DDi - March 2010 - (Page 20)

20 | Design Snapshot Inquisitive minds The School of Life brings a sense of quirky curiosity to the streets of London By Mark Faithfull, London Editor “J ust don’t call it self-help,” says director Morgwn Rimel of The School of Life, a store-cum-lifestyle concept a few minutes from London’s West End. The reason soon becomes clear. The School of Life targets inquisitive people in search of experiences beyond consumer purchasing, and the outlet sets out to cater to an audience that is turned off by “self-help,” but is turned on by its eclectic range of evening and weekend courses, broadly held together by the notion of fulfilment and lifestyle choices. The street-level store is simple, predominantly offering books that are themed around subjects on which The School of Life offers its courses. Wall signage and graphics help navigation, and the unit works both as a deliberately “unthreatening, almost quirky” store, and as a literal window into the deeper offer. The School of Life worked with graphic artist Charlotte Mann on a calm but funky basement area, where she created an elaborate mural with a marker pen on white emulsion paint—an effect she describes as “a drawing of a room crammed full of all kinds of stuff, each item being something specific, something real—from a print of Breugal’s ‘Hunters in the Snow,’ to a pair of Nike Air Jordan 7s.” The basement, which can house up to 25 people, is home to a wide range of courses offered by the store. The courses were recently refashioned to appeal to more men, says the affable U.S.-native Rimel. “Instead of six-week courses, we run onenight events, which can be booked up to the night before,” she says. “We have given them ‘How to’type titles, rather than a course on ‘love.’ For a lot of people, it’s simply a more stimulating alternative to a night at the pub, or going to the movies.” The School of Life also runs a non-religious Sunday service on ethical themes once a month at nearby Conway Hall and regular breakfast and dinner events, plus philosophy tours by bike around London and the like. Rimel says she would like more outlets— customers have flown from as far as San Francisco to attend an event—but that any location would have to meet both the operator’s retail and workshop requirements. www.ddimagazine.com | March 2010 Photos: Peter Mann http://www.ddimagazine.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of DDi - March 2010

DDi - March 2010
Contents
From the Editor
Newsworthy
Greentailing
Editor’s Choice
Design Snapshot: H&M Home
Design Snapshot: The School of Life
American Eagle Outfitters
Juicy Couture
Channel Focus: Jewelry
Shopper Marketing Section
Selfridges 3rd Central
Schnucks Market
Right Light
Design Leaders 2010
In-Store Technology
Product Spotlight
GlobalShop Show Coverage
Classifieds
Advertisers
Calendar
Shopping with Paco

DDi - March 2010

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