Do-It-Yourself Restaurants

For me, when it comes to eating out, the less work I have to put into the meal, the better. There is, however, a growing population of people who prefer to get more involved in the dining out process.

Dubbed "anti-restaurants" by the New York Times, amateur restaurateurs are opening up shop in homes and apartments across America and serving original dishes to small gatherings. Some dining clubs, like the first described in the Times article (link above), even go so far as to create an environment for guests to get involved in the food-making fun.

Despite the popularity, the future of the underground dining scene remains up in the air. As more people find out about these rogue eateries, they become more vulnerable to being found out by health departments and being forced to shut down.

Now, the Diaries doesn't condone illegal operations, but these underground restaurants do pose an interesting thought -- why not offer a way for customers to get more involved and be creative in a store? These anti-establishments as well as the rise in popularity of meal prep kitchens and other hands-on concepts show that people are not only up to, but welcome a challenge. Childrens stores like Build-A-Bear Workshop and Club Libby Lu have figured it out. Isn't it time the adults get a place to play?

A Store In A Store

Last Thursday I posted about big ideas in retail. While searching for fodder for this post, I think I might have stumbled across one to add to the list –pop-up stores. It feels like I am constantly hearing about a store in a store popping up somewhere. Just this last week I read about two more (Warner Bros. in a Virgin Megastore and Collette in a Gap space). While pop-up stores aren’t quite on the same par yet as the monumental innovations that were included on the list, I think it’s fair to say that these smaller, generally temporary environments are only going to gain in popularity as larger retailers and department stores continue to add celebrity and luxury lines to their offering.

The challenge in creating these spaces is how to effectively convey the brand message in a limited space. It becomes less like store design and more like exhibit design. Fixtures transform into portable show pieces and walls are often free-standing. Pop-ups need to adhere to guidelines presented by their retailer “landlord,” but still maintain enough personality to stand out and be recognizable. While a tough task, designers have stepped up to create some pretty exciting spaces that make a statement and move product.

20 BIG Ideas in Retail

When a person has a birthday, we normally celebrate it with cake and a few gifts. When a magazine has a birthday, a commemorative article is published in the anniversary issue. Display & Design Ideas (ddi) is no exception to the rule as they celebrate their 20^th, but instead of the typical tribute article, they give us 20 BIG ideas in retail that have evolved during their time in print.

Here are a few that made the list:

• Supercenters
• Retailtainment
• Online Shopping
• Celebrity-based Retail
• Open-Air, Village Centers
• Green Retail

For me, one of the biggest ideas to hit is that shopping has become more than buying products, it’s become an experience. Stores have become places to hang out. IKEA has its in-store restaurant. Home Depot has its how-to classes. Not to mention the comfy lounges, interactive media, testing stations and more fill the retail landscape.

Shoppers have come to expect more from stores and retailers have stepped up to the challenge. Now if only we all had a little more time to more thoroughly enjoy the experience.

Less Is More

Display trends come and go, and if VMSD’s International Visual Competition is any indication, visual merchandisers are now riding the “keep it simple” wave all the way to the bank.

As explained in an article highlighting the competition, now more than ever, people are constantly being subjected to messaging, whether it’s from their cell phones, the internet, TV, or in-store. Under the impression that people are looking for an escape from the media-overload, merchandisers are trading in the overloaded displays for simpler set-ups that deliver the same impact with fewer elements.

Just because there are fewer elements to create, that doesn’t mean that the job becomes any easier. Designers still need to get the message out in a way that is easily understandable to consumers. It requires an awareness of space and placement and enough confidence to resist the urge to add extra bits and pieces as assurance that the message will be understood.

But, as the article concludes, many retailers are reaping the benefits of the simplistic style:

“The cost, in money and effort, is generally worth it. Most designers and retailers agree clean and clear merchandising is a more effective visual merchandising method. “It’s easier to see,” says [Tracy] Lanz [designer director at Landor Associates]. ‘It’s the eye candy that gives consumers a reason to come inside the store.’”

The Importance of Communication

Ever have this happen to you: Your boss hands you a project. You’re given no direction and are essentially let out on your own to get the project done. It’s a pretty exciting feeling, isn’t it? Experiencing that sense of freedom to stretch your legs and show your boss what you’re capable of.

It comes time to present your work on the project. It’s perfect except it’s not quite feasible for one reason or another (budget, time frame, etc.). If only you had that information at the beginning, right? Now that ‘pretty excited’ feeling gives way to utter frustration. I have a feeling some of you know what I’m talking about.

