Ann Petermans

The last few years, there is a growing request for changes in the health care landscape as we know it today. Changing circumstances and shifting needs and wants offer challenges for architects and interior architects, whereby it seems indispensable to focus on design for subjective well-being or happiness. This contribution focuses on the design of palliative care facilities, and sketches in what way the design of these spaces can focus on contributing to the subjective well-being of its 'inhabitants'.

... Vlaanderen Resultaten van een proefproject op 2 kruispunten Grete Gysen - Ann Petermans - Marjolein de Jong - Stijn Daniels Page 2. Page 3. DIEPENBEEK, 2007. ... Resultaten van een proefproject op 2 kruispunten Grete Gysen Ann Petermans Marjolein de Jong Stijn Daniels ...

... Vlaanderen Resultaten van een proefproject op 2 kruispunten Grete Gysen - Ann Petermans - Marjolein de Jong - Stijn Daniels Page 2. Page 3. DIEPENBEEK, 2007. ... Resultaten van een proefproject op 2 kruispunten Grete Gysen Ann Petermans Marjolein de Jong Stijn Daniels ...

Elk dorp verandert door de jaren heen. Overal wordt er wel afgebroken, gerenoveerd en bijgebouwd. Niet elke verandering is echter even positief. Er blijkt nood aan sturing, wat op verschillende manieren kan. Op zoek naar een middenweg tussen een erg dwingende ...

In today's experience economy, wherein consumers often perceive products and services as homogeneous, retailers and designers try to differentiate oneself from competitors by directing the retail and interior design of retail stores towards triggering memorable ...

Can interior environments engage people in pleasurable and meaningful experiences and thereby have a positive influence on their happiness? This paper discusses why and how interior architects might want to consider implementing ideas in relation to ‘design for subjective well-being’.

Despite of people being the ingredients that bring life to the built environment, it tends to be designed in such a way for them to predominantly only passively absorb the surrounding. Up to date, when designing interior environments, (interior) architects are mainly concerned about the fulfillment of various rather objective considerations. Typical reflections in this respect are: is there enough daylight, how are the acoustics, how is the accessibility and the organization of the inner space? Starting from such premises, the atmosphere of the inner space is given substance. However, empirical studies have shown that long-term happiness is less a matter of one’s circumstances than of the activities that a person engages in. Hence, one could go one step further from viewing the built environment as a static entity, to designing spaces that facilitate desirable activities. In other words, inner environments could aim to stimulate experiences that provide pleas

Subjective well-being (SWB) is an emerging research topic in the field of design sciences. Design models and strategies are being developed in an effort to increase users’ well-being. However, a detailed understanding of how these insights apply to interior architecture still needs to be refined. For this reason, this paper will firstly outline why interior environments could have the potential to contribute to people’s SWB and thereby to become platforms for the full spectrum of human well-being.

The second section of the paper reflects on how a deliberate focus on SWB will affect the process of designing interior environments. The Positive Design Framework, developed by Desmet & Pohlmeyer (2013), will be introduced to the (interior) architectural community. Interior architects can use this framework as a guide to assist them in the design process of interior environments that aim to contribute to people’s happiness. A number of examples will demonstrate in an interior architectural vocabulary the value that this framework can have for this discipline.

Researchers studying experiences in retail environments have typically focused their attention towards positivistically examining the influence of individual atmospheric variables upon customer behavior. In this respect photographs are common environmental simulation techniques. This approach concerns not only researchers active in consumer culture, but also interior architects and retail designers, working in a disciplinary tradition that maintains that interiors function as “Gestalt” environments, interacting with their users. In this paper, the authors aim to develop understanding of retail environments as sites of complex sensory experiences and the application of photo-elicitation as an interpretive research methodology concerning experiences in retail environments. The paper discusses the results of two exploratory studies within selected retail environments, and demonstrates the value of photo-elicitation in gaining insight into experiences in retail interiors. Photo-elicitation thus contributes new knowledge of the retail environment, and adds value to  positivistic research approaches that have predominated in this field.

