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The Ordinary Person's Guide to Becoming an Experience DesignerBy Clare KaufmanLearning & Life Columnist A 2006 study by Unity Market Research discovered something most of us already know: shopping is fun. Fully 70% of 1,250 Americans surveyed view shopping as entertainment rather than a chore. Enter the experience designer.
Case Study: Designing the American Girl Doll Experience
The American Girl doll stores embody experiential retailing: each store features a theater for doll-centered musicals, a café for doll tea parties, a doll hair salon and spa, a photo studio, and even a clinic for dolls missing a limb or two. The store organizes birthday parties and mother-daughter vacation packages (complete with hotel stay). American Girl's experience designers draw in millions of visitors a year--for an average visit of four hours and an average tab in the hundreds of dollars.
How to Become an Experience Designer
Experience design brings together art, interior design, merchandising, marketing, project management, and business. The best preparation for this emerging field is a four-year bachelor degree in interior design, marketing, or architecture. All three fields are widely available as online degree programs, allowing you go to school when it works for you. Coursework should emphasize business fundamentals, customer service, event planning, product design, and 3D/CAD skills.
About the Author Clare Kaufman is a freelance writer specializing in education and career advice. She has a graduate degree in English. More Creative Career Articles |
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