Spatial Designed II / Project 2

Spatial Design ll /  project 2
Starting from 12.2024
4.2025 -8.2025 / Week 1 - Week 14
Ge Xianjing / 0377636
Spatial Design ll / Interactive Space Design

📝 Project 2 Research : Exploring User Experiences in Gentle Monster’s TRX Store

🔍 Project Background

The aim of this project is to reimagine the physical experience of the Gentle Monster flagship store in TRX, Kuala Lumpur. Before developing any design proposals, our first step was to understand how real users interact with the current store environment and what their expectations are—functionally, emotionally, and spatially.

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📊 Survey Design Overview

To gather meaningful insights, I created a 25-question survey structured into the following parts:

Part A: Basic Information

• Age, occupation, frequency of wearing sunglasses

• Preferences between online vs. in-store shopping

Part B: Layout & Atmosphere Preferences

• What users notice first upon entering a sunglasses store

• Preferred store ambiance (minimalist / artistic / techy / bright etc.)

• Importance of clear circulation paths and mirror placement

• Preferred display formats and try-on environment

Part C: Functional Zones & Interaction

• Do users prefer spaces with rest zones, selfie areas, or art installations?

• Interest in QR codes and digital screens for product info

• Willingness to share content on social media

• Desire for styling tips or outfit matching suggestions

• Favorite color palettes (cool, natural, bold, or soft)

• Preference between “futuristic” vs. “natural” themed zones

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👤 User Persona Construction

From the survey responses and field observation, I selected two representative personas who reflect Gentle Monster’s key customer groups. Each showcases a different lifestyle, motivation, and spatial expectation.

👩 Persona 1: Zoe Lim (Trend-Driven Content Creator)

• Age: 23

• Occupation: Freelance content creator / fashion micro-influencer

• Traits: Visually expressive, socially active, always chasing limited-edition items

• Behavior: Seeks out visually impactful corners for selfies and videos, prefers aesthetic try-on experiences, values Instagrammable settings

• Spatial Needs:

  • Dedicated selfie zones with mirrors and light

  • Clear product categorization and storytelling

  • Social elements like filters, branded hashtags, or AR tools

“Buying sunglasses isn’t just about style—it’s about content creation.”

👔 Persona 2: Darren Lim (Urban Professional)

• Age: 34

• Occupation: Regional Marketing Director

• Traits: Strategic, time-conscious, values quality over quantity

• Behavior: Focused shopping, seeks expert advice, prefers quiet, uncluttered spaces

• Spatial Needs:

  • Clear layout with well-zoned areas

  • Product information (materials, specs) displayed prominently

  • Quiet shopping times or appointment-based experiences

“I want a space that feels refined, efficient, and respectful of my time.”

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🔎 Key Insights

This research helped me realize that Gentle Monster is no longer just a sunglasses brand—it has become a visually immersive space of personal expression.

• For young creators like Zoe, it’s a “trend-making stage”

• For professionals like Darren, it’s a “refined aesthetic sanctuary”

My next design approach will aim to strike a balance between these two needs: something expressive, interactive, yet curated and elegant. The goal is to create not just a shop—but a narrative experience people can engage with, capture, and share.

(The two user personas presented at this stage are not directly based on survey data but are instead thoughtfully assumed, as suggested by our lecturer Mr. Zeon. They are constructed based on our understanding of Gentle Monster’s brand identity and its core customer demographics. This method of building “assumptive personas” helps us clarify our design direction and explore user-centered improvements early on, even before the full set of survey responses is collected.

In the next phase, we will revise and refine these personas using actual data gathered from our Google Form survey, ensuring our analysis and design proposals reflect real user behavior more accurately.)

After showing my current user persona drafts to Mr. Zeon, he noted that there were no major issues and that the assumptions align well with the project direction and the brand’s target audience. So, I will continue using these two personas as the foundation for my design strategy.

