I have seen it times and times again.  Shopping starts from outside.  I still keep witnessing countless cases of dis-functional design based on a) lack of knowledge of consumer behavior and b) the “sick” notion that Design is the ultimate goal.  Well, get its deep and clear into your minds.  Design is worthless if it cannot attract customers to your store and make them want to come again and again.  Unless of course you are not into real business but into winning design competitions, in which case you are at the wrong site…

A)  Make sure the store looks open.  Keep the light level high, especially behind the storefront in areas where sunlight is the norm.  In any other case the store will look closed or the glass will reflect the street view and then those passing by will just be able to check their hair and clothes in the “mirror”…  It is easy to do this automatically via a BMS system.

B)  Make sure the entrance is visible, use signage, lights, door mats or any other trick you want.  Otherwise the store will look uninviting and customers will be puzzled.  It makes them feel uncomfortable and destroys the first part of their customer experience.  Also make sure the entrance is either at the center or at the right side of the store.  Most of the people are right-handed, which means they prefer also to turn their head to the right, following an anti-clockwise journey into the store.  Left entrances result in shorter store exploration and lost revenues.

C) Last, but not least, make sure you display products and graphics vertically to the movement of your customers.  No one walks with their heads turned.  So next time you re-design your window display, remember to take advantage of the the walls vertical to the pavement…

Simple but valuable.  Easy to implement yet with a huge return on it.  Design is only one of the tools we use to maximize Return on Investment and communicate the brand’s values, positioning and differentiation.  It also affect functionality, customer experience, maintenance costs and creates life-cycle constraints.  So, make sure you know what you do and why, before doing it!  Maximize your Return on Investment.