Although the scorching summer heat of Ahmedabad had sapped us before to stepped into CEPT University, we were instantly energised by witnessing some interesting work by the students in the area of retail design and branded environments. We can safely say that the nuances of Retail Design has finally started to permeate through the design institutes in India. The jury and faculty assessed the final project work designed by the retail design and brand building studio at Faculty of Design, CEPT University.
Guided by Ruchi Mehta, the students have worked endlessly since the last four months, and having improvised on concepts through several brainstorming sessions. A group of 10 dynamic students scuttled around enthusiastically to showcase their design process, research and design routes for branded environments for various brands. The brands varied from Amazon(its's expansion into smart home segment through voice activated products) to Varnam (Channapatna toys with modern twist) and Zampa Grover Wines (Indo-French wine brand based in India) to Fenty Beauty (the beauty brand of singing sensation Rihaana).
As part of the jury, Sanjay Agarwal, Founder & MD, FRDC, said, “The study of retail design has only reached nascent stage within design schools in India. It is essential for this discipline to build a strong bridge with design institutes. We can help students & faculty to gain relevant knowledge and developments in the field of retail design. Faculty of Design at CEPT University have shown keen interest in creating ‘branded environments’ as a key studio and we are happy to see good development in this area among students.”
With extensive research on the brand history, market size & positioning, USP and consumer insights, its overall marketing strategy and other brand collaterals, all projects were unique and interesting in their own way. While some created spaces that were informative, engaging and influential, there were also projects that delved more into immersive experiences, high on co-creation and inspirational. To sum it up, the students ensured to create environments that finally met the brand's business objectives.
“We introduced this "Brand Building through Spatial Design" vertical studio as a part of this undergraduate design program as it is becoming absolutely critical for the emerging design professionals now to grasp the role that spatial design can play in brand building. As a part of this academic program, the students carry out research and develop design strategies for the brand of their choosing, with the aim of crafting unique experiences for fostering customer loyalty. Field trips to various stores and events are carried out and experts from the field are invited to share their insights that help them develop new-age design solutions. Our enthusiasm is being reciprocated by students through relentless hard work!,” shares Ruchi Mehta.
Kudos to all the students and wishing them great success ahead. We will definitely look forward to some great work from them in the field of retail design.
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