However, I also understand the importance of grounding assumptions in real data. Once I collect enough responses from my Google Form survey, I plan to revise and enrich the personas by:

• Incorporating actual user quotes from the survey (e.g., their descriptions of the store atmosphere or display preferences)

• Adding direct feedback from interviews to bring emotional authenticity

• Updating their “spatial expectations,” “shopping behaviors,” and “emotional journey” maps

This approach will ensure my spatial design is more user-focused and evidence-based.

In this redesigned arrival phase, the goal is to create a theatrical entry experience through a series of intuitive, interactive installations.

These four zones serve both emotional and functional purposes—they provide a warm-up space for users like Zoe to engage visually and physically, while also priming them for content creation, brand immersion, and spatial flow awareness.

Map

Section	Description	Function
Phase	Social Interaction / Relaxation / Departure / Post-Experience	Outlines the stages of user behavior
User Actions	Key user activities at each phase (e.g., ordering, taking photos, payment)	Describes what the user does
Touchpoints	Points of interaction between users and the service or space (e.g., tables, app, signage)	Analyzes where interaction occurs
Needs & Pains	User expectations vs. encountered issues regarding the space or service	Core for identifying design opportunities
Emotions	User emotions at each phase (e.g., Delighted / Neutral / Frustrated)	Visualized with a curve to reflect emotional fluctuations
Possible Solutions	Suggested directions to address pain points	Provides actionable references for later design

🧩 1: Brand Emotion Keywords Analysis

Insight Explanation:

This section helps me understand how Gentle Monster builds atmosphere through emotional cues. By comparing its emotional keywords with those of other brands, I identified the key feelings to evoke in the space. This forms the foundation for both visual and functional design decisions.

Relevance to My Survey:

• Strengthens understanding of user expectations toward Gentle Monster's design tone

• Reinforces that “atmosphere” is not decoration, but a narrative device

• Links surveyed emotions like “novelty,” “stimulation,” and “unsettling tension” back to brand identity

🧩 2: Translating Emotions into Design Language

Insight Explanation:

This section shows how I translated abstract emotions—such as mystery, futurism, and tension—into spatial expressions like lighting, materials, and form. It bridges users’ emotional needs with specific design strategies for immersive retail experience.

Relevance to My Survey:

• Interprets qualitative responses like “atmosphere,” “photo-worthy,” and “emotional connection”

• Reflects preferences in material, shapes, and color mentioned in user responses

• Provides design direction while staying relatable and brand-consistent

🧩 3: Purpose & Functional Programming

Insight Explanation:

This section outlines the core intention of the installation, supported by three functional areas: interaction, storytelling, and rest. These choices directly respond to behavior patterns and expectations found in user research.

Relevance to My Survey:

• Matches the full “explore–experience–reflect–exit” journey expressed by users

• Prioritizes functions based on data (e.g., users value immersive engagement more than transactional services)

• Aligns with Gentle Monster’s theatrical retail model and enhances it into a “psychological theatre”

🧩  4: Moodboards I & II – Sensory & Structural Design

Insight Explanation:

These two moodboards visualize how emotional goals are materialized through imagery, texture, color, and sound. The first focuses on interaction and installation details, the second expands into spatial lighting, structure, and material palette.

Relevance to My Survey:

• Gives visual form to user-expressed feelings like “tension,” “curiosity,” or “aesthetic discomfort”

• Reflects preferences for certain materials or sensory triggers (e.g., “surprising shadows,” “photo-worthy lighting”)

• Ensures the space engages not just functionally, but experientially and sensorially

🧩 5: Concept Naming & Spatial Flow Diagram

Insight Explanation:

Finally, through naming and spatial flow, I frame the store not as a shopping zone but as a “theatre of perception.” The name reveals symbolic intent, while the path diagram reflects emotional transitions and user agency.

