Spatial Design 2 / Assignment 1

 Assignment 1

To do :

1. Task: Students need to research and analyse two retail shops: one overseas (accessible online) and one real-life project.
2. Research Areas: The analysis should cover.
3. Store Overview: Name, location, type, and background/brand history.
4. Design Features: Layout (including a floor plan sketch), materials, lighting, and colour scheme.
5. Brand Identity: How the design reflects the brand and differentiates it from competitors.
6. Customer Experience: Influence of design on customer journey, movement, sensory elements, and emotional connection
7. Technology Integration: Use of technology like digital displays or interactive elements.
8. Sustainability: Incorporation of sustainable practices.
9. Challenges and Opportunities: Identifying potential issues and suggesting improvements with sketches.
10. Deliverables: A 15-20 slide presentation with supporting visuals (photos, sketches, diagrams) and proper citation of at least 3 sources

Process:

When I got the assignment brief, I started with a clear objective: I wanted to choose shops that were notable for their design and customer experience. Considering that we are in an era of rapid technological advancement, I was particularly interested in how tech brands use space design to convey brand concepts and enhance customer interaction.

For overseas shops, I wanted to find a flagship shop that was representative of the brand, had an avant-garde design concept, and had relatively easy access to information. After some initial online searching and thinking, I set my sights on the Chinese tech giant Huawei. In particular, I learnt about their new flagship shop in Wangfujing, Beijing, whose ‘urban living room’ design concept and attempts to incorporate local cultural elements made me think that it was a case study worth looking into.

So I started to dig deeper into the information about this shop. I checked relevant architectural websites, news reports, and official brand materials to focus on it.

I found out about Huawei's flagship shop in Beijing by searching the internet and found the original design company that dropped his name on this side of the article

Afterwards I learnt that it was a company called ''Superimpose Architecture''. Going to his website, I found a description of Huawei's flagship shop in Beijing and some high-resolution pictures.

I looked up reports about the shop in professional media such as ArchDaily and gooood design network.

Various news reports during the opening period and tech bloggers' shop visit videos and articles provided me with a large number of real-life images of the shop, video footage, and initial feedback on my experience.

With relatively sufficient information, I started to work on the PPT.

I have tried to keep this section simple and clear, presenting the name of the shop, the location, the type, the target audience and the most important design highlights (e.g., the ‘City Parlour’ concept, the Superimpose Architecture design, the integration of the Beijing culture, etc.). I also included an overview of the exterior and interior of the shop to give a first impression.

To add more depth to the analysis, I added Huawei's mission, vision, history, current position, and its core product features , which helps to understand the deeper brand strategy behind the flagship shop design.

This was one of the more challenging pieces. Although I couldn't find the exact construction floor plan officially released, I found some layout schematics from some design reports. I put these diagrams into the PPT, and based on the information and pictures I found, I tried my best to label the main functional areas, such as Resting Area, Caffee Bar, Chat Room, General Sales Area, Smart Home, Children's Area and so on. Children's area, etc. I know this may not be perfect, but it shows the logic of the shop's spatial organisation.

Here I elaborate on the overall design concept of the shop's ‘urban living room’, emphasising the use of the principle of central symmetry and how the main sales area and the ‘urban oasis café’ are divided by a thick limestone wall. I also introduced the design features and functions of the core areas such as the product showroom, the coffee area and the experience area. This is supported by a large number of interior drawings of the shop.

Lighting Design: I focused on how the shop uses intelligent lighting systems to adjust the colour and brightness according to the function of different areas, creating a comfortable or technological atmosphere, and emphasised the positive impact of lighting on product display and customer experience.

Colour Scheme: I analysed how the colours of the shop are mainly derived from the natural colours of the materials (e.g. white, grey, wood), which create a bright, transparent and organised atmosphere, while the coffee area is designed to create a relaxing ambience with warm colours and greenery.

Material Used: I listed the main materials such as UHPC, glass curtain wall, limestone, terrazzo, wood, etc., and analysed how they combine modernity and sophistication in aesthetics, as well as functionality (e.g. durability, transparency, etc.). Relevant detail photographs are provided for better illustration.

I have analysed how shop design can enhance the overall customer experience from the perspectives of open layout to encourage exploration, interactive experience (e.g. product trial, scenario experience, school activities), and user-friendly facilities (e.g. children's area to facilitate customers with small children). Strategic product layout is also a point of concern for me.

One of the main features of the Huawei Store is technology. I've summarised the ‘1+8+N’ full-scene smart life solution display, intelligent interconnections between devices (e.g. multi-screen collaboration), the application of digital technologies such as large LED curved screens in the shop, and the incorporation of the AITO Inquisitive Vehicle. I also found a schematic diagram to explain the concept of ‘1 intelligent host + 2 core interaction + N sub-systems’.

