Eastman + Auburn ID 2008

2008-12-16T07:35:00.000-08:00

Working with Eastman this semester was a good learning experience. Meeting the project deadlines required many long hours and lots of hard work, but now it is all over I am very glad for this opportunity and was pleased with my two DVD displays.

Ending the semester with Eastman

2008-12-11T22:41:00.000-08:00

The entire Eastman experience has been great. Being able to put our brains to the test was a trying and rewarding experience. Working with Spectar has been quite a challenge. The adapatability of this material is astounding and applying it to the retail environment has been fun. I took much away from this project in the sense of working with a great sponsor with a great material, as well as taking a great challenge and creating some fantastic and seemingly possible and realistic design solutions. Thanks again Eastman. It was a great experience.

2008-12-11T10:22:00.000-08:00

Having an assignment from Eastman this past semester has definitely opened my eyes to real world work situations as far as deadlines and deliverables. I'm very privileged to have been able to have this type of experience while still in school so that it gives me a taste of what things will be like in a few years. I have definitely learned new things through this experience and will always be able to look at it and know what I have learned from it. This project has definitely shed new light on how I look at designing and how a different design can make any system better. Eastman has helped me to think out of the box and really try to think how to fix current design problems.

2008-12-10T15:40:00.000-08:00

Eastman has been a very mind-stimulating sponsor and one that has given me a lot of portfolio material. My first design was manufactured to create a display that interacts with customers shopping for coffee. The reason for the rhyme is simple: display as much coffee as possible. Engineering a display that models that simple principle also generates a distinctly Hi-Viz experience, while serving the purpose dictated by our user research.

On my second concept, the idea to build a multi-Purpose display came as a solution to the problem of small cluttered coffee shops that do not have a lot of room. This innovation gives way to 3 Hi-Viz avenues. First, a display of coffee bags; Second, the center for coffee condiments with milk and sugar; Third, a coffee machine/espresso marketing tool. All of these traits achieves a valuable Hands-On affect.

In closing, I want to thank Eastman for their time and effort. I valued everyone's input especially Gaylon, Ron, Farrell, and Adia.

Project Wrap-Up

2008-12-10T14:28:00.000-08:00

First things first, I'd like to thank Eastman for allowing us this great opportunity to work on this project with them. I have learned a lot and hope to someday apply this experience to my career as an Industrial Designer.
Now on to the project summary. During the research phase, I went to Pier One Imports and found the perimeter shelving and aisles to be ridiculously cluttered and unorganized. So I decided to use the clarity and hot-bending capabilities of Spectar to create two shelving ideas to help organize and better present merchandise. Both of my ideas incorporate the Hi-Viz and Striking themes that Spectar inspires, and would help keep Pier One or any other home furnishing store more organized.
Once again, thank you Eastman for the chance to use Spectar in some of my designs and the experience that came with working with your company.

The Final Product

2008-12-10T14:26:00.000-08:00

Working with Eastman this Semester has been exciting and I have learned so much both about the corporate world and the way things change and unexpected turns occur more frequently than ever expected. I really believe that this experience has been a great one that i will remember for years to come. I enjoyed working with the team and i wish everyone success in the future. thanks once again Eastman.

In conclusion....

2008-12-10T14:08:00.000-08:00

The following concept is the display I developed over the past 15 weeks, the SmartCard Kiosk. It is an attempt at solving the issues that come with shopping for greeting cards.

I incorporated Spectar as a way to make the cards become more visible to the customer. The system works with a touch screen computer database which features each card on display, using RFID chips. Spectar was also used as a way to help the customer visually understand that the computer is connected to the cards on display.

When you have found your card on the screen, there will be an LED light at the slot which directs you to it (see right). This system, I believe, provides a speedy, yet pleasant shopping experience for the customer, as well as a helpful organization tool for the employee stocking it.

During the semester I was challenged with the question, "Why not acrylic?" Fortunately, I was able to reseach and test in order to answer that question. It would be wise to note that acrylic did indeed crack on the very first heat-bend.

I would like to thank the entire Eastman team for giving our studio this unique opportunity. This semester has been a work load, but was very well worth the outcome.

Wrap up....

