There is a sense of environmental awareness that humans have. In public spaces we’re always unconsciously on the lookout for contextual clues and changes in our environment.
We generally prefer the familiar, but we remember it when it offers us something new.
Why Does the Store Matter?
The physical store gives brands the opportunity to create a multi dimensional brand narrative and product experience.
Most retail stores focus on functional access to an inventory of products through aisles, shelves, or zones - while these practical measures help with intuitive navigation, customers are unconsciously looking for novelty and beauty.
On a fundamental level, a great store design creates an experience that attracts customers through visual appeal and also guides them in their shopping journey.
Using display techniques to highlight the appearance and the benefit of the products, as well as conveying the brand promise.
Moments of Truth
At Design Partnership, our approach to retail design always starts with a practice we call ‘Moments of Truth’.
A moment of truth is what we hold dearest in our retail experience. It’s an environmental UX model to help frame a store experience by overlaying the architecture, the expectation and the brand intention.
Throughout the store journey we consider human design principles.
Harmony vs. Visual noise.
Information overload vs. sensory deprivation.
We think about quality of light, use of colour, and graphic messaging.
In addition, it is also important to know why customers go into store.
Gensler frames 5 key reasons to visit a store in their Experience index - Task, Social, Discovery, Entertainment & Aspiration.
When we look at the store journey/narrative through the lens of intention we can design for our senses, to create a great store experience.
The right balance of all of these in the store allows us to evoke an emotional response and make a customer feel good by being in it.
Universally, we still prefer qualities like symmetry, composition, rhythm, scale, repetition, proportion, contrast, and surprise.
Kelley, K. 2024
Retail design is about creating an inspiring and positive ambience in store, a place that makes customers feel good by being in it.
We use our senses and our emotions to gauge our environments.