You can’t judge a book by its cover. It’s an old saying that’s true—to a point. After all, it’s the cover that catches a reader’s attention. And the same is true of the window displays of your business. Crafting a creative, attention-grabbing display can seem intimidating. But with a little creativity and some promotional products for small business, you can pull off a wow-worthy showcase.
Use (and break!) patterns
Simple patterns draw eyes because they’re familiar. But often it’s a surprise element that puts a display over the top. For example, rather than build a display out of identical water bottles, put together a wide variety. Include an infuser water bottle , a foldable water bottle in a surprising shape and a bottle with a matte exterior. Water bottles in various shapes, styles and sizes can create a recognizable pattern that is still full of surprises.
Dazzle them with lights
Lighting can be used to dress up your display. Use sidelights to create a three-dimensional effect and spotlights to highlight a particular product. Remember that using light and shadow can draw attention to different areas of your small business displays. The source of the light itself can add a level of interest, so surround your product with wine glasses with a light-up stem or place a product you want to highlight in a light-up Mason jar.
PARC it
Understanding some basic rules of design makes it easier to create a stellar display. You want something that stands out, but be careful not to overwhelm the customer.
It’s helpful to think of the acronym PARC:
- Proximity: Create a collection of related elements that go with your theme.
- Alignment: Think of your display as a series of rows and columns, and try to balance products, colors and sizes to make things look uniform.
- Repetition: If you like a particular color or shape, try repeating it throughout your display. That will help pull it together.
- Contrast: Find ways to use opposites to make your display easy on the eyes. Look for dark and light, short and tall, and smooth and textured elements.
For example, if you wanted to create a simple display using book totes (#111831), arrange a variety of colors in a checkerboard pattern by alternating dark and light colors.
Create a narrative
People are drawn in by a story—especially a simple one. Here’s an example: create a series of scenes starring robot puzzles. Start your display with the creation of the robots and then change out the display periodically to send your characters on adventures, such as shopping, rock climbing or sporting events. You can even get customers involved by running a contest to name your characters (winners could get a robot of their own). This type of display works especially well around the holidays.
Creativity can be easy
Small business displays are an excellent way to draw traffic to your business. Just by using a little storytelling, simple design ideas, lighting and promotional products for small businesses, your displays will go from good to wow!