2008-12-10T10:04:00.000-08:00

Working with Eastman this semester has been a great experience for all of us. I enjoyed gaining experience working with a company, working under deadlines, and of course continuing my ongoing education in design.
At the beginning of the project in the research phase I noticed a lack of aesthetically pleasing displays for water bottles. Using the flexible properties of Spectar, I capitalized on a design that is functional and aesthetically unique. Using multiple layers of Spectar I was able to create an eye-catching display that organizes merchandise and shows off the organic shape and bright colors of the water bottles.
Thank you Eastman for this experience to work with your company and with a new material!

wrapping up the semester...

2008-12-10T07:05:00.000-08:00

The enjoyable semester has come to an end, but it most certainly was full of interesting challenges for each of us. This new way of looking into retail forced me to look into areas that would normally be bypassed in the retail space. By taking a closer look into these troubled areas, it helped me to notice just how many patterns and trends that seem to follow the retail environment. I developed both of my concepts by looking at these trends and finding new ways to simplify them and make them more efficient.

Spectar enabled me to step outside of the normal materials and their limits to basically "reinvent the wheel" in grocery related displays. Many of the cuts, stresses, and deep draws on the vacuum forming machine could not have been done with any other plastic material. Spectar really helped to put the product first!

Thanks again to the Eastman crew for working with us this semseter!

Finalization

2008-12-09T18:51:00.000-08:00

First of all I'd like to thank Eastman for the opportunity they gave us to work with them. It was a long process but in many ways it resembled the real world of working in design. This project help me understand alot about clients, deadlines (in how they never are fixed), and the expectations of a designer. So thank you.

My first display which dealth with a overhead display that was named "skyline" by eastman dealth with candy bars being displayed by an overhanging spectar dispense system that was on a self-checkout. My goal was to create an Hi Viz atmosphere. Using the transparency of the spectar the overhead or “skyline” display is able to create an atmosphere of candybars without having a cluster feeling. Each self checkout has two skyline display systems with an chip display on the side. The customer is able to interact directly with the display through the dispence system. Its placement will allow it to be highly visible without blocking “air” space.

In my second design my plan was to make an universal display for all types of free standing self-checkouts.This display is meant to be universal for all free standing checkouts. Its clarity allows for the product to be the a portion of the graphics of the display. The screen is an eye catcher the make the customer spend a little more time at the checkout where their attention is on the product. The camera is in the center of the display and is highly visible to “prevent” instead of catch.

2008-12-09T09:41:00.000-08:00

The finalized design are finally submitted--it was a good project and a good semester. Thanks go out to Eastman for giving us such a great opportunity, and thanks to our teacher for helping us along the way. That being said, I just want to leave some closing thoughts about one my finalized designs.
The Totes umbrella display was a originally born of a drugstore probem--finding a way to prove that Spectar could take the place of metals in a multitude of way throughout the store. I set out to prove and to show that Spectar had enough favorable qualities, and enough inherent strength, that will a little bit of design a lot of material could be saved. Not only metals can be replaced, however. If Spectar can provide a high visibiility, striking, functional and often hands-on solution to metal use throughout a typical store, think of what it could do to similar and competing materials such as acrylic? It is a material that will bend, but not break, heal itself under heat, and can provide the clarity and quality of glass.
While in the end, the umbrella display isn't really fitting for the store in which the idea was born, it does have a certain appeal that could be marketed to different outlets. Most importantly however, it displays all four qualities of Spectar extremely well, and for Eastman as a company is feasible to build, and tag a prime use of high visibility, (to reveal product color, variation, and type) purposeful, (fully-functional display with 75%+ less metal used) striking (crisp molding allows for sharp graphics and edges) , and hands-on, (a visually and physically inviting experience that forces user interaction) the four cardinal qualities of Spectar.
Thanks again Eastman, have a great Christmas!

Matt Shipp

2008-12-09T09:26:00.000-08:00

The picture to the right is a rendering done in Rhino of my final re-design for drugstore security bars. Spectar really helped re-invent the space so often unnoticed by bringing a designed elegance to what was once a necessary eyesore. I also used the area for graphics and advertisement by making a basket to hold the weekly sales circulars that come in the newspaper and posting an aisle floorplan on the actual security bar with notifications of sales around the store to encourage shoppers to look around.

Well this semester has definately not been one for slackers. There were some long nights that turned into slow days and some quick switches that sometimes threw routines off but we all survived. It was a good experience to collaborate with a real-world client and have people depending on our deliverables. We weren't just working for our own grades or portfolios, though that was a big focus that drove our work quality, but we also had promises to keep and concepts to deliver. On our way back from our visit to Kingsport, I had no idea that the semester would unfold this way. I learned alot about designing for real problems found through research and development and also got a crash course in a pretty useful 3D program so I'd say the semester didn't turn out half bad.

