Nafeesa Jafferjee Crash course on creativity

1. Observation Lab
Crash Course in Creativity
Nafeesa Jafferjee

2. Stores Visited

3. Microsoft Store Summary
Product Customer
•High quality •Families/ mostly male
•Innovative •Spend 20 – 30 minutes
•Technology in the store
•5% of customers buy a
product
•Most customers
browse
Environment Personnel
•Interactive •Mostly male
•Colorful •Have uniforms
•Futuristic •Have a script
•Bright •Provide assistance
•Crowded within 5 minutes

4. Insights
•The use of LCD panels make the store dynamic and make
it look futuristic.
•The gaming section and interaction with sample devices
make customers stay in the store longer.
•The lighting, color scheme, high ceilings, wooden floors
make the store look well designed and inviting.
•Attention to detail – especially the dog bowl outside the
store make it inviting to customers with pets.

5. Missed Opportunities
•There was no signage of Microsoft on the entrance – a lost opportunity to promote the
Microsoft brand.
•There was no use of the courtyard outside the store. Having products and sale
representatives could have engaged more customers.
•Looked to similar to an Apple store – Windows 8 lost the opportunity to distinguish
itself as a completely different brand/ type of store.

6. Apple store summary
Product Customer
•Mostly male
•Powerful brand • Spend 15 – 20
•High quality product minutes in the store
•Cutting edge •5-10% of customers
technology buy a product.
•Design oriented •Most customers
browse
Environment Personnel
•Too crowded •Mostly male
•Grey and boring •Have uniforms
•Dark •Have a script
•Loud •Provide assistance
•Claustrophobic within 10 minutes

7. Insights
•There were sale representatives in the
courtyard to engage customers outside the
store.
•There is a wide collection of interesting
accessories that increase the probability of
customers purchasing an item from the store.

8. Lost Opportunities
•Apple is losing its cool futuristic appeal – this
store looked old.
•Extremely crowded so there was no room to
sample the products.
•Store looked dark and small. The ceilings were
low with concrete floors that contributed to the
claustrophobic atmosphere.
•There was improper labeling of the store making
it difficult to find.

9. SONY store summary
Product Customer
•High quality •Mostly male/individuals
•Technology • Spend 15 minutes in the store
•Diverse •3% of customers buy a product.
•Strong brand •Most customers browse
Environment Personnel
•Interactive •Mostly female
•Spacious •Have uniforms
•Bright •Have a script
• Zen •Provide assistance within 10
minutes

10. Insights
•Trying to rebrand their store and products
with a new modern and design mindful
environment.
•Open spaces, bright light, interesting layout
make it a very Zen store which is inviting.
•Have sale items right in front which draws
more attention from customers.
•Have movies/ music playing that draw in
customers.

11. Missed Opportunities
•Do not have functioning sample of all their products.
•Have few accessories and products by other brands, that loses sales for cheaper
tech accessories.
•Camera sample below eye level, which make you miss them and also limit you
from testing them.

12. Overall Trends
•The more expensive products are located at the front of the store.
•The newest products are centrally displayed.
•Very interactive environments.
•Design plays a huge role in display of merchandise.
•Brand is portrayed as high quality and high value.
Missed Opportunities
•These tech stores can draw inspiration from flagship fashion stores in New York.
•They have state of the art items but these stores for not inspiring and did not
reveal anything new in their layout or architecture.

13. Urban Outfitters store summary
Product Customer
•Young, trendy, •Young female
hip and artistic between 15 – 30.
clothing and •Most customers are
accessories. on a mission
•Medium priced •Around 50% of
customers purchase
something.
Environment Personnel
•Modern wall art •Mixed male and
•Edgy female.
•High ceiling with •No uniform but dress
exposed ducts in the same style of
•Gives a hipster/ the store.
alternative vibe •Provided assistance
within 30 minutes.

14. Insights
•The artistic environment promotes the hip, trendy
atmosphere and adds value to the style of clothing
offered.
•The most expensive/ newest styles are on display to
attract attention.
•Changing rooms for women are on the second floor
that force them to walk through both floors.

15. Lost Opportunities
• The sign outside can be missed and the brand name is not emphasized in
the store.
• The amount of merchandise can be overwhelming.
• The sizes and type of merchandise could be organized more efficiently.

16. Sports Authority store summary
Product Customer
•Few customers, mostly
•High quality/ medium
individual males
quality sports gear.
•Customers on a
•Wide variety of sports
mission and spend an
merchandise available.
average of 20 -30
minutes in the store.
•Around 50% of
customers purchase a
product.
Environment
Personnel
•Multicolored walls •All male.
•Crowded with •Uniform.
merchandise •Provided
•Had the sports game assistance only
playing near the cash
register.

17. Insights
•Sale representatives are at the entrance at the cashier
near the section with the most expensive items.
•There are impulse items at the cashiers desk to
promote small item purchases.
•The merchandise is hard to find, which forces you to
spend more time in the store.

18. Lost Opportunities
• Merchandise could be labeled more efficiently.
• More customer service distribute through the store.
•Merchandise should not be crowded in clumps through the center of the
store.

19. Trader Joe’s store summary
Product Customer
•Groceries •Families and
•Promote organic couples
and healthy food •Most customers are
on a mission
•Almost 95% of
customers buy at
least one item
Environment
Personnel
•Bright and colorful 25 – 50 male and
•Community feeling female
•Easy to navigate Had matching T-
layout shirts
Provided assistance
within 5 minutes.

20. Insights
•The store has a community feel to it with a
Menlo Park graphic sign inside and mural of
Stanford on the other side.
•Have items outside the store related to the
holiday season that draw customers into the
store.
•Food is labeled well to highlight organic food.