Project Overview
Virgin Voyages is an exciting new cruise line venture from Virgin offering adults only luxury cruising an escape and breath of fresh sea air from the chaotic perception of crowded casinos and endless towering decks. My conceptual design features an adults only experience giving visitors a taste of what an experience on board might look and feel like with strong design influences taken from the interiors on board designed by internationally renowned designers such as Tom Dixon and Roman Williams. To engage and attract customers to my stand I included fun interactive elements along with relaxed sun loungers and cocktail bar to mimic the atmosphere on board.
Project Brief
The three week project was an introduction into retail design with a strong focus on really understanding the client or in this case a brand. The brief gave us the flexibility to choose our own brand to create a 'branded environment' for an exhibition in an international trade fair event occupying a 10m x 10m x5m space.
Design Rationale
My design will incorporate the Vigin Voyages ethos and sustainable exclusive adults only escape, revolutionising the cruising experience.
The concept will reflect the high-end finish and the bold extravagant interior style to catch the eye of potential customers in the large space of the exhibition hall
Within my design I will evoke the look and feel through using cruise ship imagery such as the funnel, balcony and decking areas
Customers will be able to explore what it is like to be a 'sailor' with Virgin Voyages and the service thy should expect on board the cruise. I will do this by having a full sized cabin, bar on the upper deck and a multipurpose space that can be transformed to accommodate events that might take place on board the cruise such as live music or their Vitamin C wellness programme.
Design Response
I was allocated a corner plot so it was important for me to use this as an advantage in my final design. To start developing I did lots of research into the brand and as this was a relatively new venture for Virgin my conceptual project felt very real and gave me a great insight to what it would be like designing for a real event. I gathered lots of imagery of the ships proposed interior and exterior. From this I looked at how I could create an experience for people visiting my stand and give them a real sense of what the Virgin Voyages lifestyle is all about. I explored taking a section of the ships architecture to create a rooftop balcony like what would be offered on the upper terrace of the cruise ship. This gave me space to showcase a full sized furnished cabin on the lower floor complete with a fully interactive balcony with fun animations including flying dolphins and Sir Richard Branson kitesurfing on the ocean waves as you cruise by sipping complimentary champagne. This all creates the fun extravagant experience you can expect on board.
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