An international consumer electronics company approached us with a simple theme: new technologies in retail spaces. We quickly reframed the problem to focus on bringing a sense of community to the retail environment.
One area ripe for innovation is retail spaces. Initially a fast, efficient way to move goods, during the last half of the 20th century department stores evolved to deliver unique, high-quality items. To compete against Amazon and the rest of the internet, retailers have more recently begun to focus on creating a personable, engaging atmosphere for their customers. How can online social networking combine with the high-touch model developed by retailers to create new value in retail spaces?
The first one demonstrates the basic functions of the system like supporting purchase decisions and detailed user control of sharing permissions.
Meet Brad. He's a gamer, and a tech enthusiast. He's an early adopter for tech products, but really hates shopping for anything else.
The second demonstrates advanced functions that can help shoppers develop their personal tastes and grow their connections with their community.
Meet Katie, Michelle, and Mike. They are hip urban professionals; shopping is their pastime.
An evaluation and social support tool - Great or Hate - lets users ask about or recommend particular items to their friends, communities of style, or the public.
Here, Brad has posted a photo of himself to a public display to ask which of the shirts look best. A passing group of girls stops to help him out by voting.
They can also provide motivation by acting as a channel for social pressure, and they can act as a trigger by helping users remember to act.
