Chapter 3: The Added Value of Designing by Crossmodal Correspondences

A popular quote from Clare Muscett, who is an influential customer experience entrepreneur, points to the importance of the design process in establishing good customer experiences. In this chapter, we take a fresh look at how a design process can be organised and which inspiration can be given to designers. More specifically, we investigate whether a process of designing by crossmodal correspondences, a specific sensory processing phenomenon, might be of added value to the design process of a physical retail environment and to the experience of (the sensory properties of) that environment.

The physical retail environment in which brands are sold can have as much effect on customer perception as the quality of the products sold in that environment [1]. Indeed, the positioning of a retailer is encapsulated and communicated through different levels, with the physical store interior being one of these levels [2]. Although nowadays the online retail environment is also an important marketing tool, the design of a physical retail environment can thus not be overlooked. Furthermore, it is precisely in this store itself that customers can experience the brand through all their senses [3].