At the beginning of this project, I found myself moving back and forth between several different ideas. I was interested in topics like social behaviour, digital culture, and spatial experience, but I couldn’t really settle on one direction. It felt like everything was relevant, but nothing was clear enough to develop further. Looking back, I think this confusion came from not fully understanding where I stand as a researcher yet.
Through tutorials and discussions, I started to think more carefully about my own background. Coming from multimedia art design, especially stage and installation work, I realised I naturally pay attention to things like lighting, materials, and how space is arranged. I hadn’t really thought of this as a “research perspective” before, but slowly I began to see that this way of observing could actually guide my project.
At one point, I was also quite interested in something I called “quiet efficiency culture,” which looks at low-energy ways of socialising and staying present without too much pressure. It felt very personal, and I could relate to it a lot. But when I tried to develop it further, I found it quite difficult to connect it to a clear method or a spatial outcome. Comparing this with my spatial interests made me realise that I needed something I could both understand and actually work with.
This is how I gradually arrived at my current direction: spatial packaging in retail environments. My main question is about how spatial design influences consumer perception and behaviour.
When I started paying more attention to retail spaces in London, especially window displays, I noticed that they often feel like small stages. The products themselves are not always special, but through lighting, materials, and placement, they suddenly appear more valuable. This made me rethink space—not just as a background, but as something that actively shapes how people see and feel.
This also connects to some early theoretical ideas I have come across, such as how environments can influence behaviour in subtle ways. In retail, space does not only present products, but can also guide attention, shape perception, and even affect desire.
During this process, feedback from my tutor also helped me shift my thinking. In the beginning, I focused mostly on luxury brands, but I was asked why this idea couldn’t apply to other types of retail as well. That question stayed with me. It made me realise that this kind of “spatial packaging” might exist across different levels, from luxury to more everyday brands. So now I’m trying to keep the scope more open.
I also started to think about who is involved in this system. At first, I only thought about designers and brands, but it became clear that there are many more layers—consumers, visual merchandisers, behavioural researchers, and even social media and influencers.
This made me realise that what I’m looking at is not just physical space, but a wider network of influence.
In terms of impact, I’m not trying to “solve” anything at this stage. What interests me more is making these hidden influences more visible. How do small decisions in space quietly shape what people notice, feel, and eventually buy?
At the same time, this project is also changing how I look at design. I’m starting to think more critically about how design connects to behaviour, and even to ideas of influence and control.
Right now, I still see this project as something that is developing. I’m continuing to observe, document, and compare different retail spaces, while keeping my direction flexible. I don’t have clear answers yet, but I feel like I’m getting closer to a way of working that makes sense to me.