Peter Dixon

Peter Dixon, senior partner and director of the retail practice at Lippincott & Margulies (New York), will be a speaker at VM+SD's second annual International Retail Design Conference, September 18 – 20, in Pasadena, Calif. Both as a trained architect and as the father of a four-year-old, he has become quite accomplished – as he shows below – at answering the question, “Why?”

Why does it look like that?

Some designers find their inspiration in “history,” others in the notion that “form follows function.” “Technology” is often the point of departure for a design, as much as the means to accommodate some functional requirement. For still others, “composition,” “use of materials” or the spirit of popular culture influence their direction. Even “political theory” and “literary criticism” have provided the underpinnings for design.

The best work begins not with the viewpoint of the designer but rather with the “identity” of the client (user group, audience, targeted or otherwise) as the starting point. By “identity,” I mean the expressed values, personality and attributes of the subject. This approach challenges designers to think outside of themselves when developing ideas and to design toward something that is not just “interesting” to them, but relevant and expressive of the subject's values and requirements.

Once this basis is established, it is less arbitrary to employ notions of technology, materials, color, lighting and even literary criticism, in ways that support the identity of the subject. This approach is applicable to graphics, products, buildings, companies, cities or even countries.

In developing the new global dealership concept for Nissan, for example, Lippincott & Margulies worked closely with the client branding team, customers, dealers and car designers. With the input from these groups, we were able to interpret the new identity of Nissan into a facility that would be unique, supportive of the brand image, customer-focused and good for business.

With the branding team, we developed image criteria to guide the creative process for the signs, building and interiors. These criteria became the filters through which only concepts and designs in alignment with the brand attributes were brought forward. They guided the application of color – including the strategic use of red, the selection of metallic finishes as a signal of technology, and the development of a facility layout that presented a more integrated sales, service and parts offering.

The new Nissan brand identity criteria also became the primary driver for the design of a unique sign system that again used the brand colors in a strategic, less-decorative context, as well as leading to the deployment of LED lighting technology to help meet energy saving goals.

The theme of “transparency” was developed in response to customer input indicating a need for a feeling of trust and customer control of the sales process. This was interpreted in the design as an open glass pavilion free of interior walls or cramped corridors. The dealers also embraced the notion of transparency because they felt the constant oversight of activities at their facilities was directly linked to their profitability.

Work with the Nissan car designers, who themselves have established a vehicle design language reflective of their new brand identity, led to the development of distinctive design forms in the signs, building details and interior fixtures which would complement the styling cues of the products.

This “outside-in” methodology enabled us to help Nissan articulate its brand identity and truly deliver on it where it matters – right in the environment where the prospective customer is touched. Thus driving desired behavior more predictably and effectively than just designing what we might have thought was “cool.”

Of course, after you've got the brand experience right, you still have to make it cool.