eye candy: visual merchandising @ your library for the prince edward island public library service

Eye Candy Visual Merchandising @ your Library

Alexandra Yarrow, A/Manager, Diversity & Accessibility Services, Ottawa Public Library

agenda • eye

• context

• people in the library

• displays

• lifesavers

marketing Research

ID target market(s)

Set goals

Ask

Identify / create

services

Promote services

Deliver services

Evaluate services

Modify services

visual merchandising • “to promote for or as if for sale.”

- Merriam-Webster

• “designing the packaging, [...] advertising, and

other sales promotion activities.”

- Elaine Stone

• “to produce eye-catching window displays that

grab the customers’ attention and encourage

them to shop.”

- Tony Morgan

Morgan, Tony. Window display new visual merchandising. London: Laurence King, 2010.

Stone, Elaine. "Fashion Marketing and Merchandising." Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion. Ed. Valerie Steele.

Vol. 2. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2005. 57-58. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 20 Apr. 2011.

visual merchandising

Flickr, under creative commons license, http://www.flickr.com/photos/jjprojects/3202231017/sizes/l/in/photostream/ photo by jjprojects

worth 1000 words

worth 1000 words

http://www.flickr.com/photos/spam/5467161015/in/photostream/ by Smath

an eye for it?

Stock.xchng, http://www.sxc.hu/browse.phtml?f=download&id=1024965, by Michael Lorenzo

ice-breaker

• tell us about a display you have created

owhat was the display objective?

owhere was the display set up?

owho was your target audience?

owhat, if any, signage did you use?

ohow did you measure success?

owhat would you do differently next time?

context

• maximize space

• split second opinions / satisfaction

• GASP principles

• book stores & other competitors

context: space

Flickr, under creative commons license, http://www.flickr.com/photos/theyoungthousands/384255089/sizes/m/in/photostream/ . Flickr

Commons youngthousands.

context: split second

http://fashionablepeople.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/staceyclintondisapprove.jpg?w=462&h=338

context: GASP

Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mycitylibrary/4185215716/in/set-72157622875035567

context: GASP

context: competitors

Flickr, under creative commons license,

http://www.flickr.com/photos/phrequency/3791093070/sizes/m/in/photostream/, photo byphr3qu3ncy

people in the library

Stock.xchng, http://www.sxc.hu/browse.phtml?f=download&id=1118243, photo by iker

• where do you read? (places, eg. armchair, bed, staffroom, beach,

balcony)

• when do you read? (time, eg. time of day, season)

• do you read every page or do you jump ahead?

• do you employ different strategies for different types of books?

• do you ever cheat and read the ending first? If so, what are the

circumstances?

• how far back can you go with your reading memories? (eg. what is

your earliest memory of reading or of books?)

• what else do you do when you read? (eg. cook, sunbathe)

• what did you read as a teenager for the “sexy bits?” (eg. what was

passed around class or had well-worn pages in the school library?)

• who do you talk to about your reading?

exercise

Tucker, Johnny. Retail desire:

design, display and visual

merchandising. Mies,

Switzerland: RotoVision, 2004

www.BiblioOttawaLibrary.ca 28

rideau branch (renovation)

www.BiblioOttawaLibrary.ca 29

rideau branch (renovation)

www.BiblioOttawaLibrary.ca 30

alta vista branch (renovation)

design and merchandising

• people are “extraordinarily responsive to and

articulate about their surroundings.”

•

•

• what can we conclude from this, given the variety of

people we serve?

Source: Lawson, Bryan. "Healing Architecture: For a long time, we have supposed that good design will improve patient well-being.

Now we have figures to prove it. Bryan Lawson reports on how patient treatment and behaviour improved with new architecture.

(Theory)." The Architectural Review 211.1261 (2002): 72+. Academic OneFile. Web. 4 July 2011.

• variety of people = variety of spaces and options

• integrate technology everywhere

• consider traffic flow and touchpoints

• optimize “spaces between spaces”

Source: Sens, Thomas. "12 Major Trends in Library Design." Building Design & Construction 50.12 (2009): 38. Academic OneFile.

Web. 4 July 2011.

design and merchandising

33

words of wisdom from OPL managers

displays

• quick

• easy

• layered

• edgy

displays = quick

displays = easy

displays = layered

displays = edgy

The Terrier and the Lobster http://dustyburrito.blogspot.com/2010/11/moschino-window-displays.html

display costs

display ROI • track stats

o number of displays

o frequency changed

o books added

• track questions and feedback

o get desk staff involved

o review questions / comments

o look for ideas

• what is the objective of this merchandising?

• where is the display set up?

• who do you think is the target audience?

• what, if any, signage is used?

• what images are conjured by the theme?

• what recommendations can you make to add

visual merchandising aspects to this display?

exercise

design principles

• unity

• harmony

• focal point

• proportion

informal balance formal balance

balance

line arrangements

line arrangements

pyramid/triangle

exact repetition

alternation

radiation

informal balance

formal balance

circular

shape

size and proportion

texture

weight

focal point

building displays

• colours

• props

• signage

colours “colour can be used to create

atmosphere or provoke an

emotion”

- Tony Morgan

colours

http://www.flickr.com/photos/frankieroberto/416645229/sizes/l/in/photostream/ by Frankie ROberto

colours

props

display cases

signage

location, location, location

“It is never a case of adding and adding until the window is

full. An effective display is installed with great attention to

visual balance, the use of focal points that aim to draw

the customer’s eye into the centre of the scheme and

then led the viewer through the contents of the window,

and the use of appropriate props that support the

product and build up the window scheme.”

- Tony Morgan

exercise • brainstorm possible themes for the

library in general.

• brainstorm specific themes for niche

areas of your library.

end-of workshop “tax”:

at least 25% of your ideas should

be outside the box (i.e. the word

Christmas should not factor into

your discussions!)

readers’ advisory core competencies + toolkit

• collection knowledge

• reader service skills

• readers’ advisory conversation

• reader development

why use them?

• to get ideas for your next staff meeting

• to use as a guide when training new staff

• to plan training opportunities for your team

• as part of your own continuing education

program

• to plan evaluations of the skills of your team

• to provide the best service to your customers

policy • tasks are clearly defined

• design choices are clear

• identify display areas

• include rotation schedule

• staffing needs / sustainability

• build your brand / consistency

• contact us info

• logos

• date

• website

checklist

lifesavers

lifesavers

Microsoft Clip Art Found on Flickr / Creative

Commons licensing

Flickr,

http://www.flickr.com/photos/janet/3057195378/size

s/z/in/photostream/, photo by Janet Lackey

lifesavers

• Flickr Commons & Creative

Commons licensing on

www.flickr.com

• stock.xchg – www.sxc.hu

• take your own photos

lifesavers

lifesavers

do not use this font:

Comic Sans MS

try Verdana, Arial, Garamond,

Frutiger , Helvetica

lifesavers

whitespace

lifesavers

top tips 1. keep your friends close ... and your competitors

closer.

2. you never get a second chance to make a first

impression.

3. everything is an opportunity.

4. have policies and procedures that live and breathe

– and know them by heart.

5. don’t kid yourself: you are in sales.

look, read, question

exercise

pick your favourite display from today’s

photos + tell us why it’s your favourite!

• try to incorporate some

concepts or tips from today

Alexandra Yarrow

Alexandra.Yarrow@BiblioOttawaLibrary.ca

Blog: http://ottawapubliclibrarian.blogspot.com/

contact me