FTL

2008-10-26T20:32:00.001-07:00

Picture unrelated.

The sun is setting. Tired men and women are leaving work, fighting the rush hour traffic as they flee to their homes. Street lamps flicker once or twice along the slow university streets before striking a warm orange glow. The buzz of machines began to die as the work day comes to a halt slowly from the construction site. Little white hats of construction workers bob and weave around the maze of fences as the make their escape--a tiring day is finally at an end. A slow dust cloud rises from the dusty plains, reaching toward the last traces of sunlight as they streak across the sky. It blows and curls, becoming one with the night; a final sigh, a death knell sounding the end of the day. There is nothing... Except...

The eyes of Wallace Industrial Design Building, the gaping sheets of glass littering its facade, burn bright with incandescent light. Tired fingers and sore backs work within, melting plastic and sketching furiously. When all others have retired to their beds, letting out long deep sighs that seem to say, "Ah, what a relaxing weekend.", the ants of Wallace continue to build. Design, sketch, build, tear down--The dreaded cycle that keeps the ants entranced, the hypnotic spell that keeps them thinking that if they can just go for one more day, life will be worth something.

That moment is not far off, however.

Weeks of work have piled up to one cataclysmic moment, a moment that holds promise of an eternal salvation, the 89.5 rounded up, or the damnation that is Eastman's disapproval. The odds seem to be piled against the ants, working tirelessly, is their nothing and no one that can help them succeed?

There is one.

Birthed from the sins of inferior products, fueled by the shattering of acrylic sheeting, tempered by Windex and Lysol, he emerges--a lone hero; resistant to screwing, heating, chemicals, pressure, and scratching. He is a light in darkness, a hope in despair, and a force that will change the Wallace ants' lives forever.
He is Spectar-Man.

Feasibility

2008-10-26T20:32:00.000-07:00

The back stretch has been a tedious and time consuming journey, but overall, the concepts that my fellow colleagues and I have been able to generate is very gratifying. Hands down the hardest thing that comes to mind during Phase 2 is making sure that the concept is structurally sound. This part is where design is crucial and helps the designer earn the big bucks. It is my intention demonstrate the feasibility of my concepts at the next presentation.

2008-10-24T11:08:00.001-07:00

Over the past couple of weeks, I have spent time trying to find a way to work out the mechanics in my fabric display so that the whole system of buying fabric becomes easier and isn't so much of a hassle. Just recently have we started to work on our models. I have experienced some issues related to my design and how well the plastic can form to it. These are just obstacles that have been worked around and I think they have helped me to design the displays better.

2008-10-21T22:01:00.001-07:00

Since the first meeting I have spent time refining my two concepts. Refinements have included going back into the retail space, more problem solving investigation, addition of aesthetic elements, and places for graphics. Attention to detail has been the focus this week. Figuring out how our displays will actually be built has made our initial ideas seem very real. Learning how to assemble our displays has also posed a few challenges. Knowing the limitations, but also advantages of Spectar has definitely influenced many of the aesthetic elements and structural elements of my designs.

2008-10-21T20:26:00.000-07:00

I have spent the past few weeks refining the two concepts that were selected. Much of the refinement had to do with the mechanics and inner components of both ideas. With a few tweaks, I can now focus more on the aesthetics of my concepts.

Concept Refinement

2008-10-21T15:25:00.001-07:00

Since our meeting, I have started making adjustments to my SmartCard design, and looking at different ways spectar can be incorporated throughout the display's facade. I'm really hopeful for this concept, as I feel it can push the greeting card world into a more positive direction.

I have also begun reseaching the movement and axis associated with the golf swing and have been looking at ways to apply it to a display system.

Light Sculpture

2008-10-15T12:58:00.000-07:00

I laser cut three pieces of masonite with different size circles and offset the holes. Then with some help, stacked the all three layers in the vacuum form.

The excess spectar was cut with a ban saw and then the flat side sanded with a DA to frost the spectar.

The two ends were bent using a heat strip so it will clip around the lights in the studio.

Light sculptures and the studio space

2008-10-14T15:05:00.000-07:00

In continued our efforts to explore the Spectar material and "enlighten" our work-spaces, we students a series of sculptural lighting elements that employ various means of fastening, adhering, thermo-forming.

