"Life is a sport....Make it count!"

Hi, while researching about Nike and the kind of retails displays that have been done I came across this wonderful display based on the concept of Nike+ Fuelstation...and the Nike+ Band.
Its an amazing way of promoting a new product through retail display and interactivity. The display is very interactive and engaging.
Check it out at     http://knstrct.com/2012/03/12/nike-fuelstation-london/

IKEA.....real or not??

Brief: To design a concept using Augmented Reality for Ikea for a new and affordables a bedroom collection.

Criteria for my design:

·      New Media and Technology: The design should use Augmented reality.

·      Interactive: The design should be interactive and engaging.

·      Target Audience: The design should be audience specific and should cater to their needs and requirements. In this case it should be for the middle class families who want to furnish their bedrooms in a low budget and effective way. It should reflect a clear understanding for the customers thinking and mind set.

·      Effective: The design should be effective enough that customers like to use the interactive display and gain an in store experience.

·      Easy to Use: The display should be easy to use and understand.

Three rules for creating engaging experiences for customers
(Forrester Research)

Immediacy – getting the right content at the right time

Simplicity – use the right processes, and UI for the mobile channel

Context – relevant information for the stage of the buying experience

 Analysis based on the Criteria:

Option 1:

·      New Media and Technology: The design uses Augmented Reality and displays different patterns and designs onto the furniture kept in the display window.

·      Interactive: The design is quite engaging as it helps the customer to try out different looks of the bedroom colour and pattern.

·      Target Audience: I think this is very appropriate to the needs of the target audience as it gives them a variety to choose from before buying something which people want these days. They can visualize the room before going in for anything.

·      Effective: It provides a good window display experience as well will motivate customers to come into the store to have a look at other products available.

·      Easy to Use: The display is quite easy to use.

Option 2:

·      New Media and Technology: The design uses Augmented Reality and displays different arrangements of the room possible using the image of the actual room the customer wants to furnish.

·      Interactive: The design is quite engaging and helps customers visualize their actual room with the furniture they want to buy.

·      Target Audience: This is good for people who want to buy things for a specific room and confirm how the room will look before buying it.

·      Effective: It will be quite effective in promoting sale as people can see the room with the product before they buy something for it.

·      Easy to Use: The display is quite easy to use.

Option 3:

·      New Media and Technology: The design uses Augmented Reality and displays information about specific products the phone is pointed at.

·      Interactive: The design is quite engaging and gives information about the product along with its exporting location or special offers on the product. The customer can also share the product on Facebook and get others opinions on it.

·      Target Audience: This is good for people who want to know information about specific products, also to get their friends opinion on it before buying.

·      Effective: I think the people will get motivated to buy a product once they know about the product.

·      Easy to Use: The display is quite easy to use.

Option 4:

·      New Media and Technology: The design uses Augmented Reality and displays information about the store and products and offers available on them.

·      Interactive: The design is not quite engaging but gives an idea about the kind of products available at the store and where they would be placed inside. Also it tells about any kind of offers or sales available on the products.

·      Target Audience: This is good for people who are looking for specific products. They can see where exactly it is located in the store and go there directly. Also it is good to attract potential customers who can see the category of products available.

·      Effective: The customers will know where to go in the store to get the products they want. iT WILL MOTIVATE POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS INTO THE STORE.

·      Easy to Use: The display is quite easy to use.

EVALUATION

	New Media and Technology	Interactive	Target Audience	Effective	Easy to Use
Option 1	**	****	****	***	****
Option 2	****	****	****	****	***
Option 3	***	***	***	***	***
Option 4	*	*	*	**	**

Final Design Concept (Option 2)

Click a photo of the room you want to furnish or redesign, put your phone in front of the screen on the cube and view your room in 3D using augmented reality. Choose from options that become available on your phone on a sliding bar above the room image. See the changes in 3D again using augmented reality.

The Cinderella Pumpkin Carriage

 The Cinderella Pumpkin Carriage:

This display is for celebrating Hamley's 250th anniversary and is a pop-up concept. The design is an iteration of my character shadow display concept using the concept of semiotics.

It is a pumpkin Cinderella Carriage where children can climb into and play with the interactive window. The window will have the numbers 2,5, and 0 arranged randomly. On touching the screen the numbers re-arrange to form shadows of cartoon characters. In this case shadows of characters from the story of Cinderella.

When analysed using Peirce’s Triadic Theory I feel that this will be a symbol as it has a conventional relationship with the story of Cinderella. In order to understand what the Pumpkin Carriage signifies we need to know the story of Cinderella. Also it acts an index to an extent to show the toys available in the store and also that the display if for kinds since it showcases characters from a kids’ story.

The images above show the developmental stages of my concept using drawing for communication and finally designing my concept using a 3D software.

Other iterations:

Magic Mirror Display:

This is a display of Magic Mirrors; these have corresponding frames of certain cartoons or Disney characters. The interactive touch screen in placed on the mirrors where people can interact with them. On touching them the shadows of characters appear as the numbers get re-arranged.

According to Peirce’s Triadic Theory I think that this display acts as an index to showcase the kinds of toys available in the store.

The Interactive Trampoline Display:

This is a Trampoline display where children can jump and touch the interactive screen on top, which has a random arrangement of numbers 2,5 and 0. On touching the screen the numbers re-arrange to form shadows of cartoon characters.

Using Peirce’s Triadic Theory I feel this Interactive Trampoline acts as a sign as it visually resembles the thing it signifies i.e; Trampoline. This again acts as an index to a certain degree as it signifies a place for children to play hence gives an idea about the toyshop.

A very interesting story about Nike

Hi...retail is all about representing a brand in an environment. I am doing a retail concept for Nike and was researching on its history and ddevelopment. I came across this wonderful video of how they hav evolved as a brand. Its the story of NIKE...in a very easy to understand and simple manner. After reading a lot of other stuff i feel this was the best to describe the history of a brand. Please view it..its very interesting....http://nikeinc.com/pages/responsibility

Being Digital??

Check out this wonderful blog post by Sam Martin. It is about how the future is going to be influenced with new media and technology. It is amazing to see the extent to which they have imagined! If you think the present is the highest technology can go...then look at this!
http://designmind.frogdesign.com/blog/envisioning-your-future-in-2020.html

Fun with retail!!

Have you ever played games by just holding up your shoe to the computer screen?....here is a video which shows the blend of augmented reality with retail where you can play games and win prizes!!

There is another video on this page about Lego and playing games using augmented reality by jus holding the box up to a screen. You can view all the pieces available inside the box before buying it!
Watch all this at http://www.augmentedrealityvisor.com/retail-display.html

I am planning to think of retail concepts blended with augmented reality so they can be made more interactive and fun for the user. Hence i am trying to research on the existing uses of augmented reality.

I will be posting my design concepts very soon:)

Ever painted a window display??

Hi, I came across this wonderful video of an artist painting a window for a store wIndow display. Ikiru a traditional Japanese store in New York had an artist Yoko to come and paint their window. This was a wonderful way to engage the public. Since it would attract everyone's attention who passes by the store it was a good way of marketing. Check out the video at http://www.yatzer.com/vow-33-yoko-furusho-live-in-barcelona

I feel this concept can be used to engage audiences outside the store. Not only painting but other things like drama, dance etc can also be used to attract people into the store. For example some kind of games can be used in a kids store to attract children. Or in a sports store maybe an element of sports can be used to make it more interactive.