Cast - Paula Delgado - Meaningmaker

Paula Delgado

Paula trained in Product Design at College of Architecture, Lisbon in 2003.
She undertook a six-month internship working on a sustainable design project based in East Timor. She moved to London where she worked as an interior designer for Lumsden Design Partnership before joining MACPfNE in 2006. She currently works for Event Communications as an exhibition designer.

Cast - Caf Fean - Meaningmaker

Caf Fean

Caf graduated from The University of Sheffield in 2002 with a BA Hons in English Literature and French. Since joining the course she has worked for Ove Arup’s Foresight+Innovation+Incubation team in the capacity of concept and experience designer and has facilitated workshops on future casting projects.

Cast - Ruth Briones - Director

Ruth Briones (Workshop Director)

Ruth trained in Advertising and Public Relations in Spain (2004) and worked as a journalist for Diario de Pontevedra, from 2002 to 2004. Co-founder and director of Quartoescuro Productions, her expertise ranges from director, scriptwriter, actress...to scenographer, graphic designer and press director.

Cast - Rakhi Rajani, Facilitator, Jim // Team Green

"My name is Rakhi Rajani
I have a background in Psychology, Computing and User Experience
My interests are mind, body, behavior, interaction and engagement
I'm involved in this project to facilitate the creation of new shopping experiences
I see it evolving into an interactive way to generate new concepts"

Cast - Kim Patrick, Facilitator, Sandra // Team Orange

Kim Patrick

"I graduated with a BA in English from Royal Holloway. I specialise in experimental poetic practice on and off the page. I joined MACPfNE as a writer and map stories onto spaces for commercial and arts projects. I think Shop:Play introduces a new platform for exploring retail environments - I think the element of play will prove to be the driver of change."

Cast - Susanne Buck, Facilitator, Ada // Team Yellow

Susanne Buck

"Before Starting the MA Creative Practices for Narrative Environments at St Martins, I worked at the Science Museum as part of the Visitor events team where I interpreted objects and scientific theories for children and families through workshops, object handling and lecture theatre shows. I have also developed and facilitated events at the Dana Centre, the Science Museum's venue for adults to take part in innovative discussion on Science, Technology and Culture. I have a background in Graphic design and communication and currently work as a freelance facilitator for the Transport Museum's educational events."

Cast - Alejandra Velasco, Facilitator, Andi // Team Blue

Alejandra Mora Velasco

Training: Technical Museum Studies, BA History of Art
Background: more than 15 years in the museum world,
doing research, writing, organising exhibitions,
academic and artistic events.
Interests: the development of the Mexican cultural
industry through its identity
Why am I involved: I found the matrix-persona-scenario
method very useful to hear the voice of the
audience-users-customers to make decisions towards
the services, products and experiences to offer in the
future.
Where I see it going: to provide ideas and content to
make the retail industry more human.

Cast - Chloe Metcalfe, Actor, plays Sandra

Chloe Metcalfe

"I graduated from Drama Centre London in September 2006, with a postgraduate degree in Acting. The course involved placements and performances at Shakespeare's Globe and the Vakhtangov Institute, Moscow.
I was immediately excited by the intended audience / actor interaction within the project, and the amount of in-depth character exploration this would demand.
I'm excited by the spontaneity of the project, and in discovering where each exercise and improvisation leads the characters and subsequently informs and develops the project and the idea of the shopping experience as a whole."

Cast - Marcus Charles, Actor, plays Jim

Marcus Charles

"I am passionate about words, movement, song, mutual gazing, making the invisible visible, nature and food.
I trained at Stuttgart School of Speech and Drama. With Yuri Vassiliev of the Academy St. Petersburg and at Drama Centre London.
The concept ‘Narrative Environments’ attracted me.
Answers to anything are revealed most effectively through narratives."

Cast - Maddy Carrick, Actor, plays Ada

Maddy Carrick

"I have recently graduated from Drama Centre London where I spent one year training on the inaugural Masters' in European Classical Acting. My course was split between three learning centres - Drama Centre London, Shakespeare's Globe and the Vakhtagnov Theatre Institute, Moscow. Parts played include Yelena (Uncle Vanya), Rosalind (As You Like It) Mrs Linde (A Doll's House). Previous to Drama Centre I completed my BA in English and Drama at Royal Holloway, University of London and spent a year at New York University and David Mamet's Atlantic Theatre Studio, New York. I am keen to be involved in this project and looking forward to creating an exciting, intense and whole character and placing her in different environments."