Today’s public discourse on the design of care centers for the elderly population is increasingly emphasizing the importance of subjective well-being (SWB) and the value that architecture and interior architecture can have in this respect. This paper elaborates on a design exercise for 10 groups
of 4 master students in interior architecture in which they had to rethink the design of the communal space system of an existing residential care center (RCC) with the goal of augmenting the living experience and SWB of the residents and add potential value for the neighbourhood. This design
exercise was developed from the dual perspective of (i) developing spatial solutions for improving the positive experience and perceived housing quality of elderly in residential care, and (ii) designing architectural spaces based on ethnographic research performed by the student-designers themselves.
The purpose of this research is to develop a design roadmap from the data of the design exercise by analyzing the sequential stages that students ran through and the design strategies that they adopted.
The proposed design roadmap is a first step in developing a tool that can ultimately assist designers in creating generous and stimulating architectural environments that have a positive effect on SWB.

Subjective well-being (SWB) is an emerging research topic in the field of design sciences in general and in the field of (interior) architecture in particular. However, research that focuses on the question of how (interior) architecture can positively contribute to SWB still is in its infancy. Taking into account the increasingly greying of our population, design for subjective well-being in the field of residential care design for the elderly seems very valuable.  As a first step in this analysis, this paper presents the organization of the residential care landscape in Belgium. Firstly, we classify existing residential care concepts into an architectural care typology. Next, the most often applied intramural typologies will be analyzed through the lens of Desmet & Pohlmeyer’s (2013) Positive Design Framework. The results indicate which of the existing concepts have SWB-potential considering elderly persons’ changing demands relating to positive experiences in living environments.

This paper proposes an approach to doing research in retail design, based on theoretical viewpoints and methodologies close to the realm of interior architects and retail designers. In particular, it focuses on the question of how to study customer experiences with regard to actual stores’ retail design, with the help of the Experience Web. The authors use the Experience Web to discuss the results of a cross-cultural study on customer experiences, whereby the authors, both from their proper cultural background, immersed themselves in twenty-three actual retail environments located in different Belgian shopping cities.
We argue that the research method of ‘subjective personal introspection’ (SPI) generates valuable exploratory perspectives on the study of customer experiences, which can be particularly
relevant in the early stages of a qualitative, interpretive research process. According to the authors, SPI’s potential lies in uncovering subjective and complex meanings that people attribute to experiences.

"Apple Store, Nike Town, PRADA stores, Abercrombie & Fitch… Since the end of the 1990s, many retailers plan retail stores at strategically important retail locations all over the world. Together with designers, these retailers consciously choose to design not just another ordinary retail store. The last few years, they have started to use all kinds of tools in an effort to try to differentiate from competitors. Some retailers for instance collaborate with well-known architectural offices or so-called star architects, aiming to work out new renewing concepts. Other retailers collaborate with creative people and artists, or together with designers strive to work out hybrid store concepts where different functions are being combined in one location (e.g., a fashion store and a restaurant or bar). Many efforts that retailers and designers undertake today to differentiate from competitors are being placed under the umbrella of ‘experience’, ‘experience design’ or ‘experiential marketing’.
Although in retail practice almost all retailers and designers in one way or another seem to be involved with ‘experience’, until yet in academic literature that focuses on retail and retail design, knowledge on what experience exactly is seems to be rather scarce. The same seems to be the case with regards to the question if there are methods available that allow a resarcher to study experiences in retail stores. To answer these gaps in literature, this PhD thesis contains three parts. In these parts, we aim to get the interested reader acquainted with (i) a situation sketch about what Pine & Gilmore (1999) have labeled ‘the experience economy’ (ii) a conceptualization of ‘experience’ in retail stores (iii) a number of research methods that allow to study customer experiences in retail stores.

In part 1, we describe how the economy is many Western societies has evolved into an experience economy. With the help of various manifestations of experiences in diverse domains in economy and society, I try to develop a situation sketch to illustrate how our Western world nowadays is being penetrated with experience. In part 1, we evidently discuss in detail manifestations of experience in the retail landscape, and we specifically dive deeper into three specific types of retail concepts: flagship stores, concept stores and guerrilla or pop-up stores. Next, we elaborate on the question what retail design exactly is, and how it manifested and developed itself in the discipline of interior architecture. To conclude part 1, we focus on research in retail design. We question what research in retail design is, or should be. Indeed, until yet, academic research in interior architecture in general, and in retail design in particular, is still emerging. Therefore in chapter 3, we investigate if and how research from adjacent disciplines can contribute to the development of the body of theory within interior architecture in general, and in retail design in particular. We offer three basic guidelines for doing research in retail design: (i) applying an holistic research attitude (ii) trying to incorporate tacit knowledge in academic research from stakeholders that are involved in the process of designing and letting function actual retail concepts (iii) reasoning pragmatically when one has to make a choice for a particular research approach.

