2. Sarah Anne White
MFA Design Candidate
California College of the Arts
Thesis Documentation
2012

3. “When technology is used not just as
a gimmick, but to actually help solve a
problem, like cutting a line or getting
access to reviews, it creates an elevated
experience for the consumer.”
Julie Bornstein (Sephora)

5. How might we celebrate and support
the public (and ourselves for that
matter), the new brand champions,
as collaborators in such a way that
encourages our sustained generosity
and engagement towards not only the
branded objects we collect or consume
but our fellow citizens as well?
Thesis Statement + Abstract

6. physical and digital

7. With the prevalence of personal/mobile technology, today’s retail experience hangs precariously between
brick and pixel. Forever changed are the ways brands market, set prices, manufacture, and track customer
tastes. Unfortunately, more often than not, we’ve found ourselves overwhelmed; at a loss for any true
emotional attachment, enjoyable sensory experience or intimacy to the objects and experiences that we
collect. We’ve come now to crave a balance between curation and choice, exclusivity vs. accessibility, and
automation with authenticity. We yearn for an experience ripe with purpose, connection and loyalty.
How might we celebrate and support the public (and ourselves for that matter), the new brand
champions, as collaborators in such a way that encourages our sustained generosity and engagement
towards not only the branded objects we collect or consume but our fellow citizens as well? The “we”
I refer to includes an audience of experience designers, retail strategists and brand-oriented creative
directors.
My work seeks to define a methodology for engagement and uses quick and simple, generative excersises
involving participatory design. The co-creation of re-imagined artifacts looks to reframe that which already
exists within the experience with a deeper, more complex relationship: to reimagine them as catalysts for a
broader commonality, attachment, and personalization.
It’s my hope to explore three main areas: The “wrapping” (what the thing which we collect/consume
is clothed in and comes with), the importance and connection of visual vs. physical perception, and
appropriateness of location for technology. Crowd-sourced inspiration and dialogue supports the
consumer as collaborator and producer.
The industry is overdue for new approaches to our tech saavy, visual culture that actually solve problems
rather than existing as mere gimmicks. Embedded and integrated, my final creation(s) could be just as
happy existing in a slow-tech or low-tech solution as a fast one.
The world doesn’t necessarily need more products – we need to regain the delight and attachment to our
belongings through improving the experience of acquiring them. That which already exists must to do
more for us emotionally.

8. k s
ONE WEEK THESIS WHERE I STAND A PREEMPTIVE CASESTUDY
The hangtag, an item typically Over several months, both a A company with a compelling
disregarded and discarded trendscrape and historical analysis ideology, Tom’s Shoes have
immediately after acquiring a were conducted to evaluate where unfortunately have been knocked
new piece of clothing was re- the “whitespace” might exist off repeatedly. I explored a subtle,
imagined as an artifact within the within my area of interest. A list tech-oriented change that could
retail experience. I explored it’s of new technologies and brands recapture their essence and create
potential to unlock special access implementing them was also sustained generosity with a broader
or incentives, provide knowledge to compiled for personal exploration conversation around each purchase.
brands on habits and as an activator during this process.
for delightful, in-store experiences.

9. k
IN STORE POST PURCHASE NEXT VISIT
Your shoes
8
of your friends
scanned your TOMS
code! You’ve helped
will go to
contribute
____________ $42
to the
would you like to follow them? __________________
village this month.
the hangtag reimagined future of tom’s shoe

10. DDI publ.
BRICK AND MORTAR
BLOGOSPHERE & VMSD publ. MKG EXPERIENTIAL
SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING
Tech Blogs
+Gensler
Weiden+Kennedy
Mommy Blogs
Fashion Blogs
FastCompany
+
Forbes Amy Lanigan
VP of client strategy / Fluid
+Intel
Don Bradford
VP of Social Product / eBay
Johnny Vulkan
of Anomaly E/M/T
Benjamin Palmer of
+
MODERN
Barbarian Group SapientNitro
COMMERCE Digital Commerce
Strategists
Rachel Shechtman
A Start Up Store
Marian Salzman Nielson
David Gensler measurement and
TREND +Kingshuk Das +Frog
SHOPPER
of Keystone information
TECH
Design Union SPOTTING of Jump Associates
Jaron Lanier
author of You Are
Not A Gadget
Piers Fawkes
PSFK
s
Roo Rogers +
Sophistication Based On Personal Knowledge Dan Ariely author
of Predictably
Rachel Botsman
Collaborative Consumption
Prepared To Trade Data For A Better Experience Irrational
Instant Access To Expertise
Amos Tversky
Takes Advantage Of Technology cognitive/ mathematical
Journal of Consumer Culture
Journal of Consumer Research
psychologist
Wants To Be Offered A Perfect Match
The Why & How often paramount to the What Adam Arvidsson
author of
Daniel Kahneman
psychology of Brands: A Critical CULTURAL Lisa Gansky
judgment and PSYCH Perspective author of The
STRATEGY
behavioral economics Mesh
Flow Theory
Holt, Douglas B., and
RETAIL The Co-Op Group Douglas Cameron
Technology
UK based authors of Cultural Strategy
Acceptance Model ETHICS
+Greening Retail Philip van Allen
Program The New Ecology of Things Lab
Marks & Spencer
UK based
UNKNOWN GOV + HEALTHCARE
+ KOR Group
LA real estate investment,
development and
management firm

