Design Guru Critiques Apple Retail Store 97
xdfgf writes "Paco Underhill, CEO of Envirosell, gives an overview, and explains aspects, of the floor plan of the SoHo Apple store. Quote from the article: 'If success lurks in details like those, it explains why Apple CEO Steve Jobs spends half a day each week with a 20-member design team, hashing out tweak after tweak in each of his 53 retail stores. In one session, the group agonized over three types of lighting to get Jobs's iMacs to shine just as they do in glossy ads.'"
Design "Consultants" (Score:5, Interesting)
As an architect, design consultants make my blood boil. While Mr Underhill may have spent hours in the local mall, noticing that people wander counterclockwise, a list of rules to follow does not a good design make.
His suggestions- glass staircase scares off the oldsters, an "In Stock Now!" sign so people could tell it was a store, and putting more tchochkes at the checkout to get those impulsive spenders- all reek of items that would work well in a supermarket. I'm sure this guy makes millions getting retail corporate sheep to follow his dogmatic design rules (and they are dogmatic- I would hardly call some behavioral observations "science", no matter what the title of his book is.) but if he could step back and realize the kind of people Apple is marketing towards (at the very minimum, a group of people who appreciate good design) then he would know that those people who aren't afraid of a Unix-based operating system sure as hell aren't going to be afraid of a glass staircase. These people will be annoyed by cheap signs littered throughout a space trying to grab your attention (the architectural equivalent of a blinking banner ad) and the few coffee cups at the checkout counter trying to squeeze an extra four dollars out of you while you are waiting in line to spend two thousand.
This is the kind of genius that thinks they should put some kind of pricing special into their ads (Order now and get the Yao Ming/Mini Me combination Powerbook/bobblehead free! Operators are standing by!)
Re:Design "Consultants" (Score:5, Interesting)
Two thirds of Apple's core market is made up of the very young and the very old. Most of Apple's target customers have never even heard the word "UNIX." Generally speaking, Apple isn't marketing toward people who appreciate good design on a conscious level. They're marketing toward regular people. Regular people appreciate good design, but don't dwell on it. This tactic has the beneficial side-effect of appealing to fetishists, too.
Actually, Apple's impulse items are iPods and the like, not coffee cups. It works, too. I was at an Apple store last fall to buy a copy of Microsoft Office for a new laptop, and when I got to the register I saw a stack of iPods sitting there. I decided, right there on the spot, to get one for myself and one for my girlfriend.
Re:Design "Consultants" (Score:1)
I'm about to 'retire' mine, and possibly upgrade. By 'retire' I mean, of course, continue to press into service in diminished capacity, since it still works, as it has - for year after year. Typical Apple.
Wish I could say that about a *single* PC I've ever owned. Cheap crack is still crack.
Re:Design "Consultants" (Score:2, Interesting)
In fact, in terms of personal ownership, I have only ever owned three computers and I've been at it for over 20 years. And one of those three was a C-64... The other two were PCs, one of which I gave to my sister when I wanted to upgrade my game playing capability. So, I'd say PCs can work for year after year after year too
Re:Design "Consultants" (Score:1)
Re:Design "Consultants" (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Design "Consultants" (Score:2)
So the other third is made up of the people who are between young and old? Is that it?
Re:Design "Consultants" (Score:4, Interesting)
I can understand some of the critique but what's the problem with adjusting shelves so you don't have to stoop to see what's there? And for impulse buy items while you're on line? I'd suggest applecare contracts (which come in a very nice box),
There's no need for checkout tchochkes to be about bubble gum and the National Enquirer or for them to only be 4 bucks.
Re:Design "Consultants" (Score:3, Insightful)
As for AppleCare and
Re:Design "Consultants" (Score:2)
Re:Design "Consultants" (Score:5, Interesting)
Don't be an ass. Some people have kids with strollers who would like a clear sign for that elevator too, not to mention that old people's money spends just as well as hip, cool 20 year olds.
I just find it hard to believe that anyone with strollers or a disabilty would not know that in any two-level store, the elevator is almost always in the back (with the rest of the mechanical)
Although he is generally positive about the store, what infuriates me is that Paco Underhill (Wasn't he Bilbo's neighbor in the Shire?) is applying concepts that seem to be more suited to a big-box retail store than to the Apple Store. I see Apple's retail strategy to be similar to the "branding environments" of stores like Nike Town, where you get to see and touch the products, but not necessarily buy them. Apple could easily stack the place to the rafters with product, but sheer sales volume is not what they are going for inside the store.
