RetailStoreWindows.com: Central St. Martins Summer School

Tuesday 1 July 2008

Central St. Martins Summer School

The Interior Design Course for Retail environments at Central St. Martins at the The University of the Arts, London, in collaboration with the Domus Academy in Milan has run successfully for two consecutive years.
Students enrolled on the previous two courses have had an in-depth knowledge of their individual industry. A typical student profile indicates that they are already practicing Architects and Interior designers, particularly from South America, India, Russia, Asia and North America and various European countries.
The nine-day course is aimed at designers who wish to work in, or who are new to, the retail sector and who need to improve their knowledge and creativity in their approach to store layout, Interior Design and point of sale. Students complete a realistic brief based on some key concepts and develop these through one to one tuition.

Students have the opportunity to improve their drawing, model-making and presentation skills and develop their critical awareness to Commercial spaces as they experience them on visits to places of interest.

Upon conclusion of the course students have a keen understanding of Commercial Design in London and a portfolio of research, concepts and finished design work that will become a valuable tool in future work or studies.

Topics Covered include:
Creating Visually Stimulating Environments, Graphics and Signage, Model-making, Product handling, History of Mannequins, Lighting, Graphics and dressing and product handling.

Site visits have included Adel Rootsteins factory and showroom (Image below left) Proportion London's factory and showroon, Concorde Graphics, iGuzzini, Materials Lab and Madame Tussauds design studio.

Previous students have also had the opportunity to develop their own ‘individual’ concept for their home market within the course with support in developing design concepts from initial idea through to reality via specialist resources which give a basic understanding in how to look at Commercial Interiors and store layout which mirrors industry practice.

The tailored Lecture programme which introduces students to a wide body of information from a Global perspective and research methodology within the University of the Arts, London.