SPATIAL DESIGN II:
Experiential Retail Design
Ding Jiaqi/0379388
Spatial Design II/ Bachelor of interactive spatial design
Design Phase
After completing the design for Task 2’s art installation, we are now moving into the overall planning and design phase of the physical store space. Our instructor has set the dimensions of the space: 32 meters in length, 16 meters in width, and 3 meters in height. We first created a bubble diagram to plan the layout of our functional areas. I designed the following zones:
• Art Exhibition Area: This space will feature artworks that align with the overall atmosphere of the library, including student paintings, handicrafts, photography, and other diverse forms. There will also be a message wall.
• Artist Studio and Quiet Reading Area: A semi-open display area designed to provide a peaceful environment for creating and reading, while also attracting customers to pause and observe.
• Café and Lounge Area: Offers delicious beverages and a communal relaxation space.
• Children’s Area: I designed a storytelling stage to encourage children to express their imagination and performance skills.
• Retail and Book Display Area: A section for product sales and book presentations.
After completing the bubble diagram, our teacher mentioned that our store experience must be immersive and have a narrative element. In response, I designed a stamp collection system. Each themed zone will feature a stamp station, allowing visitors to collect a stamp from each area. Once all stamps are collected, they can proceed to the final retail area to redeem an exclusive reward.
3D modeling
I first started by modeling the interactive installation I designed in Assignment 2. In order to make it visually appealing and eye-catching, I intentionally gave it a very complex form—combining and contrasting various structures to create a strong sense of depth and layering. However, when I actually began building it, I realized it was far more difficult than I had expected. Due to the complexity of the form, I initially jumped straight into the modeling without a clear plan. As a result, many of the structures I created were purely improvised and lacked aesthetic coherence. So I decided to take a step back and analyze the form through sketching. I broke it down piece by piece to better understand the structure. Only after gaining a clear understanding did I start modeling again—and the results were much better.
After completing the large-scale art installation, I began constructing the overall spatial structure of the store in Week 12. First, I built a 3D framework based on the actual dimensions—23 meters in length, 16 meters in width, and 3 meters in height. I wanted to visualize the general layout first, so I created a simple “sketch” model. It included the functional zones as well as the placement of bookshelves and seating, which helped me clearly identify where adjustments in length, width, or height were needed.
At first, I had designed a stepped structure in the center of the space. However, when I started building it, I realized that the structure was not feasible. So the next day, I consulted my lecturer, and he gave me a piece of advice that turned out to be very important: Keep both sides of the curved bookshelf unchanged, and raise the center by one meter.
Next, I continued to enrich the textures and content.
At first, I was only focused on making progress. But it wasn’t until last night that I realized there were too many repeated materials, and the overall space looked dull and rigid.
So I changed the colors of the floor and ceiling. Following my teacher’s advice, I also redesigned the carpet in the center. Later on, by chance, I ended up adjusting the material of the curved bookshelf in the middle as well, which made the overall space more visually appealing.
Photoshop
Since I am more familiar with the features of Procreate, I chose to create my designs in Procreate first and then import them into Photoshop for final editing. Based on the instructor’s requirements, I needed to complete two posters for this task. As the overall content was quite extensive, every detail had to be clearly presented. The posters needed to include a floor plan with clearly labeled zoned titles for each space. In addition, they had to contain two elevation drawings, one sectional drawing, as well as the moodboard and user journey map from Assignment 2. I rendered each image one by one in Blender according to the requirements. The first poster focuses on the design concept and overall spatial structure, while the second poster showcases specific zones and detailed elements. I distributed the user journey map across both posters to serve as a connecting narrative between them.
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