As retail designers, there’s nothing we love more than putting a smile on a shopper’s face or seeing the dwell time stats tick up exponentially as people take time to explore the environment we’ve worked diligently with the brand to create. And nothing is more impactful than creating those unexpected moments—the ones that delight and surprise us, that make us excited to try a product or engage with a particular brand experience.
Expect the unexpected: it’s far from a new adage, but it continues to be employed in innovative and delightful ways that are hugely impactful for the guest experience, as well as the retailer’s bottom line. And while we’re just slightly biased toward the inspiring examples that can be found in a retail store, it isn’t limited to retail; in fact, we create some of our most intriguing work when we blend the best of disparate design disciplines.
In a nutshell, it’s about injecting the theatrics back into design—not in a way that’s over-the-top for shock value’s sake, but in a manner that is true to the brand ethos, deepens the level of engagement and helps to ensure return visits.