Art Show Booth Concept Design

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I recently had the joy of assisting Leah Nadeau, a contemporary artist based in Portland, Oregon, in making a huge leap forward in her career by helping her to design and set up her booth display at the renowned Palm Springs Modernism Show. 

(Yes, I AM still retired! The fact that I am not publicly marketing my services any longer doesn't keep me from stepping up occasionally to assist creatives and small business owners by using the skills that I have honed over more than half a century.)  When this talented artist posted on Instagram that she was in need of help at this show in my area, I volunteered. She graciously accepted - enthusiastically! And together, we created a concept and a plan, then put that plan into action as we met at the Palm Springs Convention Center on setup day before the show opened.

Let me share the design-to-installation process with you, along with some 'adventures' that were had along the way...

Design always begins with a goal.
While any activity involving the purchase of goods has an obvious goal (sales), in this case the main goal was to present the artist's artwork in the best way possible - in a way that reflected not just the style of her art, but what inspires her, what she communicates via her art, and how she wants the viewer to experience her art.  

In addition, this artist did this show to expand the exposure of her art, reaching new clients for the art on display in the booth and to reach more clients who desire custom commissioned work. This meant that her art displayed in her booth had to communicate in various ways to various groups of people... and this show attracts more than 15 thousand people over three days every February, and her efforts would be seen by all of them!

For those who came to purchase art during the show, there needed to be a variety of sizes, color palettes, and types of art available - from canvas & framing options to pricing levels, there had to be choices that would appeal to a span of potential buyers.

For those who came to the show to discover new artists with the goal of having custom commissioned work done later, her display needed to show some variety to grab their interest - and she prepared a GORGEOUS catalog with imagery and information about her commission process. It was one of the best pieces of marketing material that I have EVER seen. One of her friends helped her create it - and that's why we say 'It takes a tribe' to succeed. 

Another aspect of her presence at the show was to gather new contacts for her mailing list and to lead people to her website - where she sells more than just original paintings. She offers glassware, textiles, home & gift goods, and seasonal decor elements featuring her art online, but those weren't allowed to be sold at this show. She brought a few of those items and we used them as 'props' on the table in her booth.

You can see how multi-faceted the design for the booth needed to be to meet these criteria. With those parameters and goals in place, the design process began...

Summer Display Switch-Up!

I'd like to revisit an archived post, to show you how making a fast, simple but large-scale change

can make an incredible impact in your retail displays for the summer season...

Come with me on a lil' trip into the past!

 I created displays for Columbia Winery in Washington state for six years. Here's the 'logo' wall made of faux tumbled marble tiles in the front entry of the shop, filled with spring merchandise.When it came time to install the new summer displays one year, we had a bit of a dilemma: The summer merchandise is very contemporary, and in colors of white, silver, and blues. With that warm-tone, old-world style tile mural, we had some serious clashing going on that did nothing at all for the product.

I needed a solution.

Enter two very large mirrors that I had on hand, purchased for decor at a previous Auction of Washington Wines Winemaker Dinner. I decided to use those mirrors to cover up the tile. (IKEA, $135. each). I had my design assistant Karen help me heft them up onto the table, then I wired them to the sidewalls. There was still some tile showing, so I hung a white drapery panel on the side. In front of that went one of the two driftwood trellises that I purchased last year as summer props. On the top, to camouflage about six inches of tile, I hung white shutters at an angle - very 'Tommy Bahama'. Other shutters went beneath the table to lighten up the shadowed area a bit.

The result?

It was shockingly different from the previous look, and got a LOT of positive comments!

The mirror not only reflected the natural light coming in the windowed front doors straight across from it,

but it also bounced light from the overhead trac fixtures right down onto the glass merchandise.

Here's a shot of the entire main display, including the forward area with wine feature.

The tables are made from driftwood, and are for sale. Those driftwood trellises weren't for sale. The white chair was mine, and also was not for sale, just a prop. (That I fished out of a dumpster - really!)

It took maybe half an hour to install the mirrors, curtain, shutters, and props for that front display.

  Well worth it, wouldn't you say?

Now, think about what you might be able to do in your retail space....

with some old doors, or a section of cedar fencing, or maybe even salvaged rusty corrugated tin roofing.

The possibilities are endless, 

and the impact of a big change could be just what you need for the summer season.

Now.....where are my sunglasses? I'm heading for the beach......

this content originally appeared here on DWK visual merchandising blog in 2007.
photos mine, copyright reserved. 

artful makeover published!

a while back, I worked with professional artist Sharyn Sowell

to redesign and restyle her studio... an Artful Makeover.

we spent a week up in Washington state plotting, planning, 

dreaming, sketching, shopping, painting, arranging, and laughing...

and the result was a studio space that not only had more storage and more working space, 

but worked more efficiently for her 

AND was the inspiring nest she had always hoped for.

you can read all about our process and see photos in this Artful Makeover post.

