Optimising Brand Consistency with Retail Construction Drawings

5 April 2022

Manoj Singh

You know you’ve really made it when people anywhere recognise your name, much like Adele, Madonna, Pink, etc. Similarly, brand recognition stretches across continents for retail giants, such as Coca Cola, Starbucks or Zara. Franchisees of large retail brands understand that brand consistency is of paramount importance. One of several ways to optimise brand consistency in each retail outlet of a brand is to work with accurate and detailed retail design drawings and retail construction drawings.

Some ways of promoting brand consistency are to ensure that the logo, mission statement, brand identity and the unique features of the brand are represented strategically at each franchise location. Brand consistency requires clear brand guidelines, training, accurate content and regular monitoring.

How does this translate to a retail space?

Two important features of a retail store layout are store design and customer flow.

Store design uses strategic floor plans and space management, including furniture, displays, fixtures, lighting, and signage, to advance design principles and optimise retail spaces.
Customer flow involves the paths customers follow in a retail space and how they interact with merchandise, based on the store layout.

Exterior store design and customer flow add layers to brand consistency, and other factors also contribute, such as:

Location of the retail store
Size of the building and length of the walkways from the entrance and exit
Furniture and exterior space for people to gather and interact
Style of building architecture
Paint color of paint and choice of exterior building materials
Entrance and window display design

These elements of exterior design pertinent to brand consistency can be expertly showcased by the designers who develop retail construction drawings.

Fundamental to any retail design project are retail space planning and creating prototypes. A brand’s architectural needs can be assessed and addressed efficiently through construction drawings and models.

How can retail construction drawings help?

They can:

Maximise available space while strategically using it to market the brand’s products
Help retailers make the right choices regarding retail space design to reflect brand features
Help plan for space allocation to interior designs and storefront specifications for the brand

For retailers, retail construction drawings can provide the following experiences:

Retailers can understand a sense of being immersed in their store and see its brand features
It helps connect client vision to brand consistency.
Designers can create detailed, precise drawings that show elements of the brand.
Drawings can be customised to reflect the brand’s identity.

Retail construction drawings can be utilised by designers and contractors to create new stores and to renovate existing retail spaces so that they fall in line with any brand design changes over time.

Ideally, the process should be such that:

First, designers accurately draft the retail design in as much detail as possible.
Next, design decisions should involve shelving, dimensions, interior design, ceiling treatments and the placement of brand logos and slogans.
Following the approval of the drawings, 3D models can be created using CAD software tools, which may include the addition of photorealistic interior views, furniture and more detailed dimensions of the retail space. The 3D modelling provides retailers with an accurate idea of how the retail space will eventually appear, bolstering brand consistency.

How can Architects Help with Branding?

Architects can design stores to improve the customer experience, promote the brand and emphasise brand consistency by:

Deciding on the best placement for merchandise
Determining the optimum height for lighting fixtures
Allocating space efficiently

Benefits of Revit CD Sets

So, what are the benefits of developing retail construction drawings?

Scalability – Construction drawings allow retailers to scale a store’s design, so that rather than have a designer create each storefront, one model can be scaled for each location. This way, retailers can ensure uniform brand features for all geographic stores.
3D models – Photorealistic elements, furniture, lights, fixtures, etc. can be added to the model for accurate visualisation.
Efficient material tracking – Building Information Modelling (BIM) systems can provide material suggestions and help develop a budget through retail BIM modelling.
Modifications – Construction drawings help modify and customise design details.

Retail construction drawings can help create an aesthetically pleasing storefront that optimises brand awareness within a precise square footage, which can be critical to brand consistency. Ultimately, though, using high-quality 3D rendering services, 3D visualisation, retail architectural drawings and retail construction drawings, retail design companies can help retailers create layouts that receive the maximum amount of foot traffic so that merchandise receives the maximum amount of attention, one of the main goals of achieving brand consistency.

XS CAD has valuable experience providing 3D visualisation and retail design drawings for large global retailers and retail design companies. Our range of services include retail space planning, retail construction drawings, retail BIM modelling and retail architectural drawings. We have proven to be a preferred 3D rendering services provider, due to the high quality of our 3D modelling and 3D walk-throughs, created by using Revit, 3ds Max, V-Ray, Adobe Photoshop and After Effects, Illustrator and BIM Collaboration Pro for cloud collaboration.

Learn more about 3D rendering services.