Unbranding the Brand II: The Strategy of No Brand

by | Jun 4, 2012

      This Effort by Starbucks describes a store design problem that is related too, but not exactly the same as “unbranding.” It is telling us that the market is saturated and cannot support the same shop over and over again. My idea of...

To Mall or Un-Mall?

by | Apr 26, 2012

Old Town Alexandria, VA Crocker Park Shopping Center, Westlake, OH For some time I have wanted to compare a real town shopping district  to one of the fakes that are popping up around the country.    We humans have this acute sense of the authentic, leading me to ask,...

From Static Design to Dynamic Update

by | Apr 16, 2012

Theatrics in display merchandising can be very effective if applied in moderation and arranged for maximum impact.   So what has gone so wrong? Red and black plays to the idea of drama, but here it is overwhelming.  Students often fall into the trap of designing...