The Cat's Closet: Wayfinding Retail Space
INDUSTRIAL DESIGN | BRANDING
Overview
The Cat's Closet is a small business in Bloomington, IN that operates as a cat lounge and retail store for sustainable vintage clothing.
Scope
An eight week project with the goal of interviewing a local business and using that research to design one large and two small products to improve their retail space.
Role
Researcher
Interviewer
Product Designer
Branding
Rhino3D
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe InDesign
Date
Oct - Dec 2023
Client
The Cat’s Closet
Tools
Background
The Cat's Closet had only been open for 1 month with its first brick and mortar location. It originated as an online business for 2.5 years. I visited for the first time to observe the space as if I were a customer and then approached the owners with my experience as a design student, my goal for meeting with them, and the possibility of an interview.
Client Research
The following interview questions are based on some pre-research I found through their website. I interviewed one of the co-owners. My intentions were to get a feel for the business and find out more about the goals of their clients as well as owner's business goals.
Initial Interview Questions
Tell me about your business
This is a unique business where it has a dual purposes, is the primary focus cats or the retail clothing aspect?
Describe your clientele
Do you find most clients come for the cats or the retail, or is there overlap?
I’m aware that the store just opened, what are the goals for the future of this business?
Are there currently any challenges or things you believe that are missing in the space?
Main Findings
The Cat's Closet hosts 8-12 cats that visitors can spend time with, the cats are up for adoption through the Bloomington Animal Shelter. They also offer affordable vintage fashion for all genders and sizes. The Cat's Closet try to equally advertise the cats and the retail, but the majority of the revenue comes from the retail side.
"People come for the Cats and stay for the Vintage"
— Sydney, Co-Owner of The Cat's Closet
"Our goal is to provide a unique, safe, and welcoming space for cats and people alike"
The Cat's Closet goal is to continue facilitating a lot of adoptions and continue to cater to people of all sizes and genders with various budgets through helping to slow the consumption of fashion by offering vintage pieces. They hope to reach people from all parts of town and improve the retail space.
Goals
Some tidbits of my thoughts
I found The Cat's Closet through a friends suggestion and chose to design with them because I was intrigued by what their business was and how the new store functioned.
The space is equally separated into two rooms for the safety of cats and humans. A shopper may not notice the cat room unless they seek it out.
For newcomers with no prior knowledge they come for the vintage, but then become curious about the cats.
My initial thought before interviewing was that either the cats or the retail side would have more problems. But after my findings it became clear the two are intertwined.
Exploration
Before coming up with any design solutions, I took the time to clarify my research so far and evaluate who The Cat's Closet and their clientele are. After learning about the owners along with their regular clients I considered the strengths of the business and space, weaknesses, and opportunities so that I could pinpoint the problem then come up with an attainable design solution.
Strengths
The retail space had plenty of room and was easy to move through. Similar to the retail side, the cat room was also very spacious. The natural division of the cats and clothing works well for safety and functionality.
Weaknesses
Due to only being open for one month, they had a big space to fill and I felt that the cat room lacked cohesion. The retail space did not have navigation and had few branding elements. The Cat's Closet is a unique business, but it felt similar to other vintage stores around Bloomington minus the cats.
Opportunities
The majority of the Cat's Closet comes from their retail and it is also the first thing visitors see upon walking in. As a business that is newly open, there is a lot of room for growth in terms of building a brand identity and a memorable user experience.
The Problem
The problem is there is a disconnect between the retail side versus cat side and that there is a lack of personal branding and organization to the space.
I noticed a sense of 90's and early 2000's vintage nostalgia conveyed in both rooms.
The owners specifically pointed this out as an issue, they think more jeans would sell with better organization.
The current signs are small and it is difficult to spot specific clothing from far away.
The long hallway is not inviting, also shoppers most likely go right to the retail side and may miss that there is a cat room.
First impressions matter and I think this space can be transformed to be more inviting and signal what The Cat's Closet has to offer.
Small Product A
A series of clothing rack size dividers in the shape of a cat.
Small Product B
A series of standing and wall mounted cat signs to organize the products.
Large Product
An entrance sign to guide shoppers through the space and emphasize the company’s mission.
So What Now?
I decided an emphasis on branding, wayfinding, and organization would be the focus of my products. Since the retail brings in the revenue and is the first impression to the customer it felt important to capitalize on the retail experience in the hopes that the improved branding would make people more aware of the cats.
I anticipated making at least one product for the Cat Room, but decided it was best to make a cohesive set of products.
Design Development
I started with sketches of a cat shaped form that I could then 3D print as a prototype. I used a tag that they currently use for size reference.
This was my first 3D printed prototype. Not knowing the exact rack dimensions was a challenge, so the fit was off.
This was my second iteration that I printed with clear laser cut acrylic. I wanted to gauge the look of a laser engraved label and the fit on a rectangular rack.
Small Product A: Cat Shaped Size Dividers
I knew I wanted to make this product fit the round racks, as well as the few rectangular racks. Through several sketches, a 3D printed prototype, and an acrylic prototype I ran into issues with the fit and balancing the proportions between the cat head label and the body of the size divider to get it to sit nicely.
I chose to address this because it seemed like an easy fix on paper and I could add in an element of branding. I expected it would be simple, but it turned out more difficult to come up with the right form than anticipated.
This is a rough sketch of one possible cat form. I pictured this as something that could adapt to different cat positions and that could work standing up or hung on a wall.
