Imagination Station
Branding | Strategy
Imagination Station is a toy store concept curated to thrive on the experience of in-store shopping and hands-on learning.
Know-How
Logo Design Planogram Production Illustration
Year
2024
Client
Senior Capstone
Programs Adobe Illustrator Adobe InDesign
Introduction
This project came to be after a return trip to Disney World after ten years, where I noticed many things I grew up loving had been replaced and it felt like some aspects catered adults over kids. This was paired with a heightened awareness that online shopping had taken over the retail experience. I also recently moved from an area with little to no in-store retail spots to somewhere that had a few more options, and was becoming increasingly frustrated with the slow decline of being able to walk into a store and get everything one needs. My solution to this storm of frustration was to figure out a new version of a store that hit all the problems I was seeing.
The Ask
This ask was probably the most creatively free any design ask I receive will be for a long time. My task was to create a research-based project that combined the two disciplines I was studying, graphic design and advertising. With approval, I took it a step further into some business details and pulled knowledge from my years working in retail stores.
The Process
Early Research
The first half of this project was strictly research, no design. A full 16 week semester was devoted to learning and ideating what this project will be, before even thinking of color and type. I knew I had an itch to develop something that would be an alternate shopping experience, I just had no idea what it would be. I took this as an opportunity to regress a little and waste time watching movies from my childhood and call it research. This actually helped a lot in the department of visualizing several months later. Through every channel between scholarly essays to TikTok analyses of department stores, I learned everything I could about how people felt toward online and in store shopping, what products and experiences people were looking for, and what did and did not work to showcase and sell goods.
Nailing the Idea
One of the biggest things I noticed during the research stage is that kids in this age do not have a guaranteed and collective toy shopping experience. Getting to go into a space where it feels as though toys go on forever is almost extinct. A store that feels like magic and is made for kids to get completely lost in doesn’t really exist for many. I wanted to find a way for that experience to not only live on, but survive and thrive in a world of Amazon domination and iPad babies.
Figuring It Out
Once the idea was nailed down was where much more intentional research took place. How was this going to look? Alongside my advisor Gail McCarthy, we poured over countless toy store business models, studies on what makes toys popular, and what makes or breaks retail stores. What came of this was a combination between a science museum and a place to shop.
The Result
Imagination Station is a fully branded guide and business plan that entails the research put into the ideation, as well as how the whole thing runs. Each station has a full page dedicated to a sole focus, sponsorship, and moodboard to give a thorough explanation of who, what, why, when, and how. Each station is carefully curated in a specific layout for parents and kids to get the best experience, and for brands to sell through play.