These sculptures are designed to fit the 2'x2' area over the existing 2'x4' fluorescent fixtures in our space. In addition, straight sheets were hung to create "post-walls" for sketches and other visual information such as white board markings.

Spectar serves more purposes...

2008-09-17T06:55:00.000-07:00

Messin' with Spectar

2008-09-15T07:56:00.000-07:00

You ask why? I ask why not?
Starting to get interesting
Yes, we did get the stool out.

Working with Spectar...

2008-09-15T05:10:00.000-07:00

Recently, we have been working with the different types of Spectar, finding out how it reacts under specific circumstances. We've frozen, bent, re-bent, heated, cut, and so far, I have been impressed with what the material can do. I hope to use what I've learned from this experimentation in the construction of our final models.

Shedding Some Light on Spectar

2008-09-15T01:09:00.000-07:00

This week I spent some time working with and getting a feel for Spectar. I decided to test out the scratch resistant Spectar to see how big of a difference it made in intense heat. The heat caused a pattern like the veins of a leaf to spread across the Spectar sheet and it made a surprisingly nice design on my light sculpture. It was nice getting to test the limits of Spectar and I'm looking forward to applying this knowledge to my design.

Getting Familiar with Spectar

2008-09-15T00:05:00.000-07:00

This past week and most of this weekend has been spent with some type of tool and sheets of Spectar. I have played around with Spectar using heating rods, heat guns, saws, vacuum formers and everything in between. The experience gained first hand with Spectar has allowed for a better perspective on the initial concept designs i have come up with. The next week or so of designing and experimenting combined with the initial research should nurture some promising ideas.

poking around with spectar

2008-09-14T23:49:00.000-07:00

So far, so good with the spectar. Much better than acrylic... Spectar has been able to take pretty much all of the shapes I've tried. I haven't been let down yet. But I will say it is a little more 'rubbery' than I thought it would be. I expected more of a flimsy material when heated. That is no problem though. I've played around with sanding for a frosted appearance... looking good - and also with extreme heat to gain a slick edge. I've found that unless the edge is already pretty smooth, you're going to damage the plastic with these torches. The ends need to look pretty nice already.

212Degrees+Spectar= Better wear gloves

2008-09-14T23:21:00.000-07:00

By boiling spectar it becomes extremely flexible yet when it is cooled it doesn't get brittle. You need to work fast because spectar doesn't retain the heat very well. I also found that if you ,say take a strip of spectar boil it then twist it or roll it up ,let it cool, then put it back into the boiling water it will return to its original shape.

A day with Spectar

2008-09-14T21:32:00.000-07:00

During the research process that Auburn's methodology covers, we experimented many different ways with the product. Spectar is unbelievably capable to form change and by process of elimination my fellow colleagues and I put it to the test. We froze it, heated it, torched it, bent it, reheated, and bent it again. It was good being able to find the limitations of the plastic we are working with and I think that there are many possibilities.

Material Destruction

2008-09-14T20:22:00.000-07:00

First wave of concept sketches are complete, along with material exploration. Noticing that while Spectar handles initial heating exceptionally well, heating and then cooling tend to make the material brittle... In other words, seems like you have to get it in one go. Also, little known fact by Auburn U students: Spectar catches fire.
Heat gun > Torch.

Thicker sheets of Spectar seem to hold up to heating and bending a lot better though... Which probably doesn't make a lot of sense, but then again we have had so many mix ups with our acrylic supply, scratch-resistant Spectar, and normal Spectar that it wouldn't suprise me if I grabbed the wrong stuff. That being said, the thick orange sheets we have are great... Really hold thickness and form even on the verge of melting. Really great.

Getting to know Spectar...

2008-09-14T19:55:00.001-07:00

Getting to know Spectar

During the last two weeks we all have had our fair shair of experimentation with the material Spectar. This product is almost amazing! It acts like a hard acrylic plastic, but you can bend, heat, mold, shape, create air bubbles, burn, color, scratch, crack, etch, laser cut, and reform this material! Spectar has way more possibilities than any plastic can offer us today. So far I have to tip my hats to the Chemical Engineers at Eastman Chemical Company.

Buy it, Use it, Break it, Fix it... Sketch it!

2008-09-14T18:00:00.001-07:00

Spectar, the plastic of possibilities, went under many tests, such as heating, bending, thermo-forming and other processes. The outcomes got me thinking so I sketched out some ideas for form and structure experiments.

what can spectar NOT do?

