Illuminous, a workshop in conjunction with Almax, uses motion tracking and polarized light technology to attract shoppers’ attention to stores by making people curious about what is happening in the display through the use of movement, light and interactivity.
Question: How can we draw attention to stores by making people curious about what is happening in the display window?
Concept: By hiding certain elements of a window display, people will be curious to move around and take a closer look.
INSPIRATION
Austine Camarow - Austine uses polarized light to turn layers of clear, colorless cellophane into works of art. She does this by cutting the layers of cellophane into shapes and placing them between two polar filters.
Polarized Light Art - Just as a prism breaks white light into a brilliant rainbow, cellulose and polarizing filters create a palette of pure light colors.
RESEARCH
We found that the best way to draw attention to window displays was through the use of light, transparency, movement and interactivity.
SOLUTIONS
POLARIZED MANEIQUINS
By covering a mannequin's form in clear cellophane and placing it between two polar films, we will be able to see colors appear on the mannequin.
POLARIZED SHELVING
From afar the shelving units look like any standard unit - clear glass, but as the customer walks closer to the shelves colors will appear. This is because the viewing angle changes as the customer approaches the display. The polar films and cellophane line up to reveal the colors.
INTERACTIVE WINDOW DISPLAY
The window display senses a person walking by and tracks their motion. Polarized screens follow the person as they walk, revealing the colors and patterns hidden on the mannequins.
WORKING PROTOTYPE OF THE WINDOW DISPLAY (Left): A camera tracks the location of the passerby using VVVV code. Information is received by an arduino which commands the motor to run and the polar panels to move. The polar panels follow the user which allows them to see new information being displayed through the window display.
CELLOPHANE MANNEQUIN (Right): Example of what a cellophane mannequin looks like as the polarized panels pass over it.
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Project Length: 5 Week Workshop
Client: Almax
Designers: Sara Rutledge, Chandrashekar Seivur, Jefry Rojas, Komal Badhe, Liya Vasileva
