Artistic Design
Ms. Smith
Display Design & Preparation
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In a retail environment, a display has about 4-6
seconds to attract a customer’s attention.
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Therefore all display design and selection involves the
following 5 steps:
Steps 1-3:
1.
Selecting merchandise for display:
• Must be appropriate for season and location.
2.
Selecting the display:
• One-item, similar products, related-merchandise, &
cross-mix merchandise displays.
3.
Choosing a setting:
• Realistic, semirealistic, & abstract setting.
Step 4: Manipulating Artistic Elements
Looking at Line………& Color!
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Created to direct the
viewer’s attention.
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Straight lines suggest stiffness
& control.
Curvy lines suggest freedom
& movement.
Diagonal lines give impression
of action.
Vertical lines offer height &
dignity.
Horizontal lines convey
confidence.

Critical step in developing
display; contrasting.
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Complementary colors are
found opposite each other
on the color wheel.
Adjacent colors are located
next to each other in the
color wheel.
Triadic colors involve 3 colors
equally spaced on the color
wheel.
The Color Wheel
What Emotions Do Colors Evoke?

How Colors Influence People: The Psychology Of
Color In Business Marketing
Artistic Elements: (cont.)
Shape

Determined by props,
fixtures, and merchandise
used in display.

Mass displays have little or no
distinct shape.
Direction

Directs the viewer’s eye to
the merchandise, moving
the attention from 1 part of
the display to another.
 Created using color,
repetition, and lighting
patterns.
 Focal point is an area in
the display that attracts
attention first; triangle.
Artistic Elements: (cont.)
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Texture is the look of the surfaces in a display,
creating visual interest.
Proportion refers to the relationship between and
among objects in a display.
Balance:
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Formal balance- placing large items with large items & small
items with small items.
Informal balance- placing several small items with one large
one.
Motion can be achieved using motorized fixtures,
mannequins, and props.
Lighting should be 2-5x stronger than store’s lighting.
Step 5: Evaluating Completed Displays
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Do the displays enhance the store’s image?
Was a theme creatively applied?
Was the color appropriate?
Was the result pleasing?
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