Designing a Retail Experience

Project Overview

Students will design an end-to-end retail experience for a real business. They will consider how customers first hear about the offering, their arrival at the store, their in-store experience, and what they take away to share with others. The project will follow service design principles, addressing all front-stage and back-stage interactions and touchpoints. Students will conduct research, interview the client, and pitch their ideas professionally.

In particular, students will design interactive in-store displays that encourage customer engagement and play. These displays should create memorable, immersive, and shareable experiences that draw customers in and make their visit more enjoyable. Students are encouraged to think beyond traditional retail displays and experiment with interactive technology, sensory elements, gamification, and unconventional storytelling methods. Unusual, bold, and innovative approaches are welcome—this is an opportunity to push the boundaries of what a retail space can offer.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this project, students will be able to:

Define and design an end-to-end retail experience, considering all customer touchpoints.
Apply service design principles to incorporate both front-stage and back-stage elements.
Conduct user research and stakeholder interviews to inform design decisions.
Develop interactive and engaging retail displays that enhance customer engagement.
Prototype, test, and refine experiential retail concepts based on user feedback.
Work effectively in a team, establishing clear roles and responsibilities.
Present and pitch their design concepts professionally to a real client.

Project Duration

5 weeks

Project Teams & Roles

Students will be divided into teams of 3. It is essential that students establish team roles right away to ensure a smooth workflow and effective collaboration. Suggested team roles include: