Initial planning/meeting.

After reading the brief, i had plenty of ideas in terms of what direction i thought our work would go in.

NCR

First things first, i had a look through NCR's website to get a better idea of what they do and what type of product they may be hoping to achieve. I found that they are a innovative company, excelling ahead of others in areas such as interactive consumerism. 

SCVNGR

I found a website called SCVNGR, i thought it might be a good way of connecting people within the store and make them interact with one another via daily/weekly challenges. We would be unable to use this as it is the work of a different company and we are not hoping to collaborate with anyone else, however, i thought it might be a good starting point to build upon and get some more ideas. 

Topshop

After a few meetings we have decided to go with Topshop as our brand. We chose Topshop due to the fact that it is one of the leading high street retailers, they have many stores worldwide, they are aimed at young-adults (our age bracket is 20-30) and the brief sounds fitting for the progression of a youthful, on trend retailer like Topshop. 

Brief

 Bricks to Clicks: exploring experiential shopping.

Proposer: NCR CX Labs (consumer experience). The Labs are a multi-disciplinary team combining skills in emerging technologies, software, product design and user interaction.  The Labs role is to identify how new and emerging technologies might change and enhance the consumer experience and create novel ideas which can be discussed and validated with their key customers.


 

Concept: Extending the retail window- from the physical to the digital.

·      Brief Summary - To create a truly engaging in-store retailing experience that would compel consumers to come to the store, increase sales and grow brand loyalty.

o   Using a combination of existing and emerging technologies such as social media, mobile computing, recognition services, location based services and tracking, develop an experience that bridges the divide between retail in the online world and the physical environment which in turn increases the potential window of opportunity for purchases for customers and retailers.

·      Brief Description - The aim of the project is to look at emerging interaction technologies and decide how these might work in combination with each other to create a totally different retail experience extending beyond the physical store. Is it possible to create a gaming environment within a store where the shoppers interact with each other in a fun and exciting way?

o   Shopping is often social as well as acquisitive. Increasingly, social media and technology are augmenting or indeed replacing traditional interactions in much the same way as internet retailing is a very viable alternative to traditional stores. Making a compelling and engaging retail experience that engages the social aspect of shopping through technology while extending the window of opportunity for purchases- conveniently beyond a customer leaving a store is beneficial for both retailer and consumer and conducive to a compelling combined channel strategy.

·      The Vision is that consumers would choose to go to the store for the experience and in so doing have more exposure to the products on sale. Using various technologies they would have the opportunity to engage with friends and relevant online content. Their store experience would be captured and be able to be revisited in a convenient and appropriate manner allowing purchases to be made and brand loyalty to be nurtured in a manner that transposed the experiential side of the physical store with the convenience afforded by digital means.

Purpose:

·      Brief Outline - In today’s digital world why go to a store when you can browse and buy online? Retailers are very conscious that the consumer is now, more than ever, in control. So how can they differentiate their shopping experience to bring more trade through their doors and/or effectively increase brand awareness increasing sales across all their channels? Perhaps more importantly, how can they provide a customer leaving the store without a purchase, with a lasting token of the in-store experience and the ability to conveniently purchase goods perhaps hours or days after their in-store experience?  

·      This project aims to explore whether it is possible to combine attractive attributes of the physical and digital retail experience to create a seam less transition between worlds. As shopping is often a social activity, how could, a lone person, contemplating an opportunistic purchase, yet seeking a second opinion from a friend, present an opportunity to a retailer to evolve a system that essentially allows the in-store experience to be captured, along with the tools necessary to make the purchase and relive the experience at a different moment in time in the digital world?

·      The project should explore the level at which the products, social interaction and ability to make the purchase form part of the experience while exploring the convergence of a retailer’s digital and physical presence. A reasoned argument for the chosen direction should be submitted as part of the deliverables. 

·      The experience could take the form of an eco-system, mobile or online content or any combination. Particular attention should be paid to how a system, while offering the convenience to make a purchase, can draw a customer into the retailer’s world. Creating brand loyalty and a forum for timely, appropriate and reciprocal exchange between customer and retailer.

Audiences:

·      Target demographics  (14 – 20 year olds) or (20- 30 year olds)

·      The experience should appeal to consumers who are well versed in mobile technologies and social networking.

Deliverables Needed:

·      Project Plan with timescale for project

·      You should be able to communicate the design intent of the experience describing what the user would do and how they would interact and what role the technologies play in this? Providing an argument for the type of products the experience you have created might appeal to?

·      Given the complexity and scale of this project a complete working prototype is not required but some aspect of the design intent should be prototyped to show the user experience of that element. 

Influences/Tone/Image:

·      A key driver for this project is to consider the extent to which retailers go to create a brand and experience through all of the channels they have available- with a particular emphasis on the traditional, physical store and their online channel both of which may offer a similar or differentiated experience.

Competition for customer loyalty is fierce as is the desire to create a differentiated experience in an increasingly commoditised marketplace. Online shopping is incredibly convenient, the experience that a customer would get in store is inherently difficult to replicate. If convenience is the main driver for online shopping, then experiential qualities of brand and social interaction must be a sufficient draw for the traditional bricks and mortar store.

Is there a point at which the physical and digital world can come together, producing a mutually beneficial experience and model, where rather than suggesting consumers choose the store OR the website, the two channels are viewed as a simultaneous extension of one another.

·      Needs to be exciting, engaging, and useful and to encourage loyalty through repeat visits and purchases.

·      The outcome should be appropriate to the chosen age group, in terms of relevance, functionality and tone. As a key component of the brief is around the experience, it is recommended that you choose a brand or retailer that has a strong and well defined direction as this will make the effectiveness of the experience and the potential of the outcome all the more powerful.