Relevance to My Survey:

• Based on journey maps, confirms if movement and spatial pacing support real behavior

• Naming captures how users emotionally project onto symbolic objects (e.g., the “faceless head” installation)

• Ensures the structure guides the narrative, not just houses functions

In week 9

 I have learned the core elements and practical methods of branded environment design. The course first emphasizes that branded environments are spaces for promoting brand interactions, including types such as retail stores, pop-up shops, and workplaces, which need to attract customers through multi-sensory experiences like visual, olfactory, tactile, and gustatory ones.

One of the important contents is the design process of brand spaces. Design begins with a deep understanding of the brand's core values, mission, and objectives, and then transforms them into a spatial identity. It tells the brand story through visual elements like colors, materials, and furniture, as well as spatial layouts to establish an emotional connection. For example, Aesop's design conveys the brand concept through specific visual elements. Meanwhile, establishing a brand guidelines manual including logos, colors, fonts, etc., ensures the consistent expression of the brand in space.

The course also points out the importance of spatial design in conveying brand values. Ignoring the transmission of brand identity through spatial design may miss business opportunities. Excellent spatial design can evoke target emotions, such as the design of Apple stores integrating brand visual identity with unique elements. The Fullcircle flagship store in London creates a 12-meter-wide complete circular visual illusion with a floating white architectural box, and the Japan Pavilion at the 2020 Expo uses recyclable materials, both reflecting the integration of space and brand concepts.

In specific design cases, a pop-up café uses a container with recyclable furnishings that can be unfolded at the push of a button, demonstrating the flexibility of space and environmental protection concepts. A student project takes the "Bing Bong" prompt tone of a railway station as inspiration, transforms the sound into a visual form through software, and finally designs an interactive music store, reflecting the complete process from concept to implementation.

In addition, design inspiration comes from various sources. Natural elements such as landscapes and plants can inspire organic forms and sustainable solutions; art movements and movies can shape the design aesthetics and atmosphere; cultural traditions can be integrated into design through architectural styles and symbols. For example, the design of Corpland Loop Resort is shaped like a Chinese scroll painting, blending local cultural characteristics. These contents have enabled me to systematically understand the key elements and methods from concept to execution in branded environment design.

🕶️ Gentle Monster User Survey Report & Spatial Design Insights

Based on 30-user questionnaire data from the TRX Flagship Store, Malaysia

📌 Introduction

Gentle Monster is not just a fashion eyewear brand—it’s a spatial art experience that merges design, technology, and storytelling. To better understand user behavior and spatial preferences, I conducted a comprehensive user survey focused on their Malaysia TRX flagship store.

Through analyzing responses from 30 participants, I identified key user groups, emotional expectations, and actionable insights to guide future store design. This report summarizes the findings across three areas: Demographics, Brand Recognition, and Spatial Preferences.

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🟡 Part A: User Demographics & Shopping Behavior

📊 Q1: Age Group

• 18–25 years old: 56.7% ✅

• 26–35: 30%

• 36–45: 10%

• 46+: 3.3%

🔍 Design Insight:
Young consumers (mainly Gen Z) make up the majority. They value self-expression, aesthetic atmosphere, and content-worthy spaces. Store environments should support visual storytelling and photo-friendly zones.

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💼 Q2: Occupation

• Student: 54.8% ✅

• Creative Industry: 22.6%

• Office Worker: 9.7%

• Freelancer: 9.7%

• Retail/Service: 3.4%

🔍 Design Insight:
Most users are students or creative professionals. The store should include expressive displays, playful installations, and spaces designed for aesthetic sharing, while still offering moments of focus and rest for freelancers and working professionals.

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🛍️ Q3: Preferred Shopping Method

• In-store (try-on): 52.8% ✅

• Online: 27.8%

• Both: 19.4%

🔍 Design Insight:
Physical try-on remains crucial. Stores should include well-lit, multi-angle mirror zones, soft ambient light, and even AR try-on tools to enhance in-store satisfaction.