Sharyn's studio and her art are featured in the new Winter issue of Where Women Create Magazine

and there's a nice little blurb in there about yours truly, too!

it's always fun to help another creative person create the space they dream of....

if your creativity is being overwhelmed by your workspace, 

click to read how I can work with you to find solutions!

Containing Community & Commerce

I love watching the changing face of retail...

over my 45 years of involvement with the industry, 

I've seen many 're-inventions' and new concepts rolled out.

Some fail, some succeed.
But I am always wondering 'What's NEXT?' for retail.

I recently had the chance to see a concept that has every reason

to become a successful way to create shopping experiences all over the globe...

The Las Vegas Downtown Container Park 

is probably one of the most unique retail spaces I've seen.
Located on Fremont Street, just a few blocks away from a neon-lit tourist mecca of casinos,

 it's an open-air shopping center and entertainment venue  

that was built in 2013 from 43 re-purposed shipping containers

and 41 locally manufactured Xtreme cubes to create individual retail spaces. 

Situated on three levels,

the center offers wide open spaces along with retail and food service space:

The shops range from boutiques offering a variety of apparel, jewelry and accessories 

to art galleries, home décor and fixtures, 

and a barbershop housed in a retired boxcar and caboose. 

The park also includes restaurants and bars with indoor and outdoor seating, 

a park and raised stage for entertainment, and spots for a quick treat - 

including cupcakes, an old-fashioned candy shop, a gourmet popcorn store, and more.

In all, there are 39 retailers located within the complex.

At first glance, it's a cool industrial vibe.
On second thought, it's a brilliant way to re-purpose shipping containers - 

which too often simply rust away to nothing in salvage yards.

I wonder how many of these centers of commerce and community

could be created in areas around the globe, in virtually any economic setting,

to offer cost-effective venues for merchants, artisans, growers and makers? 

Include service providers - hair, nails, tanning, massage, urgent care, pet grooming - 

and you've another group of small businesses to serve.

We're in the midst of National Small Business Week, 

and I can imagine that this creative and economical kind of structure

could have a far-reaching effect on small businesses in communities everywhere.
What are your thoughts?
Would YOU embrace this in your community? Would YOU rent space like this?

information for this post was gathered from this source

#MilesToMagnolia

As a retail store designer and visual stylist, I love great store design ideas.
And right now in retail, there's no one with more ideas coming to fruition

than Joanna Gaines, of HGTV's FIXER*UPPER show!

Her Magnolia Empire, built with hubby Chip Carter Gaines, 

includes the massive Magnolia Marketplace in Waco, Texas -

a block of renewed and revived buildings in the center of 'downtown'

(including two giant silos, which earned the development the nickname 'the Silos')

Last weekend, I made the pilgrimage to Waco on my own #MilesToMagnolia adventure

( approximately 1385.8 miles, btw!) 

and while there, I snapped a load of photos of the retail & public spaces at Magnolia Market.

There are a LOT of great ideas that are prefect examples of how retail space planning & design

and simple merchandising practices can elevate a shopping experience.
But it's not just shopping...
Fans of the HGTV show, subscribers to the magazine, antique hounds, and decor mavens

travel far and wide to see this place in person AND to catch a glimpse of Chip & JoJo,

bonafide celebs in a little town that they've helped to revive.
They may have a giant enterprise now, but the Gaines' are entrepreneurs

who have a heart for their small town... much like many of you reading this.
And since so many of my clients are small town biz owners, 

I know you'll find inspiration in what these two have created.

OK.... on to the photos!

I love the way Joanna designed her store around a neutral palette... white, black, and wood tones.
It sets the stage for merchandise of any color in any season to stand out - 

AND it makes those seasonal display changes much easier to accomplish.
Jo switches up the mix of light and dark to create visual impact throughout the space.

Learn more about Jo's design philosophy for her store in her own words,

here on her Magnolia Journal blog.

See how those pops of color bring the displays to life?
Many of the props you see here are made from paper - my favorite cheap material!
Using one material in many areas and in varied ways helps to unify the visual style of a store.

There is continuity of design throughout not only this space, which is the main retail store,

but the entire development.

Notice also that displays 'speak the brand' - reflect the singular aesthetic that Joanna curates

in her design work, product creation, and merchandise mix...

The entry display holds the current issue of Magnolia Journal Magazine - 

and the props perfectly reflect the cover image style and palette. 

THIS is brand image!

