Lighting quality assessment in fashion storefronts
Francesca Cabodi
Lighting quality assessment in fashion storefronts.
Rel. Chiara Aghemo, Gabriele Piccablotto. Politecnico di Torino, Corso di laurea magistrale in Architettura Per Il Progetto Sostenibile, 2017
Abstract
INDTRODUCTION
The role of lighting has evolved and increased over the last century. Today the success of a store is increasingly influenced by the ability to attract customers, who have to be convinced, at a first glance, of the quality and beauty of products. Light helps to evoke emotions and to raise brand identity. It has become a key factor for a successful item display. In a shop window, lights can be hidden persuaders. They are something not to be perceived as dominant, but they can provide movement, dynamic display, they can change the scenarios and beautify a space and the items it contains.
The work in this thesis addresses the role and impact of lighting in shop window displays, with a specific focus on recent trends and technological advancements. Objective and subjective analysis were conducted in order to understand which are the light factors that most affect the emotional perception and which have positive effects on the mood of the shoppers.
This thesis first briefly overviews the history of shop displays, then moves to the role of lighting, by describing the various technologies adopted through the years as light sources, finally coming to LEDs, that represent today’s state-of-the-art: LEDs resemble most of the achievements of past solutions, plus new advantages, both from the aesthetic and energy saving standpoints.
First chapter, number 2, analyses the development of shop windows and customer habits during the years, focusing on the nineteenth century and the inception of the visual merchandiser position. Chapter 3 talks about the location and typologies of storefronts, chapter 4 then describes the factors of light and their importance in fashion window displays. The fifth chapter introduces new technologies and lighting solutions for retail environments.
The second part of the thesis, chapters 6-7-8, describes an experimental work oriented to evaluate the present state and the potential improvements, for retail window displays in Turin.
The main purpose of the experimental phase of this thesis is to investigate the interaction between people and retail lighting, with respect to window displays of fashion stores. Two groups of tests, in field and in laboratory, have been set up, and the opinions of observers were investigated through questionnaires.
The results of the first (in field) investigation influenced choices of the second (in laboratory) pilot, in which the perception of participants was examined with reference to defined lighting parameters.
The experimental work confirms that lighting, mostly based on LEDs, is a major component of window display. Moreover, it provides an interesting evaluation of pros and cons in present set ups, as well as useful insights for new development and trends.
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