Process: Script of the Workshop

Script of the Workshop

PRELUDE_____________________________________________________

Cover Slide

A – ABOUT US, MACPfNE and THE PROJECT (Speakers: Caf & Paula)

Who we are:
Paula and Caf, Background, perspective

The course:Stories in spaces through collaboration…
Exhibition design … retail
The Project:
SHOP:PLAY
Slide - Research question: Can Performance Test and Encourage Innovation in Retail?
We are developing a new design methodology that will borrow from performance, scenario building and Narrative Environments to develop new retail experiences. By focusing on character-driven design, behaviours and Drivers of Change (Arup, 2006) we believe we can understand better the consumer and then develop captivating experiences in retail environments.

Slide - Plan of the project

What we’ve done:
Research
To complement traditional research methods such as desk research, interviews, market analysis, etc, we went under cover and worked as shop girls, tested the space and people’s reactions to us in different guises, analysed behaviours and body languages to inform our design. We establish an understanding of:
◊ The intended and perceived narratives of our retail focus – department stores – and of our “guinea pig” Harvey Nichols (the brand and their flagship store at Knightsbridge, London).
◊ The business environment and relevant (Social, Technological, Economical, Environmental and Political) trends.
◊ Identify current customers and emerging/potential customers.

The workshop in the context of our project:
We are now in the design stage and this workshop is its first phase. We want to use this time to come up with new, meaningful and exciting retail experiences with your help.

What we want (our expectations):
The three outcomes of this workshop are:
1- Develop interesting retail solutions
2- Gather feedback
3- FUN!!!

What next?
In the second phase of the Design stage we will use design concepts developed today to design an event to be held in real time – Thinking outside the box then going back into the box.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………


B - WHO ARE YOU? EXPECTATIONS?
Note responses on the board
Know the participants. Get them involved.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

C - THE WORKSHOP PLAN (TODAY’S PROGRAM) Introduce Ruth (Speaker: Ruth)

Slide - Plan of the workshop

Act I (1hour)
GET TO KNOW YOUR CUSTOMER
We will split into four groups and get to know the customer.
Objective: get to know your customer and the world s/he are living in. So you can afterwards design a retail experience for him/her.
After this exercise your new friend will go off stage.

First Interval (15 minutes)

Act II (1 hour)
DESIGN A NEW RETAIL EXPERIENCE
Based upon the customer profile developed in the last act, design a new retail experience for them.

Second Interval (15 minutes)

Act III (40 minutes)
SHOP:PLAY
We will watch the customers reacting to the retail experiences designed. Comment and even improve them ‘on the spot’.
– The End -

EPILOGUE
Feedback moment: your thoughts, what met or exceeded your expectations.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

D - THE TIME AND SPACE: FRAMING THE FUTURE & LOCATION (Speakers: Caf & Paula)
Before we start we would like you to consider two things: time and location.

The Time – imagine the World in 2027

Slide Newspapers – current topics.

Thinking about the future. Creating scenarios. How?
Consider key factors that you can recognize today. Push them and imagine what the world would be like. What would you design if London were a tropical paradise?

To help us consider these factors, we will use these cards developed by Arup – The Drivers of Change (2006) and the STEEP.

Slide Newspapers with the cards.

Why Scenario Building? By using these methods we can design contingencies plans (e.g. last summer in London) or be ahead of our time (e.g. Ipod’s. Predicting a trend, wearable computing).


The space – imagine Harvey Nichols in 2027

Slide narrative map of HN Brand. History, Location, ideas, competitors…
Slide of images (Flickr, shop window Thomas Heatherwick). comments

About department stores:
The place where it all started (e.g. the pricing), the place where can all change.
This XIX retail concept that faces serious challenges (closing down, e.g. Macy’s, New York):
Diversity: a virtue or a problem? (e.g. Fortnum & Masons, London)
Location: justifying the rent. (e.g. Liberty, London)

About Harvey Nichols: a brand with a narrative that needs constant care and strong competitors (location, Knightsbridge, London). The challenge – keep the high-profile, the cutting edge narrative, keep up with the competition. How? Innovating. By challenging the rules. By establishing new ones.

Do you have any questions?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………







E - INTRODUCING THE CUSTOMERS (Speakers: Caf & Paula)

…and these are our customers.

Ada introduces herself. Then Jim, Sandra, Andy. The actors rise from the audience, present themselves briefly, I am… I do this… and sit back down.

The groups and booklets
Draw the audience’s attention to the booklets (the coloured sticky dot).
Introduce the facilitators, one by one.

Facilitators stand up when named, look round at team, and guide them to workspace via coffee if needs be, grab coffee and join group.