Re:Design "Consultants" (Score:2)
Re:Design "Consultants" (Score:1)
I just find it hard to believe that anyone with strollers or a disabilty would not know that in any two-level store, the elevator is almost always in the back (with the rest of the mechanical)
I didn't know that. But maybe that's because I've been in a Macy's where it's at the front, and a Target where it's in the middle. Come to think of it... I can't think of even one store I've been to which has an elevator in the back. But I don't get out much either now that my kids are no longer strapped down in
Re:Design "Consultants" (Score:5, Interesting)
Apple Stores make their computers look like their in a museum. I think that's an interesting idea. No other store I know does it this way.
Re:Design "Consultants" (Score:1)
Re:Design "Consultants" (Score:1)
D'oh, I see why, now... the mall I frequent, the Supermall of the Great Northwest [supermall.com] (silly, long name), has an oval, never-ending design [supermall.com] that works well for people who walk either direction.
I find this mall much more pleasing to walk through than others in the area, especially Bellevue Square [bellevuesquare.com]. I always get lost in there.
Re:Design "Consultants" (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Design "Consultants" (Score:1)
Re:Design "Consultants" (Score:2)
The wheel is on the right and we drive in the left. I haven't really taken much notice of which way people tend to move around shops here though...
Re:Design "Consultants" (Score:5, Interesting)
I think people in the United States at least generally circulate to the right, or counterclockwise. The reason has to do with traffic. In the US, we drive on the right side of the road, so oncoming traffic is on our left. So when we walk through a store, we walk on the right side, so that the displays and whatnot are on our left.
I qualify this by saying "in the United States" because I noticed once in Australia that it's just the opposite. I had to go to a mall in Sydney one time to pick up a new battery for my laptop, and I noticed that traffic generally circulated clockwise there. I haven't paid attention in any of the other Commonwealth countries, but I wouldn't be surprised if it were the same.
Of course, it might have just been the Coriolis affect.
Re:Design "Consultants" (Score:2)
Re:Design "Consultants" (Score:2)
Re:Design "Consultants" (Score:2)
Re:Design "Consultants" (Score:2)
Sure, we had the Spiro Agnu watch, but I wasn't aware that that had actually resulted in a redefinition of "counterclockwise".
Re:Design "Consultants" (Score:2)
Imagine a circular room. When you enter the room, you turn right and circle the room around its perimeter until you get back to the door again.
Which way did you circle the room? Clockwise, or counterclockwise?
Re:Design "Consultants" (Score:2)
Re:Design "Consultants" (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Design "Consultants" (Score:1, Interesting)
It's usually not that simple, but people in theme parks do move in a predictable way. If you know when to go to each ride, you'll spend much less time waiting in line.
I've seen books that describe how to do this for Disneyland (i.e. when to go on which rides). I read one of them, and it worked pretty well - I waited in line about 5 minutes for one ride, and when I went by later in the day, it look
Re:Design "Consultants" (Score:2)
Are you left-handed, by any chance?
Re:Design "Consultants" (Score:4, Interesting)
1) Addition of "in stock now" signs. Nothing says class like advertising the fact you actually have what you're selling. (although perhaps "not in stock" signs would be useful for the 17" PowerBook)
2) The concession stand. Because you want your entire store to wreak like a Starbucks and have the floor covered with spill stains.
3) Add point of sale items near the register. Like Wal/K-mart. Because that's the image you want people to have.
Clearly the author of the article is the one responsible for putting DVD players (!!!!) in my grocery store.
RC
It breaks the rules yet works? (Score:5, Interesting)
Strange how he picked an atypcial store to analyze. Most Apple stores are one floor. In any case, one hopes there's more to his analysis than just the 7 points he mentions, especially since the Apple Store apparently fails five of them. (But a concession stand in an Apple Store? What, instead of free Evian?) Nevertheless, Apple Stores are, even by the author's own account, a success, so you have to wonder if perhaps the rules are flawed. It may be precisely because Apple Stores are so different that people are intruiged by almost everything in the store.
As a side note, I have to wonder how many females traverse the glass staircase in skirts or dresses.
...Probably none, actually.
Helpful and minamilist ... (Score:5, Insightful)
Walking into an Apple store is akin to walking into a luxury car show room. Nobody talks prices or tries to sell you anything, until *you* want to, yet the product for sale is presented there and you buy it because you know you want it and that you feel you are being treated with due respect, rather than a jerk who will accept the salesman's forced pitch.
Re:It breaks the rules yet works? (Score:1)
You can't walk underneath the saircase. It is blocked. The walkway on the second floor is actually a little scary because of its height (though I can't remember if it is transparent).
