Retail Pop-up Design; Go With the Flow

It’s important to remember that there will be people in your pop-up; a strategy for managing traffic flow is a mandatory element of good retail pop-up design.

First, articulate the objective of the pop-up (always!). Next, determine its physical footprint and/or location. Only when you have the “where” figured out should you consider the physical layout and the traffic plan that will optimize the experience.

Figuring how to move guests through the space without creating visual and physical clutter can be challenging. Here are three guidelines to consider:

Show them the way.

Your retail pop-up design should include a wayfinding strategy. Giving good directions matter. Giving those direction in the most efficient way matters more.[bctt tweet=”Your retail pop-up design should include a wayfinding strategy.” username=”MeetMrPopUp”]

If your guests don’t know where to go when they enter the environment and don’t understand how to interact with the space, their experience is spoiled before it even begins. Leverage signage, shapes, graphic images, colors, textures and even floor patterns to communicate how, where and when to move.

But keep in mind that while signs may work for simple set-ups, a more complicated layout requires more detailed explanation. Consider a human guide for these spots.

Stick to the script.

The key to a successful interactive pop-up is to script the experience based on its objective. And in most cases, the script (i.e., the step-by-step plot of the overall happening) comes first, before any physical design take place.

Scripting requires clear goals for how many visitors you would like in the space at a time, how long you’d like them to remain in the space, what messages you need to deliver and what actions you want to encourage. Controlling dwell time is key. Build an environment that facilitates meandering. Or create a design that moves the visitor rapidly from point A to point B.

Control the crowds.

Interactive areas are those super engaging spots where people will tend to spend the most time. These are “destination points.” Treat them as such by developing solid crowd management tactics and tools.

The entrance is another high-traffic area. Your retail pop-up design should include a strategy for entertaining and corralling visitors as they’re lining up. Provide a compelling storyline and delivery system that complements the pop-up experience. This will keep folks from getting bored or wandering off.

Consider a video, brand mascots and characters, refreshments, street entertainers, a DJ or a graphic mural to engage visitors and prime them for your pop-up.