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🟢 Part B: Brand Recognition & Perception

🌐 Q4: Have you heard of Gentle Monster?

• Yes: 90% ✅

• No: 10%

🔍 Design Insight:
The brand has high awareness. Capitalize on this by enhancing brand iconography and interactive storytelling zones, like digital walls that showcase philosophy or past collaborations.

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🖼️ Q5: Have you purchased or tried GM products?

• Yes: 86.7% ✅

• No: 13.3%

🔍 Design Insight:
Most respondents are return users. Provide premium zones for loyal customers (e.g. VIP try-on booths, exclusive series displays) to encourage repeat visits.

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🎨 Q6: Brand Impression

• Futuristic/Conceptual: 73.3% ✅

• Artistic/Experimental: 60%

• Trendy/High Fashion: 56.7%

• Luxury: 23.3%

🔍 Design Insight:
Emphasize GM’s signature identity—futurism and artistic experimentation—by using mirrored surfaces, kinetic lighting, metallic textures, and theatrical spatial layouts.

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📱 Q7: Where do you hear about Gentle Monster?

• Friends / Influencers: 66.7% ✅

• Social Media: 56.7%

• Official Website: 23.3%

• Design Blogs/Articles: 20%

🔍 Design Insight:
Boost the space’s Instagrammable appeal. Introduce areas designed for sharing moments, such as branded backdrop zones, ring-lit corners, and changing seasonal installations.

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🟢 Part C: Spatial Preferences & Functional Expectations

🛋️ Q8: First Impression Upon Entering

• Product Displays: 76.7% ✅

• Layout/Lighting: 46.7%

• Installations: 43.3%

• Mirrors & Try-on Area: 30%

🔍 Design Insight:
Highlight products like art pieces—use spotlighting, glass cases, and floating pedestals to add museum-like impact.

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🌈 Q9: Preferred Store Atmosphere

• Artistic/Thematic: 70% ✅

• Futuristic/Tech-like: 53.3%

• Minimalist: 36.7%

🔍 Design Insight:
Treat the space like an immersive gallery. Use conceptual zoning, surreal materials, and playful lighting to set a unique tone that reflects artistic storytelling.

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🚶 Q10: Navigation Preferences

• Clearly guided flow: 36.7%

• Open/free exploration: 30% ✅

• Doesn’t matter: others

🔍 Design Insight:
Create a hybrid flow—a semi-guided path with discoverable “hidden” sections, using floor lights, mirrored signage, or ambient projections to softly guide users.

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👓 Q11: Preferred Display Style

• Like art pieces with spotlight: 90% ✅

• Grouped by style: 50%

• Rotating/dynamic stands: 36.7%

🔍 Design Insight:
Use elevated spotlight displays, artistic fixtures, and narrative signage. Add rotating or motion-reactive features to engage attention.

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🧩 Q12: Desired Functional Zones

• Photo zone: 63.3% ✅

• Lounge / AR try-on: 53.3%

• Story Wall: 46.7%

🔍 Design Insight:
Merge comfort and creativity:

• Lounge with charging + mirrored table

• Interactive style matcher wall

• Branded selfie zones with hashtags and filters

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💡 Q13: Ideal Try-On Environment

• Multi-angle mirrors: 80% ✅

• Bright lighting: 60%

• Natural lighting simulation: 46.7%

🔍 Design Insight:
Build a “selfie-ready” try-on station with adjustable lighting and multi-direction mirrors, enhancing personal styling and shareability.

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🎭 Q14: Attractive Spatial Elements

• Art Installations: 83.3% ✅

• Digital/Animated Displays: 56.7%

• Mirror Walls: 40%

🔍 Design Insight:
Include 1–2 large interactive art sculptures that serve as both storytelling anchors and photographic landmarks.

