Nussbaumer, Chapter 15

Fig. 1-This store has wide areas for
navigation. 

Retail design is another area of commercial design, and is very diverse, from the people shopping and working to the building itself. A design professional must be aware of all of this diversity and so human factors are necessary again. Particularly with retail, one's personal space is frequently invaded when moving through crowded aisles and areas in stores (Fig. 1).

Fig. 2- This picture of a retail
space has a mix of materials to reinforce
that store's brand and image. 

Circulation through stores is hard to achieve but needs to happen. Retail stores now are required to be ADA accessible. Wide lanes help those who have disabilities. They also help to give space to allow people to stand around products. The store also needs to be able to navigated easily. Diverse people of all backgrounds are shopping in the stores. Users of the space have to be able to find what they need and have to be able to move around one another. In a store wayfinding, organization, and circulation are of utmost importance. Retail spaces are areas that need to be user-friendly. To do this, proxemics, anthropometrics, and many other factors are applied in retail design.

Safety and security measures must be considered. Depending on the design of the store, crime can be increased or reduced. Alarms, monitors, and cameras should be positioned to reduce shoplifting and allow fellow shoppers to feel safe and comfortable. All points of the store should also be laid out in a way that they can all be seen (i.e. the register should always be within view of every other part of the store). This gives added control over the store for users, employees, and security officers.

Fig. 3- Above is pictured a retail space
with concrete as one of its materials.
Concrete, however, is not good for
acoustics. 

Acoustics in retail are required. People need to feel comfortable in a retail environment so as to buy objects. Depending on what target market a store is going for, music can be played to reflect the person's the store is trying to reach; young people are more likely to enter a store if music that appeals to them is playing. However, the type of music played can also make certain persons leave the store and not buy anything from that store. Sometimes music in the background is too loud for people to focus and so materials applied for acoustics must be utilized. All public environments must comply with decibel guidelines.

Fig. 4- Although this store is dark in
materials and paint; lighting is still optimal. 

Lighting in retail is also very important. Certain types of systems for lighting can highlight an object or a certain area of the store. Well lit stores are proven to increase sales; people see how objects look in the store lighting and purchase the objects. Lighting should increase the aesthetic of the objects being sold and the aesthetic of the store (Fig. 4).

When designing retail, professionals should keep in mind that stores are constantly changing spaces and so spaces should be able to keep up with the changes of design. Each space needs to reflect the brand of the store.