2008-09-14T17:20:00.000-07:00

During our "material exploration" phase I have heard people doing some pretty whack things to Spectar: boil it, broil it, melt it, freeze it, sand it, burn it, and everything in between. My light project didn't involve anything too hazardous, just some heat bending and some sand "frosting." I was impressed with Spectar's ability to be heated, shaped, re-heated, and re-shaped. I made a couple bending mistakes that could have been pretty detrimental had I not been able to just re-heat and bend.

Material Experimentation

2008-09-14T16:16:00.000-07:00

This week we took a break from studio work and went down to the shop to experiment with Spectar. We heated it, froze it, bent it, wrote on it, scratched it, etc.....anything to test the strength and durability of the material. One of the most interesting properties of the plastic that I found was that Dry-Erase markers can easily be erased off of the Spectar surface, just like on a white board. This could be very useful with changing displays because companies could write current prices etc. on the surface of the plastic and change it easily.

Heating Spectar

2008-09-14T16:02:00.000-07:00

Heating with a torch can cause some air bubbles.

A heat strip can be used to bend and shape Spectar.

Video Retail Research

2008-09-14T09:27:00.000-07:00

Over the past couple of weeks I have spent time researching the local video rental retail industry; this would include Video Gallery, Blockbuster Video, Video Warehouse, and Hastings. I happened to grab some photos of the stores overall, as well as up close pictures of the different types of display materials. I also interviewed employees with an in-depth survey.
In general there were some consensus issues with the four retail competitors. One of which was placement; at what level the rental was placed in regards to eye level. Another concern was how well the display actually displayed the product. Ease of cleaning the display was also a major concern with retailers. I'm currently in the process of taking this information and developing some innovative solutions.

Constructing my Spectar Sky Sculpture......

2008-09-13T09:40:00.001-07:00

Overall, I haven't had any problems working with the spectar in creating my sky sculpture. A couple of the issues that I did have with it was that when I used a heat gun to heat up smaller sections on my sculpture, the pattern on the gloves that I was using was sticking to the spectar and also the blue fabric from the gloves was sticking onto it as well. This made it difficult to keep clean and continue forming my sculpture. Also on a couple strips of plastic that I heated up, they got way too hot and were like pieces of spaghetti when I tried to form them. the plastic stretched too much and therefore I was not able to use a couple of the pieces on my sky sculpture.

Working with Spectar Material

2008-09-12T18:10:00.000-07:00

My plan as I worked with the material to create my light sculpture was to vacuum for these stacked cyclinder shapes and cut it how I wanted. Just putting them on top of each other didnt work so I tried taping them together. That made the plastic push out where the air couldnt escape to I used less tape leaving air holes so that the air could be pulled through. Third time was a charm... After that I cut pieces from the models that didnt work out so well and sanded to make my light sculpture.

Fresh Squeezed Spectar

2008-09-07T20:25:00.000-07:00

During my early research at the local super-market, I found quite a few opportunities for spectar in the produce section. After talking to Chip, who works in the produce section, I was introduced to a few problems that he had with the existing fruit baskets. He has also brought to my attention issues with organization of the vegetables and displaying prices. I plan to investigate more innovative solutions to keep the produce fresh for longer periods of time.

Research with retail grocery stores

2008-09-07T13:10:00.000-07:00

My research for the eastman project is in the area of grocery markets. I have narrowed my observation down to self check out regesters and how to improve the area around it. My partner and me interviewed the assistant customer service manager Betty Ward who gave me very good information on the problems and complications with the self checkout. She explained that the main problem was space. This is first self checkout that I found that had displays incorporated with it. More could be placed at the top of the regesters with better use of space and placement displays could be placed around the counter area.

2008-09-05T15:15:00.000-07:00

My first visit was to Win-Dixie, I focused on the shelves and the self check out stands. One of the first things I noticed was the how crowed all the shelves were, it was a massive information overload. In the self check out area I also noticed there was a good bit of unused overhead space that could be used for add space. There are also many uses for spectar in specialty displays. The flexibility of spectar in terms of use ,leaves this fairly open.

Retail Research

2008-09-05T14:40:00.000-07:00

Brunos was the start of my research. I have shopped in this place over ten times, so I know the layout pretty well. Just because I know the layout of the place does not mean I know where everything is. First I just walked through the store and noticed all of the different uses that this product already has, after all, Spectar has been around for about 10 years now. On this first trip to the supermarket I just wanted to get an idea of different areas in the store I could focus on: Self Check out, the grocery cart, cleaning supplies, P.O.S.. Those were my areas of interest.

