Pandora Jewellery

Wise words.

Ernest Jones - Watch catalogue

Leslie Davis - Layout

H.Samuel - Meadowhall visit

After 4 phone calls and 3 emails back and forth to H.Samuel, Meadowhall and head offices we finally managed to get permission to photograph in the H.Samuel store in the Meadowhall shopping centre in Sheffield. To get a better idea of the stores, and the variations between them, so POS and other promo material can be designed to work in numerous stores. We have previously already visited the Leeds high street store, so as a variation we are looking at this shopping centre version.

Initial thoughts for the store, although from the exterior it does seem quite airy, but when you move into the store, the interior feels cluttered. This effect isn't so strong with this particular store because it is open on three sides, but unfortunately it is greater in the high street store we visited.

The store was full of potential locations for graphical influences, and additional POS, and displays but wherethe or not it is being used effectively.

Displays feel too generic, manufactured and bland for what should be a personal place to buy gifts. Here is one of few variations to the display cabinets, with simple divider shelves, but this seems to be the only variation. Even though all the jewellery is different, it is displayed as if it is the same.

The floor stands are great for viewing pieces of jewellery much more personally, when the store is busy. A member of staff is usually covering each circular area, as you look around, but you feel a little uncomfortable looking in the stands when someone is watching you, there is a clear divide between customer and staff, when I feel there shouldn't be.

Why mirrors behind the displays? I think they are meant to be there to add a feeling of space and depth to the display but just seems to clutter the wall of gifts.

On one corner of the floor displays, was a 'proposal pack' when bought with an engagement ring, which is simply a bottle of champagne and tissues in a bag. Quite a simple idea but only shown here? why not other occasions? The display is also quite bad, half a teared piece of computer printed a4 held up by a smaller acrylic stand.

Window displays 1.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/luke_hallam/sets/72157623384425481/ 

The flickr link to the collaboration brief photos taken.

For initial concept development, we explored Leeds town centre and collected imagery of store identities and window displays. Below are a selection of a few favourites of potential ideas, and techniques. 

 

 

Across the length of the Merrion Centre are vinyl graphics applied to the upper windows each design for each store. The successful aspect of the design is that the entire set would of been created by the same group of people, and gives some identity to the merrion centre with similar styled vinyl. The imagery is white with frosted sections to add some depth. Relatively inexpensive to produce, would be either a single colour print, or just vinyl cut material.

Just using a drop shadow instead of block type, still gives the user readable type, but because its less subtle to solid type, it doesn't draw attention away from the window display itself, and allows for large potions of text to be applied, without losing view into the store. 

A combination of window vinyl and instore display, allows you to concentrate and view a particular area of the display, drawing attention to particular products. The design forces you to interact with the display, and brings you closer to investigate, as apposed to just walk by.  

 
On the window of Reiss, was their logo applied directly to the window surface instead of a 2d vinyl. This effect gives the feel of quality even though in reality the cost of something like this wouldn't be much more than a vinyl design. It catches your eye because it isn't expected. With window displays, the designs are usually very linear in appearance, but this adds a little more. This particular design would only be possible in a shopping centre store and not the high street.  

This design shows landscapes made of cut acrylic, with a frosted backing to display jewellery. The brief states that they want to encourage buying outside of tradition occasions, and for self purchase. Could these displays show different scenarios of potential occasions- driving tests, 'will you live with me', thank yous etc.  

 

I originally found this design in GQ for type module and glad to see the campaign stretches across the company, the display is of window graphics and inwindow displays, same typefaces, and same weighted bounding box.