The energy you put into your business is unparalleled. Your pride and joy in seeing it go from a kernel of an idea all the way to a booming business means focusing on every tiny aspect and going over every fine detail until you are completely satisfied. Each part needs to be just so, and a key part of the image which will make or break the customer litmus test is the interior. If you run a shop, the design has to appeal and encourage customers to purchase more than they went in for, or if you work in an office environment, the atmosphere has to be conducive to productivity. It’s a very important thing to think about.
What is the main thing when you are attempting to make a customer feel relaxed in your space? Well, space. In a restaurant, the concept of street food eating is a common one, but does it make for a relaxing experience? Hardly. The type of image you wish to present with a restaurant is largely dictated by the space. An open-plan restaurant with classy music and high ceilings gives out an impression of class. Or a fast food restaurant is a conveyor belt of custom, and space doesn’t seem to matter that much as the experience will be over as soon as it starts. The experience a customer has of the interior setting in a food establishment is more important than the food in some respects. The age-old rule of “it wasn’t what the customer bought, it was how they felt” very much applies to this type of business.
The worker perspective is as important, regardless of the type of product you are selling. Adequate lighting in a factory setting, such as industrial lighting strong enough to help people focus on their tasks is very important. A factory line job requires a lot of focus, especially if the task is the same one they will carry out for 12 hours a day! What you see makes up the vast majority of your overall impression of something, not what was said or how they said it, and walking into a clothes shop where you can’t see the items (trust me, they exist) doesn’t help customers make the right purchase. It is more likely to secure a high amount of returns because the customer bought the wrong color!
As a whole experience, the interior setting can be fine-tuned to increase the customer’s perception of a store or a worker’s productivity. The atmosphere of a store will be the overriding factor in a customer’s return, and the comfortability of a working environment will impact on an employee’s ability to work better. These are only a partial factor of the whole business design, but if you are dependent on customer returns, or the need to work staff hard and fast, then it is something you should endeavor to get right first time. It’s all about feeling, and if people feel good they will buy, or they will work harder.