I researched the shop's sustainability efforts, such as the ‘urban oasis’ design concept, the use of environmentally friendly materials (such as UHPC's durability), and the use of natural lighting and intelligent lighting systems to save energy. I found a chart on the sustainability features of UHPC to help illustrate this.

In this section, I distil the previous analysis and summarise how the shop design reinforces Huawei's brand image in terms of being a leader in technological innovation, cultural integration and respect, customer centricity and modern design aesthetics.

I've also thought critically about some of the challenges the shop may face in terms of design and operation, such as how to strike the perfect balance between modern technology and Beijing's traditional culture, how to effectively direct the flow of people through the two levels of the space, and how to truly and sustainably create a community atmosphere of a ‘city living room’.

When choosing a local shop, my goal was to find a case study that had both commonalities (being a retail space for the same tech brand) and some contrast with the flagship shop overseas. Considering that Huawei also has an extensive presence in the Malaysian market, I decided to delve deeper into Huawei's retail outlets, and the Huawei Licensed Experience Store inside Sunway Pyramid, a heavily trafficked shopping mall complex, is certainly a great window to see how the brand reaches out to consumers in an everyday business environment. I wanted to see how Huawei would present its design concept and customer experience in a standard shop unit within a shopping centre, as opposed to a standalone flagship shop with a huge investment.

Drawing the floor plan is an important part of the process for me, as it helps me to sort out the layout of the space. Since detailed construction drawings are not usually provided, I created a schematic based on actual observations of the shop (or, if it's a purely online study, I'll note that it's based on typical layouts and photographic analyses). I've highlighted a few key areas, such as the ‘Main sales area’, ‘accessory area’, ‘aftermarket’, and the ‘shop floor’. accessories area’, “aftermarket”, “service desk” and “warehouse area”. The purpose of this diagram is to show the general functional zoning and flow possibilities of the shop.

In my PPT, I quoted the description of the newly opened HES shop that I had collected before, that is, the design of the shop is ‘simple but elegant’, ‘exquisite layout’ and ‘oak decoration’ combined with ‘warm lighting’ to create ‘a cosy and warm home atmosphere’. The combination of ‘sophisticated layout’ and ‘oak accents’ with ‘warm lighting’ creates a ‘cosy and homely atmosphere’. I'm sure the Sunway Pyramid shop will follow a similar design language, striking a balance between technological sophistication and approachability.

I noticed that the shop mainly uses ‘warm lighting’ to create a cosy atmosphere, while bright, even ‘functional lighting’ is used in the product display areas to ensure that the products are clearly visible. The images in the PowerPoint also reflect this, especially the large luminous film on the ceiling, which provides basic lighting and forms part of the shop's modern, minimalist style.

I've described how shops can create a positive customer experience in a number of ways.

Open Layout: Clear layout and open displays encourage customers to explore and experience the products.

Interactive Experience: Emphasise that customers can touch and operate the equipment on display to experience the function and design of the products.

Humanisation and value-added services: Possible value-added services are mentioned, such as free replacement of screen protector, device cleaning, gift wrapping, etc., all of which can enhance customer satisfaction and brand perception.

Community Atmosphere Building: By organising workshops and interactive activities, we aim to make our shops a community space that connects users and stimulates creativity.

Brand Level Commitment: I started by explaining Huawei's global commitment to green branding, such as its efforts to reduce energy consumption in its products, the use of eco-friendly materials, and the promotion of green packaging.

Use of eco-friendly materials: I cite Huawei's practice of using recyclable and bio-based plastics in its products (e.g. mobile phones, smartwatches, etc.) and the contribution of these materials in reducing carbon emissions.

Green Packaging : I mentioned Huawei's efforts to use environmentally friendly packaging materials such as FSC-certified paper and biodegradable soy ink.

Energy-efficient lighting : I pointed out that the use of LED lighting in the shop is an energy-saving measure in itself, as demonstrated by the pictures in the PowerPoint presentation.

Optimise the checkout experience : I proposed a specific improvement idea: to use wall space in the checkout area to create niches and secondary shelves for displaying attractive small items or add-ons.

Improve customer interaction and up-sell: I explained how this layout would subtly increase the appeal of the merchandise by encouraging customers to interact with it at the end of the checkout process, making it easier to pick up and view. Salespeople can also more naturally direct customers' attention to these items, effectively promoting up-selling and cross-selling. I've included a simple diagram with this suggestion.