Retail Digital Assistant (Digital Artefact)

Neville Knott

Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Creative Digital Media DT539-2A

Retail Digital Assistant (Digital Artefact) iBook

Abstract

Window display, store layout and visual merchandising are defined as the ability to attract and sell to the consumer silently. One of the biggest challenges facing small retail businesses in towns and villages around the globe is how to compete
against large multinationals in the visual layout and presentation of their merchandise and shops. One of the key advantages that large retail units have over
small ones is professionally merchandised stock incorporated into a strategic spatial layout. The cost of employing a full- or part-time design expert within the field of visual merchandising is not viable for smaller shops, resulting in the sales assistants, section managers or store owners attempting to design the window displays, interior layouts and visual-merchandising strategies to increase sales.
The lack of knowledge and professionalism results in the merchandise being visually cluttered and ultimately devalued.
The purpose of this project is to build a new interactive digital iBook using Apple’s iBooks Author software in order to educate the user in window display, store design and visual merchandising. The new format offered by this software allows the defined subject to be communicated by means of a download through the iTunes store and iBooks, in a new and exciting way.
Worldwide, it will allow users to learn how to design a window display and retail layout, and implement a visual-merchandising strategy in a simple, interactive and well-illustrated process.