Fixture of the Year: Pure Poetry

The Association for Retail Environments (A.R.E.) recently announced the winners of its fixture design contest. Just another affirmation that retail design inspiration can come from anywhere and anything, the winning fixture's design came about from 3 lines of poetry written by the person responsible for the store's design.

In addition to the "inspiration can be found everywhere" lesson, two other take-aways can be drawn from this year's winners. First, fixtures and interaction should go hand-in-hand. A touch-sensitive table top, a mirrored eyewear display, and a giant double-decker bus housing stuffed animals all work to engage customers.

Second, fixtures prove perfect places to make strong design statements. Varying heights, unexpected shapes and angles, and strong colors attract the eye and can work as additional branding opportunities within the space.

See A.R.E.'s Fixture of the Year and other winners here.