Definition of Visual Merchandising

Visual merchandising is displaying the product/s in the most attractive way possible while maintaining accessibility for the customer. The objective of this is for the customer to pick up items to try on/purchase. The items are being sold without the aid of verbal assistance. The purpose of visual merchandising is to make stock more appealing to customers – therefore INCREASING SALES. (Kerry Meakin)

Visual Merchandising is everything you experience in a retail environment. From outside the store; when you walk up to it; touch, as you walk into it, and everywhere throughout the space. It is a term used to describe everything you see, hear, and touch through the store to enhance the merchandise and show the customer how to feel they would like to have it. (Michelle Rimler)

Neuromarketing

Neuromarketing: science of human decisions

Human is not a thinking machine that feels, human is a feeling machine that thinks, once in a while. We are make emotional decisions then we rationalize them, there is nothing called rational decision. Emotional are not optional, emotions are basic fuel that our brain need for all decisions.
Decision is a three step process.

Step1: All the thinking is done by ‘neocortex’ but it doesn’t trigger the decision (What I think about the decision)

Step 2: ‘Middle-brain’ process all emotions related to decision (How I feel about the decision).

Step 3: 'Old brain' plays a key role in decision making, old brain responds to only 6 stimulations.

1. Self-centered , my survival
2. Contrast
3. Tangible
4. Beginning and End
5. Visual
6. Emotion

Old brain doesn’t understand words, so words are not sufficient to influence the decision. Our eyes are directly connected (optic nerve) to the ‘old brain’ and this connection is 40 times faster than ears to brain connection. So it is advisable to use more visuals to influence decisions. To influence the decision one has to go beyond words, one has to use visuals those can elicit emotions.

Neuromarketing studies: skin moisture, heart rate and eye tracking.

Neuromarketing presentation part 1: understanding the old brain and the ...





Buyology - Truth and Lies about Why We Buy


Fear sells, President Bush in 2004 had a commercial calls wolf, people hated that ads, but people voted to him, because we are hardwired to be seduce by fear. Also brand those are associated with ritual and religion are more successful.

Reference: Patrick Renvoisé
http://neuromarketing.ning.com
http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/neuromarketing-patrick-renvoise/id326139313?i=60799871

Identity

Identity is the process in which values are made realizable.

Reference: Peter Dixon, Lippincott, www.lippincott.com
http://deimos3.apple.com/WebObjects/Core.woa/Browse/neu.edu.1386784824?i=1747490057

Muddle Through

http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/muddle+through

Muddle Through (something) to continue despite confusion and difficulties.

If people manage to muddle through so much, does it really matter whether they “get it”? The answer is that it matters a great deal because while muddling through may work sometimes, it tends to be inefficient and error-prone. - Steve Krug

Sparkline

Intense, Simple, Word-Size Graphics (simple datawords)

Examples:
http://www.edwardtufte.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=0001OR&topic_id=1

Chartjunk

All visual elements those are not necessary to comprehend the information, examples:

1. Using 3D shapes for beautification
2. Reflection of bars in bar chart (imitating apple styling everywhere)
3. Ornamental shadings, textured backgrounds
4. Translucent shapes for pie chart
5. Stylish/Calligraphic fonts
6. Horizontal or vertical scrollbars for chart making comparison difficult

Tufte wrote:
The interior decoration of graphics generates a lot of ink that does not tell the viewer anything new. The purpose of decoration varies — to make the graphic appear more scientific and precise, to enliven the display, to give the designer an opportunity to exercise artistic skills. Regardless of its cause, it is all non-data-ink or redundant data-ink, and it is often chartjunk.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chartjunk

Examples of Chartjunk:
Gradient for bar chart: http://www.jpowered.com/php-scripts/vertical-bar-graph/
Glass pie chart: http://fr.fotolia.com/id/7720545
Glass pie chart: http://www.istockphoto.com/stock-illustration-10045985-pie-chart.php
Background: http://www.syncfusion.com/content/en-US/Products/screenshots/aspnet/img/ChartBackground_larger.png


Captivating charts and graphs
http://www.macworld.com/article/134708/2008/07/chartsandgraphs.html

• Understand the Information

1. Understand data implications
2. Identify what is important for user
3. Make sure that you are using user’s language, use terms those your audience is familiar with

• Choose the Right Delivery Method

1. Bar charts are best for comparison and to show trends over time.
2. Flowcharts are good to show process and relationship between items.
3. Use pie chart for percentage

• Emphasize What’s Important

1. Layout: Top left corner for an important message, Bottom right corner does not get much attention, Horizontal UI is better that vertical
2. Font: use sans serif font
3. Colour: avoid bold primary colours, keep colour blind users in mind, pick one colour and use darker and lighter tints of it, maintain enough contrast for black and white print

Silver Surfer

I was listening to BBC Pods and Blogs and I heard term ‘Silver Surfer’, I wondered what that means.

Silver Surfer is an old person who spends a lot of time using internet.
http://www.oup.com/elt/catalogue/teachersites/oald7/wotm/wotm_archive/silver_surfer?cc=global

Bollywood Technique

In an interview of Patrick Larvie I heard the term “Bollywood Method”, I googled for it and following is my understanding.

When participants hesitate to give their honest opinion about design, when they avoid criticizing the design, we can build a story like bollywood film and ask the participants to act in that story as per the storyline. Plots require participants to use the product to move the story further. Now users are using the product as some characters in the story and thus they don’t feel offended to share their honest opinion about the product.

http://www.humanfactors.com/downloads/jun02.asp#bollywood