design:retail - January 2015 - (Page 20)

designer picks 020 The Power of Play KIM HELGESON VISUAL MERCHANDISING & STORE DESIGN MANAGER MATTEL INC. @kim_helgeson L ET'S FACE IT we all like to play. Being playful engages the brain and brings out happy emotions. Play puts us in an altered state and opens us up to try something new and diﬀerent. Sight, sound and touch-components of the play scene-evoke curiosity and exploration. Whether interactive or implied, including one or more aspect of play in a retail setting increases customer interest and dwell time. No matter the type of retail business, play is an important component to gaining happy, satisﬁed customers. As we usher in the New Year, let's think inside the sandbox and make a resolution to include an aspect of play in every store environment. 1. Immersive Play [1] [3] The Erarta is a contemporary art museum in St. Petersburg, Russia. Interactive opportunities exist almost everywhere in the museum, so visitors can create their own meaningful connection to the art. Large touchscreens allow patrons to create drawings, while QR codes next to the artwork enable guests to suggest alternative titles. A "showcase yourself at Erarta day" allows guests to create their own work of art to adorn a museum wall. 2. Imaginative Play Often, we become totally engrossed and lose track of time. UNIQLO fosters dwell time with a custom T-shirt station at the Beverly Center in Los Angeles. Using an iPad, customers can type a sentence, draw a design or upload a photo. Shaking the device randomly places additional design eﬀects. Imaginative play at retail promotes a longer shopping experience. 3. Tactile Play Touching causes an emotional reaction. Desigual weaves whimsical elements into the retail environment that support a playful element of surprise. A backboard made of jeans or carpet arouses curiosity and encourages touching. How can you incorporate tactile, playful elements into your store? 4. Interactive Play The "Corrugated Dancers" by James Grashow at the Camron Art Museum in Wilmington, N.C., are huge cardboard ﬁgures mounted on wheels. As patrons push them around, their shadows cast an ensemble of dancers twirling on a ballroom ﬂoor. The art invites people to experience how a space can change as the sculpture and audience interact. [2] KIM HELGESON IS AN AWARD-WINNING DESIGNER OF RETAIL STORES, POP DISPLAYS AND VISUAL PROGRAMS FOR MAJOR RETAILERS SUCH AS WALMART, [4] JANUARY 2015 DESIGNRETAILONLINE.COM TARGET, TOYS "R" US AND FAO SCHWARZ. FOR THE PAST 10 YEARS, SHE HAS BEEN AN INSTRUCTOR AT THE FASHION INSTITUTE OF DESIGN AND MERCHANDISING. Photos by KIM HELGESON http://www.DESIGNRETAILONLINE.COM

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of design:retail - January 2015

design:retail - January 2015
Contents
Editor’s Note
Show Talk
On Trend
We Love This!
Designer Picks
Innovation
How’d They Do That?
Postcard
Mingle
Have You Heard?
The Visual Eye
Searching for Steve Jobs
West Elm
Winning Windows
Birchbox
Holt Renfrew
Visual Products
Products
Backstory

design:retail - January 2015