Sunday, September 18, 2011

Precis for TVS design - NODE


A NODE IS DEFINED AS A POINT OF CONNECTION AND REDISTRIBUTION. SAPHORA’S RECENT ACQUISITION OF SACK.COM, BRAZILS LEADING ONLINE COSMETIC RETAILER, HAS BROUGHT IN NEW CLIENTELE AND THE POSSIBILITY OF FUTURE EXPANSION THROUGHOUT SOUTH AMERICA. SAO PAULO IS ONE OF THE LARGEST CONSUMER SPENDING CITIES IN THE WORLD ATTRACTING ALMOST 10 MILLION SEEKING BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES. THERE ARE ALREADY 60 ACTIVE COSMETIC COMPANIES DISTRIBUTING TO MORE THAN 600 STORES NATION WIDE. WITH SEPHORA’S UNIQUE PRODUCTS AND RETAIL EXPERIENCE, ONE SMALL STEP COULD PROVIDE SEPHORA WITH A LANDMARK OF OPPORTUNITY.

Retail Precedence Study - Lighting and Color

'Emotive' The Greenway Project

Friday, September 16, 2011

Brainstorming Sephora

On Friday, Carlos, Hayley, Karla, and I disscussed our ideas on the new pop up Sephora. I started by explaining my concepts, technology, alchemy, and programming.


My first concept is shown above as an exploration of sensory experiences within the space. The color is visual, fragrences are oilfactory, and the skincare is tactile. I wanted to organized the three to create a complete sensory experience by slowely bring the customer closer to the center of the space where all three are completly utilized.


My next concept was humans and technolgy. This idea came from branding, where sephoras logo is inscribed within the human body to show the physical connection that cosmetics play the human form and complexion. On the left side I sketched out a few heads on display that the customer could potentially use as a mock up, or tester for different colors and brands of makeup. That Idea got shot down quickly, after clarissa explained to me that women like to test makeup on the back of their hand, this way they can see the exact constrast it has with their skin tone.



The above drawing are of some conceptual displays that I felt reflected some of my design ideas. The top center was an attempt to create a "node" of sorts and combining that with the linear aspects of wayfinding. The bottom two drawings are based off of the same design idea providing functionality by holding makeup or accessories and brushes.

While discussing other group members concepts I came across a few great ideas that I would like to incorporate in my future design of sephora.

Haley:
-Used light to seperate makeup colors by day, evening, and natural light
-Bringing tutorial videos to the space
-Protruding store front to attract customers
-Researching events and partnerships of local store of venues that could help push the product

Karla:
-By using simple geometric forms (in this case cubes) to create space and divide space.
-Creating an opening event for the pop up store as a way to get customers excited for the product
-Multiple levels in the space to divert the flow of traffic, increase product space and capacity

Carlos:
-Use of string to divide space and direct visual space
-Broadcasting as a concept to reach out to new venues and create new opportunities
-Literally combining the product element into the human form (ex. lipstick arm)

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Physiological effects of lighting and color




The element of water seen creating patterns of light bands on the bottom.







" The women with a parasol" by Claude Monet.




"Grainstacks" painting by Claude Monet showing season light during the winter season.





Rasmussen discusses that color has evolved with humans. He describes color as a way of experiencing nature through its materials. In other words, the essence of color is best represented in its natural state. For example, a sun dried log could produce a natural or gray color, or a tarred peice of wood could bring out a black. Color seemed to grow much like technology and with it we were able to broaden our pallet of colors. With this broaden sense of colors, we could begin to imitate the natural world and bring it into our homes. The weight of color is also important; a light or pale color can expand a small room or even lift a ceiling. The weight of darker shades and warmer tones can make a larger room feel more comfortable and accessible. In the article "Light Revealing Experience" Millet discusses Claude Monet's paintings of a grainstack and how seasonal lighting evolves and changes how we experience color. The first painting depicts a a sky flushed with blues, yellows, and greens enlivening the grainstacks during the end of summer season. The second painting uses darker yellows, and reds to reveal the deeper tones of falls and in his final painting the mountains glow blue from a pale white sky turning the grainstack into what appears to be black with hints of deeper reds. Much as the climate changes with the seasons so does the intensity of light. In many of the Scandinavian countries light is associated with warmth as it carries the heat from the sun. A combination of darker tones ingrained in the material of a building with large open windows brings light into a space and illuminates the warmth of the materials colors. In a dryer climate clerestory windows could be used to wash sunlight into a space without bring much of the unwanted heat. Gold was used on domes and fences in Scandinavian countries to reflect sunlight and create beacons of light to emulate the warmth of the sun. The natural world is a powerful conduit for light and one of its greatest applicators is water. Water as an element is very translucent in appearance but Carry's a much greater mass to it than that of air. Because of waters weight the movement of water can direct and reflect light. This deflection of light can be used to create patterns and motion on new surfaces. In warmer climates water and light is used to cool a space and create the phisological effects of cleansing. Water is only one of many ways to address lighting and color. The parasol is another great example of shielding us from the outside world but allowing light to diffuse through it. Lighting can also be addressed in offices an libraries to reduce glare and shadows cast by washing light directly through a space from east to west. Lighting and color have many applications and when combined with nature can help us redirect our focus or provide warmth and serenity in a climate that demands otherwise.