In defence of the author, he probably has a hundred criterion he uses to critique stores, most of which he found to be taken care of and so didn't mention them.
However, I'm pretty sure he was thinking of more of a K-Mart type place w
Re:It breaks the rules yet works? (Score:1)
Re:It breaks the rules yet works? (Score:3, Interesting)
Most importantly: CompUSA and Microcenter are terrifying, chaotic messes tha
Making apples shine (Score:3, Funny)
Spray wax on them.
Re:Making apples shine (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Hmmm... (Score:1)
Re:Hmmm... (Score:1)
Re:Hmmm... (Score:1)
Interesting that some people, who can easily parse a file in an artificial language tailored to machines, can't begin to parse a sentence in their native natural language.
Re:Hmmm... (Score:1)
Re:Hmmm... (Score:1, Troll)
Re:Hmmm... (Score:1)
just call it what it is - coffee flavoured milkshake for people who don't actually like coffee
lattes are the alcopop of the coffee world
Well I go to the one in Albany. (Score:3, Insightful)
macslash (Score:1)
Triv
Re:macslash (Score:2)
I think the whole idea is to get people inside (Score:4, Insightful)
My point being, has this Paco guy ever seen Apple's products? I think all they need to do is get people to come into the store in order to sell stuff. Granted, this doesen't mean you want crack vials lying on the floor or something, but you get my drift.
Re:I think the whole idea is to get people inside (Score:1)
Hey, don't go knocking the crack-vials-on-the-floor technique! I'm sure it would at least increase traffic through the store
In other news... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:In other news... (Score:2)
Re:In other news... (Score:1)
Re:Hobbits, damn Hobbits! (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Hobbits, damn Hobbits! (Score:2)
Underhill is also the cover name Frodo uses to get to the Prancing Pony in the Fellowship...
The reference to the burrows with Windows (capitalized) and the green gardens/blue skies points to the default desktop bg in an XP installation... my idea was to associate Apple bashing to M$ cheerleading. Yeah, it's convoluted but I found it funny... say: a change frm the staple
1. Patent bla bla
2. ???
3. Profit!
comments that s
Paco Underhill? (Score:1)
keep signage big and bold? (Score:2, Insightful)
Did this guy even go INTO the store? I mean, c'mon...
Re:keep signage big and bold? (Score:1)
Although, whether Apple wants to fit in to the Soho image - which right now they kind of don't, and frankly, that's a good thing because Soho sucks - is another story...
Wi-Fi in an apple store near you? (Score:3, Insightful)
Won't affect me unless I move out of the middle of Missouri though.
On a different note, I LOVE going to our University Bookstore's computer department just to look at the Mac's there...that makes me want to own one of everything alone. Maybe it is the product more than the store! But maybe the store is a great vehicle for understanding the product.
Re:Wi-Fi in an apple store near you? (Score:1)
Now if I can only push for an Apple store here in our college town (Columbia, Missouri)...across the street from my house?
Re:Wi-Fi in an apple store near you? (Score:1)
The Mac's curves are sexy. I like to look at the curves on the Macs. Curves are nice. The curve's radius was too small and the cars flew off the road. I broke my car's windshield.
Otherwise, good post
Re:Wi-Fi in an apple store near you? (Score:1)
I was there again today to get my iBook battery fixed, and I happily got free Internet access while waiting.
Apple's unique ability to do what they do (Score:5, Interesting)
It occurred to me the other day that Apple is steering us towards the shiny (brushed) metal future that countless science fiction books, movies, TV shows, movies and conceptual art has foretold.
The clean look that surrounded factious HAL's world in 2001: A Space Odyssey is becoming Apple's reality.
The stores are just an extension of this; they have managed to create, as others have pointed out, an environment that is conducive to buying because it doesn't seem designed for selling. Yes, it shows off the products, but it doesn't show them off the obvious here's-the-damn-product way that car showrooms do, and it doesn't layer products on shelves like Wal-Mart (and most everyone else). It just sets the products up the ideal space you would want to use them, a sterile (yet warm and comfortable) studio somewhere overlooking the flying-car future of New York.
It reminds me of Gerhard Richter [nytimes.com], the fussed-over German painter, who lives in such an environment: homely sterility.
But what Apple does is pretty much impossible for any else to replicate: They are able to create such an environment because they not only dictate what is sold (Wal-Mart does this) but because they make (i e design) most everything they sell. Additionally they set the most-always-followed president for the design of products that accompany what they make: Their human interface design stretches beyond the software that runs on their OS, it encompasses most every product and most every product box that they sell.
