Spatial visualization, wayfinding system, and brand sculptures for the electronic retailer's flagship 70,000 square foot production studio.
Goal matrix developed for briefing the project's design objectives
Custom 3D visualization of the studios for realtime stakeholder walkthroughs of the space while the building was under construction
Upon entering the studio you're greeted with a powerful brand statement, the company's signature "yellow tag" icon, presented with a surprising twist...
... the Yellow Tag artwork is made entirely out of recycled vintage technology, painted electric yellow, and accented with a photo lens forming the black pinhole of the Best Buy logo.
Past the terrace's video feature wall, you'll find work stations and a monumental sculpture of a tornado, symbolically championing the incredible origin story of Best Buy
These two newspapers, featured next to the sculpture, document how a tornado forever changed the course of electronic retail history. August 1981: In the aftermath of a devastating tornado, an upstart audio equipment retailer's owner, Dick Schulze, rallied his employees to sell all his damaged goods in the parking lot. Widely-advertised with "best buy" prices, after two days the unique sale ushered in the company's largest profits of the year. Having learned a valuable new approach to accessible shopping, with every product on display and able to be handled, the company's board opened their very first superstore and changed their name from "The Sound of Music" to "Best Buy".
With this newfound direction, Best Buy would go from nine local locations to over a thousand superstores spanning across the world — all because of the incredible ingenuity shown in the wreckage of that fateful tornado.
Tornado 3D concept visualization vs. photographed final installation
Custom room signs, a nod to the classic and foundational tech that Best Buy has sold through the years