The BUF 2203 (Visual Merchandising) course gives one an understanding of what a Visual Merchandising position at a retailer fully entails. Merchandisers must construct creative and often elaborate visual displays in order to capture the attention of onlookers. Visual displays help to promote sales for a company and informs the public of what items can be located within the store. Throughout the course, our assignments mimicked the creative process of a Visual Merchandiser.
Among the projects for BUF 2203, the Color Wheel, Mosaic, and Monochromatic Charts required the most detail. This displayed how color is a key component for the fashion industry as well has when creating the visuals for a retailer.
Color Wheel and Monochromatic Charts
Roberle’s Bell Method: Look, Compare and Improve is a model that a Visual Merchandiser can use in order to see if the viewer would stop or continue walking. In my Bell Method paper, I compared a BOSS by HUGO BOSS with a Gucci display. For both displays besides providing a comparison I described them and provided areas that should be improved. This model helps visuals understand where they can improve their skills in order to reach the interest of their consumers.
Comparing one’s own visual display to another form their contemporary is how this method is done. Another model in which we examined was the SCAMPER model. SCAMPER is an acronym for:
Substitute materials or items in display
Combine concepts within the visual display
Adapt or add an object
Modify, minify, and/or maximize an object in the visual display
Put or place an object to a different use
Eliminate an element used in the display
Reverse and rearrange items in the display
This acronym guides Visual Merchandisers with the creative process of creating an effective visual display.
All of the creative processes depend on the Elements of Design: composition, color, texture, balance, dominance, proportion, rhythm, and repetition. The Elements and Design paper Dr. Adomaitis assigned for this class thoroughly explained how the Elements of Design is an important factor in visual displays as well as in other art forms. Each component is significant in how a display may be perceived by the viewer. For this paper I compared the painting Easter Monday by William deKooning to an Emporio Armani S/S 2017 display on Fifth Avenue. I compared and contrasted how each of the Elements of Design were used in the visual display and the painting.
Elements of Design Final Submission
For the final assignment for BUF 2203, the Press Release, one would create a press release booklet centered around a design house’s collection. I chose Demna Gvasalia’s Spring/Summer 2017 collection for Balenciaga. This required me to use the concepts I learned in the prior assignments and relate that to this collection. One may ask how are Visual Merchandising and runway shows related? They are visual displays of a fashion house. This allows one to understand the concept behind a particular company and/or a designer.
At the end of this course, students were asked to pick a company that they would apply to if they were to pursue a career in Visual Merchandising. For this assignment, I chose to apply for COS. This is the sister company to Hennes and Mauritz (H&M), which is my current employer. The following document is a cover letter that I would include in the application process for this job.