Good work and enjoy!
---------------------------END OF PRELUDE-------------------------------------------


Act I
GET TO KNOW YOUR CUSTOMER

Facilitators and participants gather in their area.

Introduction moment – Name and background.

A letter is handed to you by Paula/Caf/Ruth/observer.

Hand this to one of your team or read it yourself.

First letter from Meaningmakers
(containing Drivers of Change and Briefing)

Thursday, 22nd February, 2007

Your mission:

Get to know Andi and build the world he is living in. In this game you, collectively, are The Matrix and Andi is Neo. By the end you will know Andi’s needs, desires and frustrations. This knowledge will take you to the next stage, where you will design a retail experience for him.

To help you understand this world you shall consider these key factors, which influence his world (Drivers of Change). These will act as catalysts to guide you through the game play.

RULES OF THE GAME

You can ask Andi different questions, about needs, desires, frustrations:

e.g. Do you like ice cream?
What’s your favourite season of the year?
Do you have a close relationship with your mother and father?

You can also provide him with a situation/ scenario:

e.g. Let’s consider that London is flooded because of Global Warming: What do you feel about that?
The questions should explore Andi’s feelings: you are the scenario builder – not Andi.

Keep the narrative thread: if your team has found that Andi has a girlfriend, you cannot undo that part of Andi’s life.

You have one hour to complete this task.
Trust your team and push your ideas.
Good luck.

Facilitator:
Ask if everyone is clear about what we have to do. Reassure them that this is a learning process. Caf, Paula and Ruth will help you, if you need us to.

Invite the Customer to join the group.

Start question session.

Note key behaviours, needs, desires, frustrations on the board.

The Actor will go off stage by the end of the exercise.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Interval of 15 minutes

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………


Act II
DESIGN A NEW RETAIL EXPERIENCE

Reconvene

Facilitator: Welcome again. Go over key points about ‘what we know about Andi’


Second Letter from Meaningmakers

Welcome back team Blue.

Congratulations on your good work in the first session. We have been watching your progress and are excited about this next stage.

Your second task: to design a new retail experience for Andi that will then be shown to everyone in the third act. Bear in mind that this takes place in his world. The experience is provided by Harvey Nichols.

You have one hour to complete this task.

Best of luck.
Meaningmakers

What do you think about the customer?

What do you think about the space?

Move on to designing retail experience.

KEEP IN MIND you need to agree how you will represent your five minute long scenario: narrated, acted, facilitator presents/ directs actor.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Interval of 15 minutes

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Act III
SHOP:PLAY

The Actor will react to the experience that the group designed.

5 minutes - play
Everyone watches the customers reacting to your designed retail experiences.

Facilitator: You can narrate the experience to the actor or you (and your group) can act the experience with the actor (improvisation).

5 minutes – feedback from audience

-END-
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

EPILOGUE

(Speakers: Caf and Paula)
Meaningmakers refer back to the flipchart of expectations

Feedback moment: your thoughts, what met or exceeded your expectations.

THANK YOU!!!!
----------------THE END----------------------------------

Process: Designing the People

In each group there would be:

1 Actor
1 Facilitator
4-5 Participants

We allocated colours (sticky dots) to each group.

At the event itself, the number of people in each group was bound to vary.

Obervers

Caf, Paula and Ruth to act as observer/ coordinators.

Pernille Hansen: photography and observation.

Jeffrey Koh: audiovisual recording.

We also had two people from Central Saint Martins Design Laboratory come to document the workshop.

We tried to ensure that a balance of retail expert - designer - customer was present in each group.

Jim - Actors Brief

Sandra - Actors Brief

Ada - Actors Brief

Andi - Actors Brief

Process: Designing Actors Briefs

Character Sketches

We used the Harvard Scenario Building method to begin to frame our characters, but soon found that these characters were better suited to departments (menswear, womenswear, food, travel) than the quadrants we'd identified (personal: impersonal service, time: no time)


The characters were fleshed out, as we fed in certain trends we wished to explore: multiple households, androgyny, the grey pound, conscientious consumption, travel. The desk and live research we had undertaken also informed this part of our design process. An element of each character is drawn from life: Andi was spotted on a bus, Ada at a dinner party, Sandra through work experience, Jim through friends.

The briefs themselves vary in content. We wanted to test different briefing methods to compare results. An actor often gets very little guidance as to their character's traits: sometimes just a one-liner in a play. In this case, some we felt may have been over-written, but we trusted that the actor would interpret it correctly given the appropriate direction.

In order for a character to exist he/she also needs a world to live in. We used ARUP's Drivers of Change cards to brief the actors on their various worlds.

The actors were briefed approximately ten days prior to the workshop.