Walk into any store today and you’ll quickly sense whether a brand understands its customers, or if it’s just selling to them. From the lighting and layout to the artwork and materials, every design detail tells a story about the brand’s culture and how it values its customers and communities.
Today’s consumers want to feel aligned with the brands they buy from. They want to see brands celebrate creativity and build experiences that bring people together. Retail design, in turn, has become a key tool for expressing these values.
Progresif: Building a Community Around Youth Culture
As a brand known for its innovative spirit, the telecommunications retailer Progresif wanted to build an experience that felt less like a telco and more like a creative hub for the next generation. The flagship store, designed by SLD in collaboration with Maplewave, brings this vision to life.
The new design features a professional-grade recording studio that gives aspiring musicians access to tools and resources to experiment and showcase their talent. The store also highlights Brunei’s local art scene through curated wall graphics, murals, and vibrant accent colors. Materials like wood and soft lighting add warmth, while fixtures mounted on wheels enable quick transformation of the space for live performances, workshops, and community events. By designing a store that functions as a true community space that fosters creativity, Progresif sets itself apart.
Image Source: SLD
WSS: Designing an Inclusive Retail Experience That Reflects Community Identity
On the other side of the world, California-based footwear retailer WSS faced a different challenge. The brand has always been deeply rooted in community. Often located in predominantly Hispanic and multicultural neighbourhoods, its store redesign needed to reflect the brand’s tagline, “Your neighbourhood shoe store.” The goal was to continue offering culturally-relevant products and the full-family assortment they are known for, through an accessible but elevated experience.
The redesigned WSS store enhances accessibility through an open-concept layout, intuitive fixture placement, and clearly defined product zones that make the space easy to navigate for families, groups, and individual shoppers alike. Prominent local imagery, community noticeboards, and custom signage further invite engagement, transforming the store into a living reflection of its surrounding neighborhood.
When Design Builds Culture, Culture Builds Brand
Progresif’s flagship became a destination for youth and creators, transforming how customers perceive the brand from a traditional telco to an enabler of self-expression. WSS’s redesigned stores have deepened community trust, positioning the brand as a meaningful neighborhood presence. Both examples highlight that when a retail space authentically reflects the people it serves, it becomes a mirror of shared identity. And in today’s fragmented marketplace, that sense of belonging is invaluable.
Across these projects, several key design principles emerge:
1. Build Around a Clear Cultural Core
Every strong retail environment starts with a clear understanding of a brand’s mission, values, and story. When design decisions are based on a solid cultural core, the experience feels cohesive and meaningful; this authenticity is what consumers connect with.
2. Flexibility is the Future
As retail landscapes continue to evolve, adaptability has become essential. By integrating modular fixtures and layouts, paired with multi-use zones, spaces can evolve with seasonal events, cultural moments, product launches, and community needs. This adaptability not only extends the lifespan of the design, it also keeps the brand agile.
3. Localize the Experience
Brands that embed local identity into their retail design create stronger emotional bonds with customers. The addition of geo-specific design details in retail environments, such as local maps, neighborhood references, or recognizable landmarks, subtly signals that the brand belongs in that place. WSS’s community map wall is a prime example of this.
4. Humanize the Technology
While technology is integral to modern retail, it should enhance, not overshadow, the human experience. In both case studies, tech is used as a connector. Digital tools support storytelling, service, and creativity, but never replace face-to-face engagement. When used thoughtfully, technology can strengthen cultural relevance by giving customers the tools to personalize and participate.
Designing Culture, Not Just Space
For decades, retail was defined by efficiency and consistency. The focus was on delivering products quickly, clearly, and across multiple locations with as little variation as possible. While consistency remains important, the retail landscape has shifted toward something more. Today’s retail is about forging emotional connections with both its consumers and the communities they serve.