In part 2, we develop a conceptualization for experiences in retail stores. After a thorough review of literature, we develop a verbal conceptualization of ‘customer experience’. In order to represent our research results as clear and understandable as possible, we chose to also work out a visual representation of the verbal conceptualization, which resulted in ‘The Experience Web’. This Web refers to the image  of a spider web wherein we visually represented the twenty aspects that according to our literature review are inextricably bound up with experience. Next to studying academic literature on experience, we did not want to ignore attention for retail practice. Therefore, part 2 also contains two studies for which we studied actual retail practice. In study 1, which concerns a qualitative and explorative introspection study, I visited sixty-one retail stores in diverse Flemish shopping cities. After each store visit, I made an essay wherein I tried to document if and how the concerned retail store tried to translate aspects of the verbal conceptualization of customer experience into retail design practice. Study 1 resulted in the formulation of five groups of retail stores that each differ from one another with regards to the interpretation and translation which they each made relating to the different aspects of the experience web. In study 2 we investigated how a select group of retailers, designers and consumers connote experiences in retail stores. Do they try to take ‘experience’ into account when developing and designing new store concepts? If so, how do they do that? And how do consumers experience these stores? By interviewing different stakeholders in-depth, we learned that they do not all connote the aspects of the experience web in the same way. Although almost all twenty aspects of the experience web were discussed by the interviewed stakeholders, analyzing the data revealed that the interviewed retailers for instance approached the design process of a retail store with more rational arguments than the interviewed designers did.

After the exploration of the concept of ‘customer experiences’, in part 3 we focus on studying consumers’ perspectives with regards to experiences in retail stores. Taken into account the huge number of possible  research methods, we had to make a selection. We opted to set up a qualitative study, a mixed methods study and a quantitative study. In chapter 6, we reflect on the use of the qualitative photo-elicitation method in research in retail design. We illustrate our theoretical reflection with regards to the methodology with an explorative study in a shoe and fashion store. For this study (i.e., study 3), respondents made photographs in a retail store whereby they focused on photographing anything in or outside the store that triggered an experience for them during their store visit, of that made a certain impression on them. After them finalizing the photo assignment, the respondents were interviewed, whereby the photographs which they made could function as a can-opener or a tool allowing them to reflect on the experiences in the designed environment which they visited. In chapter 7, we elaborate on the role of emotions, a substantial and involved element with regards to ‘customer experiences’.

Previous research  has demonstrated that it is not evident to measure emotions which people experience with regards to a particularly designed product or designed space. Some researchers use quantitative scale techniques to measure emotions, while others use open, qualitative emotion measures. In study 4, we try to investigate if it yields for researchers who want to study emotions in retail stores to work with more and mixed methods (i.e., qualitative and quantitative methods). Our analyses pointed out that the more emotion measures researchers use, the more details and nuances concerning emotions in retail environments they are able to collect. In chapter 8, we report on a quantitative study (i.e., study 5). The starting-point for this study was the finding that various studies relating to consumers’ visions and behaviour or behavioural intentions in retail stores originating in adjacent disciplines, set up their research projects by showing respondents one or multiple photographs or a video of a retail store. On the base of these images, the concerned respondents got an impression of the ‘actual’ space. After exposing the respondents to experiencing this environmental representation, they completed the requested measurement instruments. This kind of research approach however is not welcomed and supported by designers, who are convinced that people should experience the actual 3D space in order to be able to experience that space to its full extent. Therefore, study 5 comprises two parts. In a first step, we thoroughly controlled and updated the paper of Turley & Milliman (2000) up to the end of 2011. Their paper has been often cited when researchers report on research relating to ‘atmospherics’ in retail stores. In a second step, we set up a quantitative study whereby 244 respondents were exposed to experiencing a retail store (i.e., a chocolate store with an adjacent coffee lounge) via one of four environmental representation modes. They were asked to experience the store (i) via one photograph (ii) via three photographs (iii) via a video (iv) via an actual store visit. The quantitative analyses on the diverse sub questions of our questionnaire demonstrated that the condition that could overall be clearly distinguished, is that of the ‘actual’ store visit. This implies that not only researchers, active in marketing and retail design, but also people, active in marketing and retail design practice, should be cautious when studying and potentially blindly interpreting findings of studies that have been done on the basis of diverse environmental representation modes.