Drug Store Research

2008-09-05T06:26:00.000-07:00

Drug stores were my first mark to pursue, and were initially very interesting. Loads of acrylic in use (often broken and scarred) in hundreds of displays--from the pharmacy to the register.

Interviews revealed however that Walgreens, CVS, etc. order all of their display casings and shelves from one company... So cheap and by the pound is probably more in line with their mantra...

Point of purchase was boring, with clear acrylic being used to display product packaging.

I'm not sure if we can sell to Revlon, or other makeup companies, but some research revealed theyre acrylic based displays may benefit the most from the durability of Spectar... Will post more pics soon.

Exploring World Market

2008-09-05T05:54:00.000-07:00

The employees at World Market were more than willing to assist us in our research and observation of their merchandise. We discovered definite room for improvement throughout the entire store, every where from stocking to displays, it seems our eyes have been opened to numerous new opportunities.

DVD Sales and Rentals..

2008-09-05T05:51:00.000-07:00

While researching the field of DVD Rental and Sales we went into local stores such as Movie Gallery, Hastings, Target, Video Warehouse. We took pictures of these stores, noted their flaws, their positive attributes and began to think about the changes that could occur with the functionality of these businesses and their retail space, including shelves, stocking systems, and product placement.

2008-09-05T05:16:00.000-07:00

At CVS, alot of the cosmetic displays are shipped from the company for direct installation with the products so that there's little guesswork for the employees. In this photo, it's very easy to tell which products are "Lumene" and where the generic Fragrance Department is even though there is barely any space between the sections. With just a little bit of thought to design and just a few strips of acrylic, the Lumene Brand has made sure that the customer knows where their products are. Accessibility has also been considered because it seems to be much easier to examine one of the Lumene boxes or bottles than it is to ask an employee to carefully extract a box of perfume from the Fragrance case. There should be alot of potential for the use of Spectar in these sorts of display to add pop to a group of products in a crowded area like this one.

2008-09-04T20:21:00.000-07:00

I think we saw a lot of opportunity in the drugstore/pharmacy category. This photo for one shows CVS using a Rubbermaid pushcart to display marked down items at the register. The only two things that you pay any attention to are the 50% off signs and the cart itself; I myself did not even see the items in the bottom of the cart until I looked at the photo.

Specialty Shops: Southern Trails Outdoors...

2008-09-04T18:57:00.000-07:00

The employees at Southern Trails were more than happy to answer our questions concerning the way they currently display their merchandise. After a quick tour around the store, they mentioned several areas that could use improvement. Many of the issues they addressed were echoed by other businesses carrying similar specialty items.

We documented each retailer's story and are continuing to research ways to not only improve the customer's experience at the store, but the employees as well.

The employees at each store were very excited to see this project progress and hoped to hear back with an update very soon.

Research to display fabric....

2008-09-04T18:35:00.000-07:00

For additional research, I went to Hancock Fabrics. I noticed how unorganized the yards of fabric were and how they were very poorly displayed. I quickly began to think of ideas on how to better display the merchandise. While I was there I interviewed Andrea. She has worked there for about 2 months helping customers and also stocking fabric. She was very helpful in what works in the store and what needs help. She gave me insight on customers and how they shop around the store, also how they deal with the unorganized yards of fabric. The interview helped me figure out what I needed to focus on as far as displaying fabric and home decor items neatly.

order for the beans

2008-09-04T17:48:00.000-07:00

The big guy at locally owned 'Toomer's Coffee' was more than pleased to sit down with us and give some valuable insight to selling coffee from a display's perspective. Mr. Sandy Toomer knows he has a great product - freshly roasted coffee every day of the week. He wants to see displays that can stretch his inventory. Sandy says that the ideal displays would only be two coffee bags deep, and stretched up, down, and across the wall. He wants to let customers think he has a lot, even if the truth is a bit different.

We also hit 'Cambridge Coffee' (a not so local company) and they, to our surprise need a little help. They have little space in their store and obviously need some organizational help. With merchandise sprawled on the counter tops to a tower of disposable lids just inching ever closer to covering floor... we have a great opportunity to collaborate and solve a problem.

Coffee Shop Research: Starbucks Co.

