She Saw Pretty. I Saw $.

“Design is not just what it looks like and feels like.
Design is how it works.”

— Steve Jobs

Last week I was in a store in a tiny Kentucky town that carries almost every line I represent.

The merchandising is beautiful; however, they asked me several times how they could improve.

My brain was at its tipping point. I said, “Let me sleep on it.”

Their Meghan Browne display was large (most are for good reasons lol – $). It was front and center by the cash wrap. There were unique and clever things about it. It drew me in.

What became clear after I’d slept was that they could change 2 things to make the journey to purchase easier:

• the glass enclosure
• the whimsical placement of products

To touch some of the jewelry, one has to figure out how to open their glass case or get help. (good for pricey lines)

The whimsical placement of each item makes one have to look at each piece with intention.

A display designed for selling tells the customer what is important – and what goes together. Pretty attracts. Function increases sales. You need both.

Steve Jobs was a master of design. I love the way my Apple products look – but more importantly, I love using them.

If design were only about looks – I might have only purchased 1 Apple product.

Read on for a personal retail story about design.

Use extra time to tweak design.

xoxo,
❤️ AmyFay

She saw pretty. I saw $.

When I was a retailer-
I had a talented dear friend who worked with me.
She has beautiful taste – in fact, she now is a decorator for a resort.

We looked through different lenses when we merchandised.

She saw pretty. I saw money.
Made sense – or rather I wanted it to make cents.
I was the one paying the bills.

So when I saw a $22 tea towel on top of a $119 platter… right.
I wanted the platter to be the focal point.
Please no friction between the platter and the customer. 😍

Thankfully, we understood one another.

Merchandising leans on creative genius.
Creating can feel risky. Scary.

Feelings can get hurt if we discuss things in terms of what we like or don’t like. It’s subjective.

Communication Tip:
If you say “I like ___” or “I don’t like ___,” follow it with the reason.
The reason should include how it fits or doesn’t fit store guidelines.

And remember the easiest objective way to measure success – dollars!

“Good design is good business.”

— Thomas Watson Jr.
businessman, second president of IBM