How To Design a Shop Window Display

People are now venturing out far more often, not only because restrictions have been lifted, but also with prospects of spring & summer weather being almost upon us. 

This means physical retail is set to become an integral feature behind the success of businesses going into the heart of 2022, so have you thought about how effective window show displays can be? 

They help you instantly grab people’s attention, and when designed effectively, these will help you generate lots of brand awareness and ultimately more sales. Below, we have highlighted some of the key considerations when putting together a plan of action for such displays.

Little is More

In places like the Westfield Shopping Centre in Stratford London, you’ll be competing with around 250 different shops, so try and get your point across succinctly and with precision. 

It’s tempting to go for lavish displays with lots of extravagant colours and graphics, but when all is said and done, this could become too distracting for customers who simply want to see the product. 

Finding the middle ground here is key, as you want to grab people’s attention, but never by overwhelming them with overly complicated visuals.

Know Your Audience

Certain brands are targeting very different people compared to others, so thorough research about how and why they respond to particular things is paramount before you even get started. 

Younger people have a reputation for short attention spans, so this plays into the simplistic approach, however others are more than happy to spend some time reading through information and really getting to grips with what you’re offering. 

One thing to really consider would be making a display which everyone can respond to as best you can. Be careful with key messaging for example, since the wrong terminology could alienate an entire demographic which makes up your core target audience.

Tell a Story

Although slightly contradicting the point about simple designs, if possible, try to incorporate a narrative with your shop displays. This again helps to build some form of engagement, and generally brings more life to your brand. 

If you’re selling a product which aims to improve someone’s life, think about telling the story from start to finish, carefully explaining the entire process in snapshot form. It’s also hugely beneficial to take full advantage of seasonal periods like Christmas or Easter, where creatively incorporating well-known stories into the display keeps your presence relevant.

Make The Product Stand Out

First and foremost, people are interested in the products you’re offering, so displays need to reflect this. Things like clothing make this easy since they’re pleasant on the eye naturally, however less glamorous items may need some creativity in place to ensure your displays have the desired impact but never by drawing too much attention away from what you’re selling. 

Try and look at this from the customer’s perspective, where they don’t want to be told your products are amazing, they simply want to see that’s the case for themselves. One of the simplest ways to maximise the attention people have for your product would be clever use of lighting, which also gives you scope to brighten up the display in general. 

Be Inspired

It’s crucial you stay on top of current trends, loads of which are likely to be accessible online. Take a look at video and image sharing platforms such as Houzz or Instagram, where people often publish ideas, providing you with clear indication as to which approach is likely to work with today’s culture around physical retail. 

Although it’s important to take inspiration from others, this should never be a full copy job. Simply use these themes to form the basis of your own design, with unique branding built into the layout.