Edition #27
Hello Musies,
Retail design is one of those fields that looks glamorous from the outside—neon signage, vibrant display windows, immersive spaces.
But how do you actually get into it as an architect or designer?
What skills are needed? What do clients really expect? And where does storytelling end and sales psychology begin?
Entering retail design isn’t just about aesthetics or good spatial skills—it demands a keen sense of brand identity, marketing strategies, and consumer psychology. It's fast-paced, highly collaborative, and requires adaptability to rapidly shifting trends.
To demystify this intriguing industry, we’ve reached out to two experts who've built their careers around transforming retail spaces into compelling brand stories.
🧱 What Makes Retail Design Unique?
Retail design isn't merely creating attractive spaces—it’s strategically shaping consumer experiences:
Design driven by sales: Every decision directly impacts consumer behavior and purchasing patterns.
Brand storytelling is essential: Your design must encapsulate the brand's identity clearly and powerfully.
Fast-paced and adaptive: Quick turnaround times and flexibility are critical.
Collaboration: Close coordination with visual merchandisers, marketing professionals, and branding experts.
Psychological insight: Understanding buyer behavior is just as important as knowing spatial planning.
👥 Meet the Designers: Ar. Deeksha Jiwani and Ar. Sushant Madan
Ar. Deeksha Jiwani and Ar. Sushant Madan are the co-founders of designery, a multidisciplinary architecture and interior design practice focused on creating meaningful brand-led spatial experiences.
Their work goes beyond traditional interiors—shaping how users interact with space, brand, and emotion. Whether it’s a small boutique or a flagship retail outlet, their design philosophy stays rooted in functionality, material honesty, and visual clarity.
Together, they’ve built a practice that merges architecture with storytelling, ensuring every project becomes a physical extension of the brand’s identity.
In our conversation, they opened up about how they got their first break, how they navigate projects with low-ticket versus high-ticket clients, and what young designers need to succeed in this dynamic industry.
🎤 Exclusive Interview
1. Can you share your transition story from architecture into retail design?
Our first major project back in 2016 was a café interior in Gurgaon, and that kick started our journey into retail design. Our approach was very brand-centric, and translating branding into built form became our strength.
Our portfolio kept building that way, and from there, it’s almost been a decade now—with no looking back. We fell in love with curating the physical presence of meaningful brands, and that fuelled our shift from architecture to retail. But our approach has always retained that architectural lens layering depth and thought into every space.
2. Retail design means different things to different people how do you define it?
Retail design, for us, is about translating a brand’s ethos into a physical experience. It’s how customers navigate a space, how they feel, and what they take away—without a single word being said. It’s silent storytelling through space.
For us, form and function go hand in hand.
It starts with deep research—diving into the brand’s colours, the raw elements of their product, and their journey. All of this helps shape a concept that can be brought to life in a tangible space, without ever compromising on functionality.
3. What was your first real retail project, and how did you land it?
Our first retail project was a wholesale optical showroom in Chandni Chowk. The lead came through Instagram. As first-generation entrepreneurs, we didn’t have referrals or industry contacts—We learned to leverage Instagram as a constant lead generation source early in our journey.
4. Can you walk us through your process—from receiving a brief to seeing the store come alive?
The core of retail design is understanding the product inside out—its size, storage needs, ideal lighting, how it should feel in the customer’s hand, how approachable or secure it needs to be, and what level of transparency or adjacency works best.
Then, we get to know the people behind the brand—what drives them, what they stand for, and where they see themselves going.
From there, we move into space planning—both horizontally and vertically. We define how the product will be displayed, the flow of movement, and how accessible everything feels.
Once that’s in place, we build a form around functionality, layering it with a strong concept that not only stands out but also becomes the visual identity of the brand. From there, it's about detailing, coordinating, and obsessing over the small things- until it all comes alive.
5. Retail design isn’t just about the look, it’s about what sells—how do you integrate business strategy into your design thinking?
We see design as a silent, strategic tool. The space should invisibly curate the customer journey and highlight the product as the hero. Every palette, placement, and form is thought through—it either enhances the brand’s image or gently guides the customer toward it. It’s marketing, without the noise.
6. What skills do you wish you had when you started out—and which ones helped you the most over time?
The art of saying “No.” Not every project aligns with your vision, and saying yes to red-flag clients only blocks bandwidth for the ones that matter.
Building an online presence—your digital identity is your credibility today.
Hiring the right team and creating the right culture—this took us time to learn but has made the biggest difference.
7. How do you work with retail strategists, lighting designers, visual merchandisers, and branding teams?
While designing a brand’s presence, we keep most of the early concept fuel in-house—be it branding, lighting, or visual merchandising.
The initial vision is shaped internally, and then we collaborate with specialists to refine and sharpen it. This helps us stay true to the core idea throughout.
8. What’s one challenge in retail design that people don’t talk about enough?
Helping clients differentiate between personal taste and what resonates universally. Especially for first-time store owners, they often see themselves as the end user. But a good design speaks to the customer—not just the founder.
9. Among all your projects, is there one that holds a special place—and why?
While all our projects are special, Studio Bagechaa, (Indian wedding wear fashion studio) holds a soft corner.
It taught us the power of thought-led design. Even the simplest details can speak volumes. It also reinforced that true collaboration lies in trust—the clients gave us an open brief and trusted us with every little detail.
10. If a student wants to apply to a retail firm but has no retail work yet—how can they still stand out?
What can shine more than experience is hunger: the will to learn, to experiment, to fail, and to rethink.
Perfection is overrated—progress and fierce curiosity will always stand out.
11. How does your approach differ when designing for a budget brand vs. a luxury or high-ticket client?
It’s the difference between designing for exclusivity and designing for abundance. That distinction guides everything—from the space planning to the material palette and customer journey we craft.
For budget-friendly brands, we focus on abundance—accessibility, volume, and fast decision-making. The space needs to be easy to navigate, display more inventory, and create a sense of approachability.
Luxury, on the other hand, is about exclusivity—creating pause, presence, and intention. It’s about slower movement, visual restraint, and evoking a feeling of rarity.
🧩 Wrapping It Up: What We Learned
Retail design offers something uniquely rewarding—immediate impact.
While not every retail project moves rapidly, many—especially smaller or budget-conscious ones—require designers to be nimble, focused, and solution-oriented. This results in faster learning, real-time feedback, and more hands-on experience early in one’s career.
The field demands clear communication, adaptability, and a nuanced understanding of both consumer psychology and brand narrative. From the insights shared by Deeksha and Sushant, it's evident that success in retail design favors those who are curious, collaborative, and eager to learn beyond traditional architectural boundaries.
If you've been eyeing the vibrant, evolving world of retail design—there's no better time to explore it.
📢 We’re Hiring: Join the Team
We’re expanding and looking for passionate individuals to help us grow:
Video Editor: Nagpur-based preferred; exceptional remote candidates welcome.
Personal Assistant: Support with content management (emails, scheduling, calls). Nagpur-based preferred; remote possible for standout applicants.
Write to us to make an impact? Send your CV or portfolio to info@fyiarch.com.
💬 Your Turn: What Should We Cover Next?
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Reply to this email or leave your suggestion in the Substack comments, we’ll choose the most requested topic for our next deep dive!
Until next Monday,
Keep capturing, keep creating, and keep sharing your story.
Keep Musing,
Ar. Sagar Saoji
Founder - f.y.i.arch
Architect turned Content Creator
Find me here: Instagram | Linkedin | Website
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