11. THE NEW BRAND CHAMPION
“Let me name my price.” NETPLENISH
“Let me help decide what’s sold.” CATERPILLAR TRUCK DESIGN
“Let me sell on your behalf in exchange for cash, discounts/exclusive access.” MULU.ME
“Let me help them decide what to buy.” NEEDLE CUSTOMER SERVICE
h
The digital, physical and psychological realms were
explored with equal weight, culminating in an attitudinal
(rather than demographic) profile of the modern
shopper as the new Brand Champion. Brand Champion
is defined as a customer who feels compelled (through
loyalty, passion or incentive) to spread a status-yielding
story to their social circles, thus broadening the larger
relationship and conversation.

12. DIRECTIVE
help avoid becoming a
shop-and-compare commodity
be selective with use of technology
BRAND
enrich and extend the conversation
CHAMPION
create a deeper, personal connection to
the things you purchase (instill value)
alleviate stress / provide delight
provide “ownership”

13. RESEARCH METHODS
method 1 : anthropological mind-set
investigate patterns of social interaction
codes of conduct/social cues
12`
method 2 : participatory mind-set
probe first - then cocreate w/
generative tools
^hÅ

14. Tool Kit
What do we lose or gain with technology in the retail experience? Are there
opportunities to more closely link our objects to our experiences? How can
we provide delightful affordances without giving them a gimmick? A series
of probes was created to better understand the possibilities.
What better way to tell a story than to be asked for one?

15. t c +a C+A
TWITTER + TSHIRTS I ADORE LETS START HERE CHALLENGE
An exploration into bridging Inspired by the work of Candy A four-part, participatory challenge
the physical and digital to Chang and in collaboration with that aims to explore three main
create a long-term community Lisa Woods, the “I Adore...” project areas: The “Wrapping” (what
for repeat participation, the arose from an interest in personal the thing which we purchase is
campaign was meant to spark value, public participation and clothed in and comes with), the
conversation and act as a means appropriateness of location for importance/connection of visual
of crowd-sourcing painpoints for introspection. Extremely well vs. physical, and appropriateness of
innovation while supporting the received by the audience, the location for technology. In order to
consumer as collaborator. This key take away was the ease in arrive here, a behavior-based photo
tool may be rebranded for a final which participation was facilitated safari of social cues was conducted
production and integrated into as well as the serendipitous and an initial participant pool was
the exhibition. affordance for editing the entries developed with a screener.
of others to create new meaning.

16. A SIMPLE SOCIAL SHOP
Planned for early spring semester,
A Simple Social Shop will bring the
recent Pinterest phenomenon into the 3
dimensional environment to explore the
physicality of browsing and selecting
while publicly sharing. A tactile version
will be presented alongside the digital
version. In order to source images to
“pin”, a holiday catalog drive was held
to collect and reuse the under utilized
wealth of printed material distributed
each holiday season. This is the second
participatory exhibit involving an aspect
of a digital, social channel turned into a
low fidelity, physical prototype. It is my
hope that both of these will serve as
a means of uncovering nuanced social
interactions and needs surrounding our
possessions and obtaining them.

17. V
UPCOMING
TELL THEN TAKE TANGIBLE ASSETS UKNOWN
As a means of exploring physical in order to continue pushing the digital TBD
methods of expanding the conversation collection of tools that have been
with consumer as collaborator, I plan to developed, a set of tangible assets
create a set of visual storytelling blocks will be created to hand out to the
as a vehicle to facilitate cocreation public. These may be prototyped then
sessions. They are planned to have revised and branded as part of a final
strategic contact information (much production.
like that of a business card) and provide
continued outreach and affordances of
for repeat participation. After utilizing
them to explore, the participant has a
token they may take with them.

