer spending across the developed world. This rise made retail design shift to cater for increased customers and alternative focuses. Many retail design stores redesigned themselves over the period to keep up with changing consumer tastes and trends. These changes resulted with the creation of multiple "expensive, one-off designer shops" catering to specific fashion designers and retailers.


The rise of the internet and internet retailing in the latter part of the 20th century and into the 21st century saw another change in retail design to compensate. Many different sectors not related to the internet reached out to retail design and its practices to lure online shoppers back to physical shops, where retail design can be properly utilised.


The how to: A retail designer needs to create a thematic experience for the consumer, by using spatial cues to entertain as well as entice the consumer to purchase goods and interact with the space.

The success of a retail design is not measured by design critics but rather the records of the store which compare amount of shelf space, the volume of foot traffic against the overall productivity of the store.


Retail designers need to have an acute awareness that the store and their designs are the background to the merchandise and are only there to represent and create the best possible environment in which to reflect the merchandise to the target consumer group.

Design elements: Since the evolution of retail design and its impact on productivity have become clear, a series of standards and understandings in the design techniques and design qualities has been determined.


These standardisations range from alterations to the perspective of the structure of the space, entrances, circulation systems, atmospheric qualities (light and sound) and materiality. By exploring these standardisations in retail design the consumer will be given a thematic experience that entices them to purchase the merchandise. It is also important to acknowledge that a retail space must combine both permanent and non permanent features, that allow it to change as the needs of the consumer and merchandise change (e.g. per season).


The structure of retail space creates the constraints of the overall design; often the spaces already exist, and have had many prior uses. It is at this stage that logistics must be determined, structural features like columns, stairways, ceiling height, windows and emergency exists all must be factored into the final design. In retail, all of the space must be utilised and have a purpose where the floor plan creates the circulation which then directly controls the direction of the traffic flow.


The traffic flow is most often based on the researched psychology of consumer movement pattern within a retail space. Circulation is important because it ensures that the consumer moves through the store from front to back, guiding them to important displays and in the end to the cashier.

There are six basic store layouts and circulation plans that all provide a different experience:


There are six basic store layouts and circulation plans that all provide a different experience: Straight plan: this plan divides transitional areas from one part of the store to the other by using walls to display merchandise. It also leads the consumer to the back of the store. This design can be used for a variety of stores ranging from pharmacies to apparel.


There are six basic store layouts and circulation plans that all provide a different experience: Pathway plan: is most suitable for large stores that are single level. In this plan there is a path that is unobstructed by shop fixtures, this smoothly guides the consumer through to the back of the store. This is well suited for apparel department stores, as the clothes will be easily accessible. Also stores like IKEA use the pathway to guide their customers.


There are six basic store layouts and circulation plans that all provide a different experience: Diagonal plan: uses perimeter design which cause angular traffic flow. The cashier is often located in a central location and easily accessible. This plan is most suited for self-service retail and large department stores that require a central cashier.


There are six basic store layouts and circulation plans that all provide a different experience: Curved plan: aims to create an intimate environment that is inviting. In this plan there is an emphasis on the structure of the space including the walls, corners and ceiling this is achieved by making the structure curved (or a series of connected angles) and is enhanced by matching floor fixtures. Although this is a more expensive layout it is more suited to smaller spaces like salons and boutiques.


There are six basic store layouts and circulation plans that all provide a different experience: Varied plan: in this plan attention is drawn to special focus areas, as well as having storage areas that line the wall. This is best suited footwear and jewellery retail stores.

Geometric plan: uses the racks and the retail floor fixtures to create a geometric floor plan and circulation movement. By lowering parts of the ceiling certain areas can create defined retail spaces.


Once the overall structure and circulation of the space has been determined, the atmosphere and thematics of the space should be created through lighting, sound, materials and visual branding. These design elements will cohesively have the greatest impact on the consumer and thus the desired level of retail productivity that could be achieved.

Lighting can have a dramatic impact on the space. It needs to be functional but also complement the merchandise as well as emphasise key points throughout the store.


Lighting should be layered and of a variety of intensities and fixtures. Firstly, the designer should examine natural light and what impact it has in the space. Natural light adds interest and clarity to the space and consumers prefer to examine quality and colour of merchandise in natural light.

If no natural light exists, a sky light may be appropriate along with considerations of the lighting from the ceiling and roof. Lighting should wash the structural features while creating vectors that direct the consumer to key merchandise selling areas.


The next layer of lighting should emphasize the selling areas. These lights should be direct but not too bright and harsh. Poor lighting can cause eye strain and an uncomfortable experience for the consumer. To minimize the possibility of eye strain, the ratio of luminance should decrease between merchandise selling areas. The next layer of lighting will complement and bring focus onto the merchandise; this lighting should be flattering for the merchandise and consumer. The final layer is the functional lighting such as clear exit signs.


Retail ambiance is also developed through special features that are in tensions, through sound and audio, the music played within the store should reflect the target market and the nature of the merchandise that is being marketed. In a lingerie store the music should have a feminine nature; in a technology department the music would be more upbeat and more masculine, and so on.


Retail spaces are high traffic areas and are thus exposed to a lot of wear and tear and this means that all possible finishes should be of the materials that are durable. The warmth of a material will make the space more inviting, a floor that is firm but soft to touch will be more comfortable for consumers to walk on and thus this will allow them to take longer when exploring the store.


By switching materials throughout the store zones/ areas can be defined, for example by making the path one material and contrast it against another for the selling areas as in IKEA, will guide the consumer through the store. Colour is also important to consider, sometime dramatic but mostly not over powering or clashing with the merchandise but rather creating a complementary background for the merchandise. As merchandise will change seasonally the major interior colours should not be trend based but rather have a more general appeal.


Visual branding must ensure a memorable experience for the consumer to take with them once they leave the store ensuring that they will want to return. The key factor is consistency of exterior branding continuing into the interior, attracting, stimulating and dramatising the store. The interior branding should allow the consumer to easily self direct themselves through the store, proper placement of signs will draw consumers in and show where the cashier is located. Branding should reflect what the merchandise is and what the target market would be drawn to.


Final perspective: The final element of a well-executed retail space is the staging of the consumer's perspective. It is the role of retail designer to ensure that they have total control of the view that the consumer will have when they enter or use the retail space. Unless other concepts are in play, from the exterior of a retail store the consumer should have a clear unobstructed or intentionally obstructed view into the interior.

VDIS10012 Retail Design An Introduction to Retail Design

by Ron Newman

Lecture 1 - VDIS10012 Retail Design, An Introduction

Design

Transcript of Lecture 1 - VDIS10012 Retail Design, An Introduction