With all the hands involved on a retail construction project, effective communication is paramount to get the job done well and right. Not only do all the pieces of important information (i.e., budget, time frame, etc.) need to be vocalized, but everyone needs to be speaking the same language. Design speak is different from construction speak. A great design that can’t be executed is essentially a waste of time and talent.

To keep everyone on the same page:

• Create and communicate the goals for the project upfront to everyone involved
• Schedule regular meetings to make sure everyone is on track
• Implement a program that will monitor the project’s process and immediately flag any discrepancies
• Ask for clarification when needed

Here’s a great article featured in BusinessWeek about what happens when there is a breakdown communication. Keep talking and avoid letting it happen to you.

Rooting for the Underdog

With the Olympics in full-swing, it’s hard not to get into the spirit of things. I’ve always been a fan of the games, cheering on the USA in everything from gymnastics to water polo. Of course there are the celebrities (Kobe Bryant) and the powerhouses (Michael Phelps). There are the underdogs too. And, if the men’s 4x100m free relay results teach us anything, these are the ones to watch out for.

(For those not in the loop, the French were favored to win the event –even with the U.S. putting together a “dream team” of aquatic athletes (including Mr. Phelps) to challenge them. In the days leading up to the event, members of the French team were quoted as saying they were going to crush the Americans. Even the announcers, two-thirds through the race, were doubting Team USA’s chances for gold. Then, Jason Lezak did the unthinkable –he swam the fastest split in history and touched the wall first, capturing gold for the U.S. Check pretty much any major news outlet for more.)

Underdogs in the business world are a force to be reckoned with too. True, they often don’t have the seemingly endless resources like the market “celebrities” and “powerhouses,” but they know what they are up against. Plus, there’s nothing like being counted out before the race even begins to fuel determination and spark creativity. Obviously the stakes are quite a bit higher in business, but I’d argue that this just adds to the need these underdogs have to prove themselves. Once these businesses gain some traction, watch out! There’s no telling what they can accomplish.

Zoned Out…Or Am I?

It’s Thursday morning –a blog posting day – and I’m bored. Feeling a little guilty for zoning out, I frantically search through the day’s news trying to find something to kick the ol’ brain into gear. Unfortunately, it seems like the biggest news is that Brett Favre has been traded to the New York Jets, and that doesn’t do much to pique my interest.

Becoming desperate, I hit up previous days’ headlines and I find this in the New York Times: “You’re Bored, but Your Brain Is Tuned In.” How is that even possible? Turns out that my brain is still working away even when it seems like I’m not all here. “Some experts say that people tune things out for good reasons, and that over time boredom becomes a tool for sorting information — an increasingly sensitive spam filter,” Benedict Carey, the article’s author writes. An internal spam filter seems pretty cool, but it gets better: “In various fields including neuroscience and education, research suggests that falling into a numbed trance allows the brain to recast the outside world in ways that can be productive and creative at least as often as they are disruptive,” Carey continues. That’s not a bad nugget of information to have the next time the boss catches me staring off into space. Who’s to say I’m not coming up with a clever solution to a nagging problem? Don’t know if they’ll buy it, but it’s worth a shot!

The article has a lot of other interesting tidbits about a seemingly uninteresting state of being. If you’re a little bored, reading it could remedy the situation. After all, boredom consists of “frustrated, restless moments,” and that makes it “a state that demands relief.”

“Yes, it’s possible: here’s how”

Carbon footprint? 10 years ago, I’d be thinking, “How can an invisible gas have a footprint?” Today’s version of me knows better. Words like “carbon footprint” and “LEED-certified” have infiltrated my vocabulary and increasing legislation and public awareness are putting pressure on designers, architects, and construction professionals to learn them as well.

Green building requires forward thinking. We know where we would like to be, but how do we get there with the tools available today? A non-profit group called Archtecture 2030 is helping find an answer. Two years ago, the group posed this challenge to the building industry: become carbon-neutral by 2030. Realizing this wasn’t a goal that could be achieved over night, the group recently released a white paper titled “Meeting the 2030 Challenge Through Building Codes” that provides readers with a list of code equivalents, based on existing energy efficiency requirements, that builders can use to help reach the carbon-neutral goal. Finally, someone’s telling us not only what to do, but how we can do it.

As retailers implement new design prototypes and open new stores, it couldn’t hurt for them to also be well-versed in this new “green” lingo. With the 2030 challenge and its endorsement by professional organizations and federal, state, and local legislators, we’re getting a little glimpse of the future. Green isn’t going away, people, and the more we can learn today, the better prepared we’ll be for tomorrow.

For those interested in learning more about Architecture 2030, here’s a great article from BusinessWeek.com about the organization and its founder, Edward Mazria.