The project: Find an unsatisfactory retail display of an everyday product. Observe the context and customer interactions with the display to identify specific problems. Use what you learned to design a more effective display.
Found one!
The research: I found this display in the intimates section of Macy's, and it was clear at first glance that it had some issues. I stayed in the store to observe how people interacted with the display, and to see if there were any consistent problems. I also asked the staff about how the tights were organized and stocked, and how frequently they had to reorganize the display. Finally, I analyzed the HUE website to compare the Macy's display with HUE's ideal brand presentation.
The concept: The main problem that the HUE display had was that it had to show off a lot of product. In addition, many customers would tear open the packages so that they could see how the tights looked and felt against their skin. Because of this, the display was vulnerable to both visual clutter and disorder when customers did not replace the tights correctly. For inspiration, I looked at how other companies approached similar problems.
The solution: Though I ended up experimenting with a wide range of alternative methods for displaying the tights, I realized that the original design was guided by a number of practical concerns. The hanging method allowed for maximum display capacity in the minimum space, a must for any inexpensive product. Therefore, my final design aimed to address the usability issues that I observed, as well as emphasize HUE's brand identity, which sets it apart from the other brands sharing the space.
The model: I built a full-scale model to test out the design changes and see if there were any new problems that would need to be addressed if the design were to be put into production.
How would the customer interact with the new display?
The zag-hooks help maintain consistent spacing between the tights, and make it easier for the customer to replace a pair of tights without knocking any others off the hooks.
This playful graphic communicates HUE's brand identity, as well as give the customer a way to imagine what the tights will look like on them.