Because of this kinetic link not just between what they make and what they sell but what other people make for them to sell, Apple is uniquely able to create the Apple Store, something no Windows PC maker could because of the mesh that makes up not just their software or hardware world, but any front-end retail attempts.
Re:Apple's unique ability to do what they do (Score:2, Insightful)
And also, if someone looks at the product for an hour there, then buys somewhere else (cheaper), they still make money.
You could make an equivilant shop for anything, but unless you make the product you take the hit of (a section) people using your store resource
As an ex-Apple employee... (Score:4, Interesting)
Look, I love Apple products--I really do. But Jobs has always suffered from missing the forest for the trees, and this latest example is just another clear indication of that. "Making sure the light was just right so they glowed just like they should?" Meanwhile: the processor speed is becoming more and more of a factor, third party developers are only barely on board, and when they are their support is lackluster, Apple's strategy for penetration into vertical markets and turnkey solutions is represented by some powerpoint slides, and they haven't given raises to the employees for two years. The attitude still is: if you don't get it, it's not worthwhile trying to convert you.
Apple needs to keep its eye on the ball, and while the design details make for an impressive presentation, you're at least partially selling to a market that knows how to evaluate on the basis of third party benchmarks to price ratio. While design aspects are, I think, part of what makes owning an Apple a special experience, I think the resource of time is being squandered on those concerns and left the meat of the consideration go begging.
The core of the problem: to buy a Mac, you spend more to purchase a machine with less speed, and will work with fewer third parties. All the nice lighting in the world won't fix that, and so I wish they spent that 4 hours a week thinking about improving those things instead. However, in the long run, that's undoubtedly harder--and it requires that Apple folks work with partners, and they are often too self-righteous to do so.
Re:As an ex-Apple employee... (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:As an ex-Apple employee... (Score:2)
Regarding the processor speed issue: yes, that is a real issue for a
Re:As an ex-Apple employee... (Score:2)
Well Jobs (apparently) spent 4 hours a day (presumabbably not for life, but for more then a few days) working with the lighting people. One assumes that is 4 hours a day he can't spend on the phone to Moto saying "get me a faster CPU!", or to IBM saying "get me POWER4's I can afford to sell!"
Re:As an ex-Apple employee... (Score:2)
Re:As an ex-Apple employee... (Score:2)
As for 3rd party developers don't forget its a BSD which means they tons
missed the point (Score:1)
Re:missed the point (Score:2)
The type of person who buys an iMac at the retail Apple Store
I'm guessing, but I think that I have had more contact with purchasers at the Apple store than you. And while that is true for some of them, I think you might be surprised to learn how many come in with Dell ads in hand, and compare feature-to-feature. It is a lot of money, after all, and so most folks make a very careful, very informed purchase.
Nevertheless, let's say they do buy the iMac, pretty ligh
The famous glass stairs (Score:2)
The glass stairs he talks about aren't really such a big deal -- they are translucent rather than transparent, and that's only apparent because there are lights shining up from underneath. I've been in buildings that promote a sort of adrenaline rush -- seven stories with metal grating for each floor, for example -- and the stairs in Apple SoHo do not qualify.
According to a rumor I've heard, when the store opened for the first time, the manifold legions of press rushed inward. The architect for the glass
Think Different? (Score:1)
Then shouldn't they be designing these stores for the *clockwise* traffic of us Apple users?
Why do people hang to the right? (Score:3, Interesting)
Anyone from countries like Japan, Australia, or UK care to offer any insight? Do you walk to the left when entering a shop?
Re:Why do people hang to the right? (Score:1)
How I envision MOST sales from the retail stores (Score:4, Interesting)
PC/Mac user sees switch/other ad on TV
Said user goes to store.apple.com or calls 1-800-APPLE to get more info
User realizes how much better their life coul dbe if they owned one of these products
User also sees on-line or is told over phone their is an Apple store X miles away
User hops into car and goes to store where they THEN see the product for the first time
User say to themselves "WOW a 17" Powerbook or 23" Cinema Display is AWESOME" and then proceeds to purchase and take home said product on the spot.
This is how it went down for one of my friends before they 'switched' - just needed to touch it and feel it before slamming down the Visa.
Re:How I envision MOST sales from the retail store (Score:2)
I concur entirely. This was basically the same experience that I had in buying my TiBook, and one of my friends just concluded in buying a new 12" Powerbook.
Apple's advertising is as good as it gets, and people want their products. Physical stores exist so people can check to make sure the product really exists, and really looks as damn sexy as they thought it would.