After part 1, 2 and 3, we end the thesis with the general discussion and conclusions. After the discussiong of areas where improvement is possible, we elaborate on future research directions and possible implications this PhD study can have for theory and practice.
"


If you like to have a copy of my PhD thesis, please contact me at ann.petermans@uhasselt.be. Thank you!

During the last decades, different authors have argued that interior architecture lacked a specific body of knowledge, especially in relationship to architecture (Abercrombie, 1990; Marshall-Baker, 2000; Clemons & Eckman, 2008). The article argues that this gap can be partially bridged by combining theoretical knowledge with insights into the actual design processes. In the actual process of designing interior spaces, some kind of knowledge production is involved (Heylighen et al., 2007), for which designers can rely on different knowledge types, such as ‘explicit’ and ‘tacit’ knowledge (Polanyi, 1967; Collins, 2010; Friedman, 2000). As the discipline of interior architecture is seeking a stronger body of theory (Marshall-Baker, 2000; Clemons & Eckman, 2008), it seems particularly interesting ‘to bring tacit knowledge into articulate focus’ (Friedman, 2000, p.13). Therefore, this paper aims to explore the concept of tacit knowledge and its particular value for interior architecture, and then, to present the results of in-depth interviews with interior architects, who have been involved in the process of designing commercial interiors.

The design of retail stores has been the subject of considerable research in disciplines such as marketing and consumer behavior. But in many instances their output failed to reach or appeal retail - and interior designers. Their holistic approach seems to place little value in the results of research on the influence of isolated environmental stimuli on customer behavior, studied while exposing customers to modes of representation, other than the actual 3D - retail environment.
Research in retail design, based on methodologies and a vocabulary closer to the realm of designers, may bridge this gap. This paper wants to frame this phenomenon by focusing on three relevant concepts: ‘holism’, ‘research in design’ and ‘tacit knowledge’. The paper argues that research in retail design in a ‘designerly fashion’ and taking into account the discussed concepts, can contribute to the development of the discipline’s own body of theory.

As a method for differentiation, some retailers look for historic buildings to locate their store. This research tries to formulate an answer to the question how to strike a balance between respectful restoration and commercial exploitation of a heritage building.

The first section of our paper describes the tension between retail and heritage in historic city centres by using a SWOT-analysis, and argues how the role of retail branding can bridge these positions in creating a retail design that respects the historic and architectural qualities of the host space. The second section analyses two Belgian case studies of retailers who intentionally looked for a historic setting for their stores through interviews with architects and retailers who were involved in the project. The conclusion states that retail branding may contribute towards a balance between interests of retailers and conservators.

In the current experience economy, some retailers and retail designers aim at triggering customer experiences by associating the retail store‟s design with „authenticity‟. The notion of authenticity, however, is complex and layered and has been studied in several scientific disciplines. But within retail design, only limited research on authenticity is available. This paper aims to clarify the complex concept of authenticity in relation to retail design. Retail design as part of interior architecture is an emerging discipline. By establishing its theoretical basis, authors mostly rely on the knowledge of background disciplines; as in this paper, where we look at theories developed in marketing and philosophy to investigate how (staged) authentic retail settings be can situated in relation to the current experience economy.
The paper contains three large sections. The opening section presents a review of literature on retail design and the experience economy in relation to authenticity. The second section explores authenticity as defined through the theory on simulacrum by Plato, Baudrillard en Deleuze. In the third section, these theoretical insights are translated to the actual retail environment by surveying (staged) „authentic‟ retail stores in three shopping cities in Flanders (Belgium). Based on this survey, seven different groups of authentic stores are defined, moving from „real‟ to „hyperreal‟. This grouping should not be seen as a classification system but rather as a mental scheme to investigate and report on different approaches towards authenticity in retail store environments. The scheme can be applied in the field of consumer research as well as in retail (design) practice.

This article discusses elderly consumers' physical and social needs and wants in the marketplace, and presents case studies of two European food retail stores, which were designed to meet these concerns. The authors review information on the elderly consumers' segment and discuss literature on retail design and retail branding, and question how designers should be more aware of multiple modes of interpreting brands, given generational differences and the existence of various types of retail settings. Given that the physical and social aspects are considered key to improving the shopping experiences of elderly consumers, the authors also review literature that focuses on the importance of creating efficient, user-friendly, and aesthetically pleasing shopping environments, which pay particular attention to intangible social aspects. Older consumers' consumption satisfaction does not come merely from consuming for gathering tangible possessions, but from consuming while seeking intangible experiences, such as feeling welcome in a retail store (Kim et al., 2005; Sherman, Schiffman, & Mathur, 2001). The authors contend that retail stores, properly designed to meet the needs and wants of the mature market, can strongly enhance this consumer segment's shopping experiences.