I was impressed with the space allowed for aisles and near the cashwrap & shipping counters.
Nothing will ruin a great store faster than narrow aisles that you can't get down.
Even packed with people, this space WORKS for traffic flow and access to the products...

because if your customers can't get close enough to the displays to grab something

and then get processed through checkout in a timely manner,

it doesn't matter HOW gorgeous your store looks.
Retailers entice, engage, entertain, inspire - but we must SELL!

Because I took SO many photos, I'm going to save some for another post....

where we'll look at the other buildings on the property and how they have been incorporated

into the story that is being told at Magnolia Marketplace...

Need help pulling together a visual design plan for your store space or show booth?
Shoot me an email and let's talk shop!
debi.wardkennedy@gmail.com

Web Store Visual Success

Visual Merchandising isn't just for brick & mortar stores.
Online customers are looking for experiences, too - from web stores, 

the kind of experiences that they can't get on Amazon or Facebook. 

This is where the science of visual merchandising comes in...

If you're an online retailer - or wholesaler - check out this recent post 

How 12 Wildly Successful Online Stores Use Visual Merchandising  

on the bigcommerce blog.

Writer Tracey Wallace presents their highly effective methods and practices

along with photo examples
(including VISUAL examples in a post about VISUAL merchandising! ;) ) 

and I'm certain that you'll find useful tips that you can put into action immediately

on your own web store and social media accounts.

I can personally attest to the success of visuals on Harvey's website, shown in the images above.
Harvey bags are sold in the specialty stores that I merchandised at Disneyland, 

and their fans are literally fanatical about using their web store interface -

it's there that they find out about new product releases, prints, 

and special events like the ones we held at Disneyland...

and they turned out in droves for those events!

The visual brand image of the Harvey's website enhances the customer experience,

every bit as much as walking into a B&M boutique does.
It is immersive and experiential design, and it WORKS.

Images and Italicized verbiage used with permission from BigCommerce.com.
Thank you, Nigel, for the heads-up on your site's post on this subject!

Going Green in 2017

Your Color of the Year for 2017:
Pantone 15-0343 'Greenery', 

described as a “yellow-green shade that evokes the first days of spring"

by Pantone Color Institute Director Leatrice Eiseman.

Pantone calls Greenery “Nature’s neutral”—

a hue more prominently worn during spring and summer, 

but one they encourage people to wear and use in decor as a statement color year round.

Greenery calls to mind the ‘re-’ words: 

refresh, revive, restore, renew, replenish, regenerate, rejuvenate, reinvigorate. 

It's reflective of nature, the environment, and living healthy lives.

It's fresh and crisp, denoting cleanliness and energy.

And it's a color that pairs well with almost every other shade on the color spectrum.

I've often created displays around a green palette in the past...

click here for post                          click here for post

click here for post                                 click here for post

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As shown in these photos,
I find that green can range from a neutral to a vibrant POP of color

dependent upon the way you use it in displays.

To draw in customers who have a yen for the newest trend,

create at least one window display in green hues.

To feature new merchandise inside your store, 

create a backdrop / 'set' in green tones that will draw the eye - 

and simply rotate new stock into that 'set' to make new displays simple.

find inspiration for window displays using the color green here

Focus Displays on What Comes NEXT

What are you featuring in your windows and front zone displays right now?  

Have you restyled them to reflect the season and provide fresh inspiration -
or are you waiting for new merchandise to arrive?
It's very simple to refresh existing merchandise to look new and appealing to customers. 

It's important to get a fresh start immediately following the holidays! 

Your customers will be coming in with gift cards, gift certs, and money they received,
and they deserve to see fresh new ideas!
Inspiring them to buy what you offer can be as simple as taking what you already have
and combining it in a new way to reflect the season.

The tableware display shown in the photo above features white Vietri pottery,
along with luxe brown linens and whimsical dotted glassware.
A small, select group of merchandise here keeps the look clean and fresh.

Since this was during my stint creating displays for a winery, 

of course a lovely wine is a major presence. 

This look is a perfect mix for this 'bridge' season of late winter to early spring.
Simple, contemporary, classic, and warmth of color & textures draw the customer in.
Huge bare branches reflect the table legs and bring nature inside - 

you could even hang crystals (or leftover snowflake holiday ornaments) from the branches to add movement and sparkle to the display.

Most of the products shown here were in displays in the store during the Holidays:
the white Vietri was paired with red linens and snowflakes.
The brown linens were displayed with brown pottery and pinecones.
Combining them with new elements and a few fresh props creates a fabulous new look,
inspires your customers, AND saves you money. 

Go out on your sales floor and look at the components you already have - 

what possibilities exist to rethink, restyle, and sell them at full price right now?

Use leftover Christmas merch for Valentine's Day? Yep! Look HERE

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