Retail Experience Design
Art Direction | Graphic Design | Marketing | Merchandising
OBJECTIVE & CHALLENGES:
Savant aimed to open its first brick-and-mortar retail store in New York City over the holiday season in a post-Covid environment, with a tight timeline of three weeks. The goal was to create an engaging retail space in collaboration with General Electric Lighting, showcasing the latest Savant home products and GE Lighting's offerings while maximizing customer engagement and sales. The challenges for the project were the following:
Opening a brick-and-mortar store in New York City within a three-week timeframe, amid logistical challenges posed by the post-Covid environment.
Working closely with General Electric Lighting's team in Cleveland to ensure a successful grand opening.
Designing an interactive retail space that showcases Savant and GE Lighting products while providing a seamless shopping experience for customers.
DESIGN SOLUTION:
The Savant Soho pop-up shop, located in the fashionable district of Soho adjacent to prominent brands like Prada and Harry Styles' pop-up shop, was conceptualized as a glossy magazine-style retail space. As the acting Art Director, I was responsible for creating a store layout that maximized visual impact and provided interactive ways for customers to engage with products. The design team collaborated with General Electric Lighting to create an automated home experience, showcasing lighting, remotes, energy systems, and home security solutions.
The store layout incorporated graphic design elements for marketing, layouts, signage, and window displays, creating a cohesive and visually appealing brand experience. The collaboration with GE Lighting allowed for the seamless integration of Savant and GE Lighting products, offering customers a comprehensive selection of smart home solutions.
ROLE AS DESIGN LEADER:
As the Art Director for the Savant Soho pop-up shop, I played a crucial role in conceptualizing the store layout, designing interactive customer engagement elements, and providing graphic design expertise for marketing materials and signage. I led the design team in executing the vision for the retail space, ensuring a seamless integration of Savant and GE Lighting products while maximizing visual impact and customer engagement.
The success of the store allowed Savant to extend its lease on the space from three months to one year, hoping to add more products and create better client engagement with new home technology.
RESULTS:
The Savant Soho pop-up shop was a resounding success, exceeding expectations and leading to an extension of the lease from three months to one year. The store provided a unique retail experience for customers, showcasing the latest in home technology while offering a seamless shopping experience. The collaboration between Savant and GE Lighting resulted in increased brand visibility and customer engagement, setting a precedent for future collaborations and retail ventures.
