Making that shopping experience more enjoyable: experience designers and visual merchandisers have a complete understanding of t

He adds: "In a way, one could say that a store's window display helps to project a customer's ideal lifestyle, as we have witnessed with the large lifestyle graphics used everywhere now in window display. Check out Christian Dior's huge backlit transparencies at Ngee Ann City, or BCBG at Wisma Atria--these are excellent examples."

The displays help to educate customers on the latest fashion with style. But more importantly, they highlight the merchandise and draw the customer into the show rooms, where sales personnel can take over to close the sale.

Training

To become a VM or experience designer, one should possess certain core attributes. Creativity is key, as well as above-average ability for artistic expression. Technical and design expertise (like building sets, props, setting up proper lighting) is useful, as is knowledge of fashion and art design industry trends and forecasts. It is also important to have the ability to work well with others.

Temasek Polytechnic offers a diploma course in apparel design and merchandising for those who relish the challenge of creating a fashion statement, driving fashion trends and having a say in the process of making fashion. The fashion retail industry is an exciting, and mind-boggling arena of many specialised areas. This programme offers a broad overview of the industry, as well as an introduction to design fundamentals.

Students can choose to specialise in either the niche area of fashion design and merchandising or retail and visual merchandising. Retail and visual merchandising candidates learn about the activities related to the business aspects of developing, promoting, marketing, and managing apparel items from conception to purchase.

They will better understand the fashion customer and will use this knowledge to its best advantage in their product lines. The course relies on problem-based learning (PBL) and hands-on training to train and develop multi-skilled professionals who can blend innovation with sound work values and business practices. VM graduates land successful careers as fashion stylists, visual merchandisers, display artists and fashion show coordinators, and event managers.

For working adults, the Singapore Retail Association offers courses in VM. The Association's Institute for Retailing was set up in early 1985 and has helped to train over 40,000 staff from the retail industry in Singapore. Its fundamentals of successful visual merchandising programme enables participants to understand the principle elements and importance of visual merchandising in order to appeal to the needs of customers. The topics covered in the 12-hour programme include:

* The strategic significance of visual merchandising

* The retail environment which includes customers, retail mix, display techniques and effective use of colours and lighting

* Practical assessment of visual merchandising, and

* Putting visual merchandising into practical use.

Salary Range

Entry level salary may range from S$21,000 to S$32,000 while experienced VMs and experience designers usually command around S$45,000 annually. Top designers and VM managers make well over S$60,000 a year.

The outlook for experience designers and VMs is good. Over the next decade, VM and experience designer jobs are projected to grow as retailers realise the positive impact that displays can have on their in-store customer traffic and therefore their bottom lines. The integrated resorts will also need talented VMs and designers to project the right image and experience at their venues.

Experienced VMs and designers with proven track records of creating memorable and effective displays may have the option of joining or starting their own firms specialising in VM or experience design for retailers, or they may be promoted to managerial positions of greater responsibilities.

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