2008-09-04T17:39:00.000-07:00

I volunteered myself to explore coffee shops, all while observing and asking questions about how they display their products. Starbucks is what I (and many people I know) would consider the unopposed world conglomerate. So it was interesting to see how the "pros" do it. The customer base at Starbucks is love or hate, which leads me to think that the people who go there are half way interested in what the cafe is selling also.

The first thing I noticed was all of the products sold here, perfectly fit the displays they were destined to sell in. But even Starbucks hasn't maximized all of it's space. Ceiling space appeared to be the biggest area to capitalize on. Whether it be the blank high ceilings, or the possibilities of hanging a display just above the cash register, it seemed like free space within reach. I found myself, several times, wandering glances up to the air space above and just staring while friends continued on about their day.

Displays in Starbucks were very warm and "homie" looking so I think it would behoove a designer to incorporate many of the already-in-place aesthetics into a possible concept such as, wood, steel, brick, or a rusted look. This coffee shop would probably be a great challenge to test ideas and displays on since their fan traffic is so large.

Specialty Shops: Kinnucans

2008-09-04T17:13:00.000-07:00

One of the specialty shops we went to Kinnucan's, a locally owned outdoor store. We were able to speak with an Assistant Manager who has over a year experience stocking shelves. He informed us about the process of storing, setting up, and stocking clothing rack displays. He even had ideas about how to improve existing designs. After a personal tour around the store we left with many ideas about how to solve problems involving retail racks and displays.

Into the Depths of Pier 1...

2008-09-04T15:33:00.000-07:00

Going to Pier 1 has always been a nightmare for me. So many breakable objects packed into claustrophobic aisles can be pretty intimidating. Today, however, the tables have been turned as I'm tasked with figuring out how to clear up the clutter. I met with the Assistant Manager, Michael, and picked his brain for problems he had with the layout of the store. Afterwards, I left the store a little bit wiser and with a couple of brewing ideas. Can't wait to get started!

Journey to Pier 1

2008-09-04T15:21:00.000-07:00

In the heat of back-to-school mayhem, I visited the haven of home furnishings, Pier 1 Imports. Upon arrival I was greeted by a fair-haired young woman named Samantha. I conversed with her on the subject of displays and such. After my time there, I left enlightened and wiser with the knowledge of pillows, plates, and candles!

The Stores That I Went To For Research....

2008-09-04T13:35:00.000-07:00

The first retail store I went to was Hastings,which is a video, book, music, and software store. I talked with three employees, Cybil Moore the store leader, Liz Cauthen the music manager, and Darrell Nance the assistant manager.

The second store that I visited was Thomas Pharmacy. Which is a smaller locally owned Pharmacy. I was able to talk with the Pharmacist/owner, Roger Burnett who has been in retail for 40 years.

The First Meeting.

2008-09-03T09:02:00.000-07:00

After arriving at the plant, we all met in the Eastman conference room and Kieran Smith ran through the orientation and parameters of the project. In short, our charge is to design and develop merchandising solutions with Spectar co-polyester for enhancing the retail experience for customers.

Gaylon White then presented the design themes we are to pursue, and introduced a special guest who was in town consulting with Eastman...Chuck Pelly, founder of DesignworksUSA. Chuck inspired us on how to communicate and present design through describing and diagramming "The Story of Stories."

The Eastman team proceeded to give us a tour of their facilities where we witnessed sheet extrusion of their Spectar co-polyester and the advantages it has over traditionally used acrylic. We were treated to lunch and Y-Water, the unique packaging of which was a joint collaboration between Eastman and Ives Behar.

We departed the Eastman facilities loaded up with our Spectar sample kits and Y-Water for the road! Many thanks to the Eastman team for their time and hospitality!

Chuck Pelly's "The Story of Stories" diagram and Chad Frazier's CNC/Spectar cut AU currently adorn our studio space back in Auburn.

Kicking off the project

2008-08-25T06:11:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday at 3:30pm seventeen 3rd year industrial design students pulled out of Wallace Center in Auburn on our way to Kingsport, Tennessee for a kickoff meeting with Eastman. The trip was a long haul with twenty of us piled high in three minivans. We pulled into Kingsport around 11:30pm (CST) and shuttled over to the Eastman facilities the following morning.

To say the Eastman plant is impressive sight is a gross understatement, as it sprawls across an entire river valley in the Tennessee hills. A maze of transfer pipes, utility buildings, and cooling towers go on for as far as the eye can see.