The display gets lost because of no backdrop
The display is telling a story
Use lighting
The window is way too busy – I don't want to stop and look at it, so I will just walk by
Plan the composition
In general, let ‘less is more’ be your guide. Refrain from cluttering the window. Before you start pulling stock and setting things in the window, take a walk around the block and look for inspiration. Ask yourself: Who do you want to attract? Who are you selling to? Windows that are mostly seen in street traffic need to catch the driver's eye in a couple of seconds. Windows for pedestrians can have more detail because people walking by can stop to take in the display. But remember to keep it simple – a display that is too busy will cause the viewer to walk on by. Visit other businesses, check out their store window displays. The internet is also a huge resource for inspiration and ideas. What works and what does not seem to work in your opinion? What makes an interesting shop window display that captures the attention of potential customers?
Create movement
Back from your inspirational walk, let's take another look at your window space. Where does the eye level fall for the person on the street? That should be your focus area. However, you do not want everything at that level. Create movement. A good story has ebb and flow. Use all the window space in some
way so as to make the viewer's eye move around the window and take it all in, even if there are only a few items in the display. That means pulling the focus up, down, sideways. For example, my windows had hinged plywood backdrops covered in fabric. Our window floors are 3 feet deep and rise about 18 inches above the merchandise floor. Your space may be smaller or larger. I drape additional fabric over these solid backdrops, rounding the corners so as not to create a visual dead end. A key word in this prep is ‘drape’. Create a flow, rather than a stilted up and down placement if using fabric. Unless, of course, you make the choice for a starker appearance. Next arrange the props, or the items
being used to hold the product. I like a variety of heights. This could be a wooden chair, a brightly coloured shelf, or a box covered in fabric. Sometimes my bases are part of the display and sometimes I prefer them to blend into the backdrop by using the same colour or fabric. Occasionally, I like to do a window with everything on one level. It is usually a one- or two-colour composition with just a few items in it. Perhaps three hats on hatstands at street level, for example. Once you have the basic props positioned, the actual placing of the product is simple.
Make use of lighting. It will provide a quiet guide to the viewer of what is most important in the display. If there is no lighting built into the window area, you will have to create it. We used a combination of backlights and spotlights. The backlighting gives a general glow to the display while the brighter spotlights point to your chosen product. Holiday- related lighting is useful. I used LED net lighting that hangs from the top of our window display all year. These 3 ft x 8 ft nets are like twinkling stars and provide a muted but warm mood. Good windows do not require a large
budget. Your imagination is your best friend for finding budget items to reuse. Inexpensive party decorations and seasonal items can be used repeatedly, and can be stored in large boxes marked with the season. Household items can be given a new look and used in displays. Paint is your friend. Go to the dollar store, a thrift shop or garage sale and start looking at colours and shapes of objects. Forget what their intended use might be: would it work in your window theme? One summer I used fly swatters in lime green leaf shapes as trim on fantasy hats for the window – the colour was perfect, and they were large, which made them dramatic on the hats. The fact these were made of lightfast material was also a plus. Large windows may get intense sunlight and things can fade quickly. Change your display frequently. Aim for window changes every two to three months. More frequent is fine, but four to six times a year is a minimum. Pinterest is a great resource for
inspiration. I have a Pinterest Board for Visual Merchandising (
www.pinterest. com/judijudyjudith/visual-merchandising) and invite you to visit it for more ideas. I try to post good and bad examples. Also search online for window dressing and/ or visual merchandising. There are lots of helpful articles to be found.
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