From the Seen to the Unseen, Aidan Bennetts Brings Balance to Retail Design
In retail design, it’s about the subconscious utopia of it all. You know a design is good when you don’t notice it. On the streets, when a rainwater drain overflows, it’s due to poor design. When the traffic light timing is out and causes congestion, our frustration comes back to design. These are obvious cases, and retail experience is no different in that it is the unseen iceberg below the surface that makes the biggest impact.
Beginning with the brand
The design process for retail stores begins with a deep understanding of the brand’s identity. In my work, my approach includes hosting collaborative workshops with the client to align on values and target audiences. Next, I sketch mood boards and prototypes, experimenting with textures, colours, and lighting to create a warm, inviting atmosphere. The floor plan is carefully crafted to guide customer flow, balancing open spaces with intimate displays. Sustainable materials are prioritised, ensuring both aesthetics and functionality. The final result blends the brand’s identity with practical design, offering a unique, immersive shopping experience while staying true to the brand’s core principles.
Practical vs aesthetic considerations
The design is twofold and can be separated into two categories, namely practical and aesthetic. The practical considerations start top down. Each retail store conceals vital operational elements in its ceiling, the largest of these being the mechanical ventilation system. Fresh regulated air is pumped into the space and stale air is extracted, with carefully calculated ratios so as not to create a vacuum. In addition, the comfort of the retail store environment is closely linked to the temperature, which can influence customers’ spending habits — a surprising and maybe controversial concept, but one that is true. In fact, research conducted on the topic of the ideal temperature to have in a retail store shows that the ‘perfect’ temperature differs from one store to the next according to customer needs and the products being sold.
Other aspects of the ceiling to consider (in order of importance) are: fire sprinklers, smoke detection, and cabling, specifically that of networks, electricals, audio visuals, and lighting. It goes without saying that the routing of the cabling is determined by each item’s position and these relate back to how each of these important elements works with the internal layout of the shop design. They do not exist in isolation, and the layout becomes a practical tapestry that needs to be woven both before and alongside the aesthetic and internal consideration of the retail store.
An invitation to experience
On the other hand, the seen elements go beyond merely laying out some textures and shapes. The key to an inviting and profitable store is the experience. Customers are drawn to a space in which they can experience the brand’s identity and values. This was implemented in my work on the Patagonia flagship I designed and installed at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town.
Conservation is a priority in Patagonia’s value chain as laid out by its founder Yvon Chouinard. Repurposing and restoration are the foundations of their service, especially with their in-store ‘Worn Wear’ campaign in which they offer a lifetime free repair service on any of their garments. To keep in line with this ethos, I went to great lengths to salvage materials and products and incorporate them in the space — the timber elements and Oregon pine were salvaged from a mid-twentieth-century home built when timber was the go-to for construction.
From lighting to layout
Lighting and layout are two other key factors to consider. My design and installation of the flagship store for New Balance in Sandton City, Gauteng (which is adopted from the Global Corporate Image) lays products out in a spacious and well-presented display, allowing the customer to browse one collection at a time. Each collection is underpinned by storyboards presented in the graphics alongside and the feature products worn by elegant mannequins. All of these are emblazoned by lighting at 4000 Kelvin — a light so strong it emulates daylight and makes the product pop.
The design process of a retail store is a dynamic blend of creativity, strategy, and empathy. From understanding the brand’s identity and customer journey to carefully curating every detail of space, lighting, and layout, each element plays a pivotal role in creating a memorable and effective shopping experience. By embracing both functionality and aesthetic, environments can resonate emotionally with consumers while driving business success.
This article is an extract from our February issue. Read the full issue here.