I took inspiration from brightly colored magnetic letters so that display names can be easily switched.
Small Product B: Rack Signage w/Magnetic Letters
Along with the size dividers, I wanted these signs to be able to grow with the business and have an easily interchangeable system. Considering sustainability, I thought that scrap fabrics could be used to form the letters. The goal for this product is to make what/where every product is clear and that the cat signs give a dynamic lived in feeling to remind shoppers of the other portion of the business (adoptable cat's in the nearby room).
There is a lack of consistency, some racks were labeled and some were not. From afar it is difficult to differentiate the clothing.
This is my initial sketch, the sign was originally not that big and really did not have a commanding presence.
I explored several iterations of a 'Cat's Closet'. These sketches show progression to becoming more of a showcase piece that incorporates several elements beyond just signage.
Large Product: Cat's Closet for Entryway
From my experience as a retail worker, I considered that people tend to gravitate towards one particular area upon walking in. I wanted to create something that would guide the users through the retail space, point out the cat space, and implement the color division system from the the cat dividers. Going back to the goals I felt it was important to emphasize the cats and size inclusivity with this entryway sign. This product went through the most iterations.
The entrance originally had no focal point and I saw this as a chance to ground the other two products into one cohesive product with the idea “What would a Cat’s Closet look like?”
Final Implementation
Here is my final prototype that features 3 different colored acrylic dividers with blank labels. The labels are meant to be double sided so shoppers can see the labeling from either side.
An example of how the size dividers would look on a circular rack. The the pops of color set an easy shoppable experience throughout the whole store.
This is closer to what a manufactured version with labels may look like. The body would be made out of flexible colored plastic, the label window would be clear plastic, and the label simply paper.
Small Product A: Cat Shaped Size Dividers
I produced a series of 6 colored cat shaped dividers. They come in a set of 3 different colors for size organization or categorizing in other ways. I decided on a 90's color palette to fit within the brands playful energy. If manufactured weight would be added to the bottom for stability and balance.
This diagram highlights 2 key features of the product: interchangeable labels and that it is designed to fit differing rack types.
The use of cat shaped size dividers promotes size inclusivity, helps organize clothing in store, and enhances brand identity through the playfulness of cats and feelings of nostalgia through the color palette.
An eye level view of a standing sign. The board is magnetic and the letters/overall sign were designed to be legible from far away.
This sign is slightly thicker for stability. The letters do not exactly match because the material is second hand fabrics to add to the eclectic charm of the store.
This is an example of a wall mounted sign featuring a different wood tone and letters. I choose woods that mimic the coloring of cat fur to give a warm/lively feeling.
Small Product B: Rack Signage w/Magnetic Letters
I designed a series of rack signs that can be adapted to showcase cats in different positions and to better highlight each rack. They work as standing, hanging, or wall mounted and are double sided if necessary. The feature of interchangeable magnetic letters allows for the owners to easily change the sign based on their needs.
This particular design is double sided and works well for round central racks. The diagram shows differing parts of a standing rack with size measurements.
The cat rack signs improve navigation, implement an aspect of sustainability, and enhance brand identity by reminding clients that cat's are nearby.
A rendering of 'The Cat's Closet' with various products. The contents are meant to change with the business as they get new stock, have new events, decorate seasonally, etc.
A view of 'The Cat's Closet' as a blank slate with the potential to be filled with objects. It serves as an inviting entryway piece that blocks the long narrow hallway and hones in on the branding.
A diagram highlighting key features of the 'Cat's Closet' . A magnetic board is used to post events, announcements, etc. The pegboard on the other side is used to display some of the small merchandise that was previously on the wall next to the cat door leading down the narrow hallway.
The Cat's Closet clarifies the space (cat room vs retail room), provides space for small merchandise and posting events, and adds storage. The Cat's Closet ties the rest of the products together and serves as a welcoming piece to match the uniqueness of the business.
Large Product: Cat's Closet for Entryway
The 'Cat's Closet' features a sign with an arrow to match the rest of the rack signs and indicate the presence of cats in the other room. By adding the ‘Closet’ letters below it tells those who enter the name of the business. The cat sweaters with size labeling were designed to set up a visual language that matches the cat shaped size dividers to promote size inclusivity.
Measuring Success
By implementing these retail products, The Cat's Closer becomes easier to navigate and establishes a unique brand identity,. Thus, following along with their goals of size inclusivity as well as providing funds to care for cats awaiting adoption.
Future Considerations
I view the products I designed as only a start and they can be expanded. For example, I see potential to do something with secondhand objects to create furniture pieces or accessories for the business. The cat racks could be made out of reclaimed wood and The Cat's Closet can be modified from an existing furniture piece or also made of reclaimed wood.
Results
I only produced one physical product, the cat size dividers, due to time constraints of the project. I learned that a seemingly 'easy fix' is not as easy as it seems and that making testing several with different designs and materials matters. There were issues with the inflexibility of the acrylic material along with the proportions of the design, resulting in many broken prototypes. Overall I would challenge myself to push my prototypes further in terms of diversity in shape and material so that the fit was better.
This project gave me the confidence to work with a real company, interview, and design based on their challenges. I also got the opportunity to address challenges that they may not have seen. I found it insightful to being able to visit several times and continuously observe and ask questions. It was interesting to juggle several different products, but to come up with one cohesive solution in the end.
This has been my favorite project that I have worked on so far because I really enjoyed working with the owners of the company and creating things that resonate with what their business stands for!