Storytelling in Retail Interior Design

Just having a brand and linking certain design elements to it isn’t sufficient to get today’s consumer interested. In our highly technological world, clients are used to instant and informal interactions with brands. They expect to be entertained and they get disengaged if there is no emotional appeal.

These marketing concepts can be extended to the world of retail interior design.

Telling a story through the retail interior design decisions you make can result in a much more comprehensive and convincing presentation. Storytelling also appeals to the right crowd, helping you make sure that visitors will spend enough time at the retail location, interacting with your brand.

Successful storytelling through retail interior design isn’t that easy to accomplish. You need a strong concept to start with and you also need to partner up with an experienced interior design company like Home Guide to bring the idea to reality. Here’s a bit more about storytelling through retail interior design and how to make it happen.

Why Storytelling Is Important

You’re competing against dozens of other Singaporean and international brands for the attention of a finite number of people.

Stories engage people. They present relatable information in an intriguing way. Stories deliver a message that people want to receive, hence retail location visitors will become much more willing to learn about the brand.

The graphic representation of information can tell a story. This is precisely how retail interior design can be used to strengthen a brand, to enhance marketing efforts and to engage a target audience.

The right Singapore interior design company will employ the right approaches to make the communication effortless and insightful. A few rules, however, have to be followed in order to give retail interior design sufficient meaning.

Context, Plot and Structure

Good storytelling consists of three components – context, plot and structure.

How do these translate into retail interior design?

Context is the background that the interior designer will utilise to put emphasis on the other two aspects of visual storytelling.

The context typically refers to what’s already there, the aspects of the retail experience that the designer cannot modify. These include the layout, the size of the building, the positioning of walls and hardware.

The background could also feature furniture, shelves and racks. These elements aren’t already a part of the retail experience but they’re essential to start telling a story.

A plot in storytelling is translated to a user experience in the world of retail interior design. What’s the most important visual that a person sees when they come to the venue? How many ways can they go and what can they anticipate from each part of the store? Are there innovative, digital or interactive elements incorporated into the customer experience? All of these build the plot as it pertains to the brand.

Finally, the interior designer will have to think about structure or the way in which the story is organised. Contrast, colour and traffic control can all be used to direct a person to the most important parts of the retail venue, to shape up the experience and make it meaningful.

A designer should provide subtle cues about the most important elements featured at the venue. This could be a product display, a seating area where items can be tested out or the reception where the visitor could interact with a brand representative.

As you can see, all three element matter and they should interact with each other to give retail interior design meaning and depth. Otherwise, decorations and accessories will simply loo superficial and they’re not going to work with other aspects of the décor to entice and engage a visitor.

Reinforcing a Story through Design

You have a really good idea about your brand’s story and the message you’d like to convey through the appearance of a retail venue.

Professional retail interior design can reinforce your story and help for the delivery of a consistent message across all channels.

It all starts with a colour palette but that’s just the foundation (context). The typography chosen, the product displays, signage and even the style of furniture can help you shape up a specific view of your brand. Do you want to be perceived as approachable? Modern? Focused on tradition? All of these can be accomplished when a more thorough retail interior design approach is adopted.

The one most important thing you should be asking yourself before you start working with a Singapore interior design professional is what makes your brand authentic and your story worth telling.

Once you have the answers, you can work on a design that will create the experience that the brand represents.

Interior design uses visual elements that reinforce the story of your brand through appeal to the five senses of the customer.

Here’s one example to illustrate the concept of storytelling in interior design.

Story is a New York retailer that describes itself as a gallery rather than a store. This is the main reason why the Manhattan store of the brand offers a brand new experience each time you pay a visit.

Story closes down every several months to have its retail location completely redesigned. This fits with the storytelling goal of showing a different and brand new “exhibit” each time a customer comes.

Retail storytelling doesn’t have to be this extensive or drastic. The example, however, provides a clear illustration of how interior design can work with the concept behind a brand to result in a unique and immersive customer experience.

Home Guide’s interior design team understands the importance of getting clients and visitors engaged each time they come to a retail venue.

Through the years, we’ve partnered up with numerous retailers to put emphasis on their brand’s identity and make interior design memorable.

If you’re looking for ways to differentiate yourself from the competition, contact Home Guide today. Together, we will elevate your retail interior design concept to give clients an experience they’ve never come across in the industry.