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Thujesh Thulaseedharan Pillai | Thujeshpillai@gmail.com
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Caratlane Solitaire Experience Lounge
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Guide Tanishka Kachru
Sponsor FIGMENTS, INC
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Keywords online buying;space ambience;touch points;visual merchandising
The project involved designing a signature showcase experience and ambience of the Solitaire Lounge for Caratlane, an online diamond selling portal. The key task was to create touch points, conceptualise the space, and develop its visual merchandising components, while retaining the spirit of the original concept.
This initiative targeted customers who made high-value purchases online, in addition to reaching out to the traditional diamond and solitaire buyer who is not comfortable with buying high-value products online. They would get a first-hand feel of the brand, interact with diamond consultants, try on samples of jewellery, and experience the online buying process. The design process began by understanding the brand, its strengths, weaknesses, and aspirations. These helped in translating their virtual existence into a physical world which strongly reflected their online identity. Caratlane.com has a well portrayed and systematic existence as an online retail portal that has till date stabilised its reputation for customer satisfaction.
The lounge was designed with the objectives of the online portal defining dynamism, versatility, consumer direct involvement and satisfaction, brand reputation, and the concepts of educating and exploring. From the alternatives presented to the clients, the theme called, Unveiled, was selected. The experience designed not only appealed to the customers, but also provided them with an encouraging and hassle-free environment that facilitated positive purchase. Hence, a timely balancing of the touch points within the approved space ambience and its proper online execution resulted in the solitaire experience lounge.
The project was an intensive learning experience of skills, real time user needs, of finding design opportunities and translating them into ideas, and finally into a space providing a unique experience. |
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