The article concludes with the presentation of two case studies of "senior supermarkets" in Europe. By investigating how these stores pay attention to physical and social aspects, which older consumers value as important, the authors analyze to what extent both stores are truly retail environments, adapted to the needs and wants of the mature market.

The retail sector is increasingly focusing on experiences, because of the proven importance of creating emotionally
engaging experiences for in-store consumers (e.g. Shaw & Ivens, 2002). Since economics (and marketing) are progressing from a goods to a service dominant logic (Vargo & Lusch, 2004), inducing ‘experiences’ has become a means of communication as well as a possible differentiation strategy. In this current ‘Experience Economy’ (EE from now onwards), customers look for personal, intuitive relationships with brands and retailers (Pine & Gilmore, 1999, 2008). Experiences are the new source for value creation. But the concept of Pine & Gilmore’s EE is being criticized. The literature that emphasizes the importance for retailers to focus on experiences often lacks definitions of central concepts and empirical support (e.g. Bäckström & Johansson, 2006). Furthermore, experiences are always context- and situation-specific (Dewey, 1938). This implies that ‘experiences’, as conceptualized in Pine & Gilmore’s first generation EE, do not necessarily work in a European retail context. The present parameters for creating and directing memorable experiences are authenticity and originality. Design of retail environments should be directed towards values and creating appropriate ‘atmospheres’. Whereas the company was the frame of reference for value creation in the first generation EE, in the current second generation (Prahalad
& Ramaswamy, 2004a) the dialogue between customers and businesses forms the basis for the co-creation of values which
are meaningful and truly unique for the individual customer. This Ph.D. project aims to link the body of knowledge of an
EE with the growing discipline of retail design. Because retail design is an emerging discipline in the field of interior design,
it may well benefit from valuable and relevant input of several other disciplines, such as marketing, which, in their turn,
may learn from specific methodologies of design research.

Elderly people (often defined as people aged 65 years and older) are a rapidly growing segment of the current world population (UN, 2007). This demographic shift creates opportunities and challenges for designers, marketers and consumer researchers alike. However, there seems to be a lack of reliable knowledge concerning the needs and wants of this particular ‘grey market’ (Szmigin & Carrigan, 2001; Curch & Thomas, 2006).
For a retailer, it is of growing importance to be on the same wavelength as their customer(s), not only to determine the functional needs of a retail store, but also to understand what appeals emotionally to customers. In the current ‘Experience Economy’, customers look for personal, intuitive relationships with brands and retailers, with which they feel allied with (Pine & Gilmore, 1999). Creating and directing experiences has become a means of communication as well as a possible differentiation strategy. Recently however, the concept of Pine & Gilmore’s ‘Experience Economy’ is being criticized. The present parameters for inducing memorable experiences are authenticity and originality. Design of retail environments should be directed towards values and creating appropriate ‘atmospheres’, since experiences are the new source for value creation for customers.

This contribution aims to link the current issues of the ‘grey market’ with the growing discipline of Retail Design in general and the concept ‘Experience Economy’ in particular. Two successful European retail stores will illustrate how the design of retail stores can successfully be adapted to older customer’s needs and wants.

The late twentieth century saw rapid growth in consumption and the expansion of retailing and services. This was reflected in the number and type of stores and locations, from regional shopping malls and out-of-town superstores to concept and flagship stores. Retail design became an essential part of its success by creating distinctive brands and formats. However, the economic recession in the developed world and competition for consumer goods from the developing world has led to a re-assessment of the growth-led conventions of the retail industry. In addition, the rapid advance of e-commerce and online shopping has created new challenges for physical stores and the communication and distribution of retail brands. The book will provide students, researchers and practitioners a detailed assessment of retail design, taking a distinctive global approach to place design practice and theory in context. Chapters are devoted to key issues in the visual and structural contribution of design to retail brands and format development, and to the role of design in communication. In the course of the book, the authors engage with problems of convergence between retailing and other services and between the physical and virtual worlds, and also changing patterns of use, re-use and ownership of retail spaces and buildings. Retail Design concerns designers and organisations but also defines its broader contribution to society, culture and economy.