18. j

19. thesis goals
a methodology and defined exercises with tools used
a re-imagined artifact(s) that aids in inspiring participation which
is then recorded digitally to create a deeper impression and
continued conversation.
3 modes of study & evaluation:
Educate (inform and lengthen the relationship)
Create (how can the consumer be the
collaborator/producer)
Translate (what does it become to the consumer
post purchase)

20. 01/15 02/29
participatory research + reimagined artifacts
creation (cont)
arrange 4
participatory
design sessions
PRESENT
dev. of sketch A Simple making/ “I Adore”
prototype for Social Shop testing of R.A. two more
reimagined (late Jan) locations
rework/push
participation for artifacts
online challenge
prompt
continue to iron Cultural Ideology Arrange meeting Synthesis of arrange meeting
out details for Brand Hijacking with thesis social cues / with thesis
A Simple Social Punching In committee pull needs from committee
Shop completed challenges
Establish draft
framework for
final made work

21. 3/15 03/30
reimagined artifacts
making/
testing/
revising
Midterm Review Establish draft arrange meeting Draft Written
framework for with thesis Work
final made work committee

22. Print
Holt, Douglas B., and Douglas Cameron. Cultural Strategy: Using Innovative Ideologies to Build Breakthrough
Brands. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2010. Print.
Discusses the development of deeply rooted cultural strategies as key to future innovation for successful
brand management/development with a balance of scholarship and case studies.
Berger, Warren. Glimmer: How Design Can Transform Your Life, and Maybe Even the World. New York:
Penguin, 2009. Print.
Works to tear apart disciplines to encourage “smart recombinations” within innovation and highlights the
growing trend of “everyday people” emerging as critical designers and problem solvers.
Frankel, Alex. Punching In: The Unauthorized Adventures of a Front-line Employee. New York: Collins/
HarperCollins, 2007. Print.
In this lively and entertaining narrative, Frankel takes readers on a personal journey into the land of front-line
employees to discover why some workers are so eager to drink the corporate Kool-Aid and which companies
know how to serve it up best.
WipperFurth, Alex. Brand Hijack: Marketing without Marketing. New York, NY; The Penguin Group, 2005.
Print
Brand Hijack offers a practical how-to guide to marketing that finally engages the marketplace. It presents an
alternative to conventional marketing wisdom, one that addresses such industry crises as media saturation,
consumer evolution, and the erosion of image marketing.
Laurel, Brenda. Design Research: Methods and Perspectives. Cambridge, MA: MIT, 2003. Print.
Moggridge, Bill. Designing Interactions. Cambridge, MA: MIT, 2007. Print.
Arvidsson, A. (2005), “Brands: A Critical Perspective,” Journal of Consumer Culture,” 5(2), 235-258 [Google
Scholar].

23. Digital
“Social Commerce Today.” Social Commerce Today. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2012.
http://socialcommercetoday.com/more-on-the-psychology-of-social-shopping-on-being-
predictably-irrational/
“Retail.” Fast Company. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2012.
http://www.fastcompany.com/most-innovative-companies/2012/industry/retail
Salzman, Marian. “Marian Salzman Blog.” Marian Salzman. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Sept. 2012.
http://mariansalzman.com/
“What’s The Future Of The Sharing Economy?” Co.Exist. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2012.
http://www.fastcoexist.com/1681009/whats-the-future-of-the-sharing-economy
“Sephora Doubles Down On Tech.” TechCrunch RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2012.
http://techcrunch.com/2012/04/08/sephora-doubles-down-on-tech-in-store-ipads-revamped-
website-pinterest-tie-in/
Websites For Curated Offerings
• The Trunk Club (curated packages, personal stylist, free returns)
• BeachMint (and JewelMint, StyleMint, ShoeMint, BeautyMint, IntiMint)
• FarFetched (unites global fashion boutiques)
• BlankLabel (custom mens shirts)
• Warby Parker (try before you buy online eye-glass retailer)
• Everlane (highend basics - direct)
• Fab - daily design inspirations and design-minded, curated sales
• OpenSky - endorsed by celebrities and experts
• UnCovet
• GILT
Additional Brands Studied
• Sephora (Sephora Pantone + ColorIQ system, app, ipads in store)
• Target (offering exclusive lines of designer products)
• Walgreens (app to scan barcode for refill prescription)

24. Physical Case-Studys
A Start Up Store (NYC) - http://www.fastcompany.com/1802401/can-startup-store-change-retail-business
A Temporary Offering (SF) - http://atemporaryoffering.com/
StorFront (NYC) - http://www.storefront.is/
Hointer (Seattle) - http://www.hointer.com/
For additional resources: http://pinterest.com/sarahannewhite/thesis-dumpster/

25. Participatory Challenge
www.letstartherechallenges.tumblr.com