The mechanics and art of creating window displays

By Travis J. Reed

Is there a strategy or plan to follow when it comes to window displays?

Do the basic rules of merchandising apply to optical windows? Where do I begin, and when do I know it’s complete? How much merchandise do I use or should I only use graphics?

These questions—as well as the stress surrounding them—reign supreme in all retail businesses, including optical. The good news is that the basic principles are the same, regardless of category.

This guide to window displays will provide you the helpful knowledge that retail pros around the world follow in their merchandising.

SPACE CONSIDERATIONS

Look at your window. How large is it? Try looking at it in a completely different way and ask yourself these questions: Do you really need to occupy all of that available space? Can the space be divided into multiple displays? Can you decrease the size of the window?

In other words, think about changing the space. As you’ll see in photos A, B, and C, created by students at International Academy of Design and Technology in Chicago, you can do that with the use of vinyl.

Look for a local vinyl cutter or supplier online. Larger companies like Signarama (signarama.com) can provide simple pieces somewhat inexpensively and quickly.

Photos A and B show the use of black vinyl to make a very large window smaller by “masking” the unneeded space. A similar effect can be created using other materials such as contact paper, paper, and paint.

Photos A, B, and C are windows created by students at the IADT - Chicago. Photos by Travis Reed and IADT

Photo C uses the same vinyl material in a Mondrian-inspired pattern to turn the large window into three smaller openings. In this case, the openings reveal computer monitors that can loop product information, photos, videos, and branding messages.

Those three photos demonstrate several basic rules of window display design:

■ SPACE. Never take on more display space than you need.

■ FOCUS. Draw the viewer’s eye into something dynamic and force them to focus on what you feel is most important.

■ LINE. Make sure the objects on display are on the same line of sight as your average customer. The best way to do this is to stand outside the window facing the store from the outdoors and mark with masking tape where your eye naturally rests, the comfortable center of the display. You then can use neutral risers made of glass, wood, plastics, or metal to elevate the product shown to that height.

Image D is a complex green glass arrangement with a triangle orientation

Image E is a tabletop display mixing merchandising colors and types

MERCHANDISING PYRAMID

Use risers and product to create a triangle or pyramid-like shape. The vertex should point upward. This type of arrangement is as old as retail itself, and it naturally groups pieces together in an interesting and seemingly informal way that draws the eye from bottom to top.

Notice how the triangle shape is evident once you know to look for it (see photos D and E, left), even when many colors, textures, patterns, and types of merchandise are combined. A simple triangle can be created with as few as three objects or in as complex an arrangement as shown in the green glass and table-topped displays (D and E) created for a store in Ireland. It all depends on your vision as well as how much product you are trying to showcase.

STORY TELLING

The best way to start is to choose a “story.” In visual merchandising a story is a group of merchandise that relates to a certain theme, such as a color story or a pattern, a holiday, a brand, or even pop culture like a movie.

When adding props, remember that they should never distract from the merchandise. And, be sure to only use pieces that tell the same story and feel harmonious with the display. The addition of second or third elements, especially when they bring in a touch of whimsy, will attract the guest to look and explore the display. If it’s done well, the story will be evident at a glance.

Remember that the risers you use to elevate the merchandise are not what is for sale, so they should “vanish” into the display. You can cover them with other merchandise or use pieces that are in clear Plexiglass or neutral colors that draw no special attention.

GLASS AND VINYL

A great final touch to a window display is adding vinyl to the glass itself. You can provide your vinyl supplier or cutter with anything from a logo or shape to a phrase. When picking a color, think about texture, too, and consider a metallic tone like gold or silver, or even frost, which makes the glass look like it has been etched.

Have a little fun getting prospective customers’ attention and making them remember you. A great window is not forgotten, and it is shared with others.

Finally, keep a photo diary or archive in a binder or on your computer of the windows you’ve created. Be sure to include notes on what worked and what didn’t.

What comments did patients or customers make about the display? What did they notice most? Were there any compliments or complaints? Did any of the merchandise sell more due to being in the display? How much did it cost and did spending more increase the level of sales while the display was active?

This is how you will learn from the process, justify increases in your merchandising budget, and, build your business. EB