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🎨 Q15–16: Color & Style Preferences

• Color:

  • Warm Natural: 35.7% ✅

  • Cool Metallic: 31%

• Style:

  • Minimalist: 34.8% ✅

  • Playful: 23.9%

🔍 Design Insight:
Balance cold futuristic metal with warm textures like wood or fabric. Use minimalist architecture and playful graphics in key interaction points (e.g. rest areas or feature corners).

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🔎 Q17: Preferred Product Info Display

• Hang tags: 76.7% ✅

• Digital screens: 56.7%

• QR code + Staff: 45%

🔍 Design Insight:
Adopt a dual method:

• Clean visual hang tags for fast scan

• QR codes for deep storytelling, including videos or designer notes

• Train staff as style advisors for personalized tips

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🌿 Q18: Zone Preference – Futurism vs Nature

• Futuristic Zone: 69.7% ✅

• Nature-Inspired Zone: 30.3%

🔍 Design Insight:
Focus the main display on futuristic themes (e.g. light tunnels, chrome sculptures), and set the lounge or rest zone as a soft “nature bubble” for balance.

🗣️ Part D: Additional Suggestions from Users (Q19 Summary)

Q19: Do you have any other suggestions regarding the spatial layout or design of the Gentle Monster sunglasses store?
（你对 Gentle Monster 太阳镜店的空间布局或设计还有其他建议吗？）

Based on 11 open-ended responses, the following common suggestions emerged:

1. Organized Display Layout

“The layout feels scattered. Please group sunglasses by style or series to reduce unnecessary walking.”

2. Enhanced Try-On Area in the Lounge

“I wanted to sit down and try on sunglasses in the lounge, but there were no mirrors or product displays on the table.”

3. Quiet Browsing Experience

“It would be great to have an option to book a quieter time slot to avoid the noise and crowd.”

4. Interactive Tools for Product Selection

“I’d like a screen or app that recommends styles based on face shape or personal style.”

5. Photo-Friendly Zones

“Add a themed selfie corner with styled lighting and the brand logo for social media sharing.”

6. More Informative Product Displays

“Use QR codes or tags to explain the product's inspiration, material, and styling tips.”

7. Post-Purchase Experience

“It would be nice to get a thank-you card or stickers to encourage posting on social media.”

8. Longer Robot Interaction Time

“The entrance robot stopped too quickly. It should signal when it’s active for recording.”

9. Lighting and Mirror Improvements

“The lighting is too harsh and the mirrors aren’t well positioned. I need a selfie-friendly try-on zone with ring lights.”

🧩 Insight Summary
These suggestions reinforce the importance of customer-centric design in retail space: organized layouts, socially integrated features, clear wayfinding, smart try-on tools, and emotionally rich experiences post-purchase.

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🔮 Design Vision – Emotional Tone of My New Store

Informed by user feedback and brand identity, I plan to redesign a new Gentle Monster flagship store for Malaysia. My goal is to maintain the brand’s core philosophy while introducing a more emotionally engaging and personalized spatial experience.

🧠 Emotional Tone Keywords:

Emotion	Design Expression
Liberation	Suspended, flowing, unbound forms that suggest breaking through
Curiosity	Layered spaces, subtle entrances, and guided exploration routes
Immersion	Dynamic lighting, ambient sound, and semi-transparent partitions
Mystery	Hidden displays, angular lighting, and mirrored corridors
Individuality	Zones themed by personality types, custom-fit eyewear suggestions
Warm Rebellion	Juxtaposition of cold metal and warm textures (wood, fabric)

🖼️ Conceptual Direction:

The space will move away from purely "high-fashion minimalism" and instead explore a sculptural, narrative-driven retail journey.
Visitors won't just buy eyewear — they will discover identity fragments, interact with kinetic installations, and be part of a futuristic story of self-expression and transformation.

✨ This design tone is inspired by my research journey, especially the user need for:

• Multiple layers of engagement

• Photo/selfie-friendly spatial moments

• Comfortable but visually striking environments

• Storytelling through installation and light