L+R's spatial computing workflow for Printemps New York's interactive signage design

Case Study: L+R

Trailblazing with the latest capabilities of ShapesXR on the Meta Quest, strategic design and technology consultancy L+R partnered with Printemps New York to develop an integrated digital wayfinding system for its luxury flagship store at One Wall Street in New York City. L+R utilized ShapesXR's real-time prototyping and Figma integration to design, test, and refine the in-store digital signage, ensuring its optimal information architecture and user experience within the foundational digital ecosystem connecting online and in-store for Printemps' U.S. launch.

Background and Objectives

Printemps selected L+R, a strategic design and technology consultancy recognized as an emerging leader in spatial computing design, to develop the integrated digital platform for its highly anticipated New York City flagship at One Wall Street. This ambitious project encompassed in-store digital signage, a mobile web experience, and the brand's website. This collaboration strategically aligned with Printemps' vision to fuse its esteemed Parisian heritage with cutting-edge digital innovation as it expands into the U.S. retail landscape.

Developing the in-store digital signage system for Printemps New York presented considerable challenges due to the ongoing construction. The team needed to effectively design information hierarchy, test user navigation, and contextualize the system within the evolving physical environment. Crucially, determining optimal typography, layouts, component sizing, and placement for visibility, aesthetics, and functionality had to be achieved without the possibility of on-site physical prototyping.

The partnership focused on three key objectives:

  1. Developing an intuitive, user-friendly system that would complement the luxury shopping experience
  2. Optimizing screen placement and sizing despite the absence of a completed physical store
  3. Utilizing immersive prototyping tools to simulate customer interactions and make real-time adjustments to design decisions.
“ShapesXR streamlined our team’s collaboration, providing a shared spatial canvas to align on design and user experience in real-time.” - Sonia Shah, strategist at L+R

Implementation and Use

The first phase of the project required the evaluation of several screens of various sizes and aspect ratios. Properties like scale, orientation and height were evaluated by modeling the screen using ShapesXR built-in creative toolset or by importing a 3D model of the display. After import, the models were visualized in Mixed Reality using ShapesXR passthrough features to help find the optimal solution and communicate the decision to the Printemps team. 

The second phase of the project focused on enhancing in-store navigation by implementing visual aids on the screens. In this case, the team was able to import their Figma design at scale and evaluate design changes in real-time thanks to the Figma <> ShapesXR synching capabilities. L+R's team members could design on their computers in Figma, while allowing for updates to their team members in the global offices to test and show the client also. Combined with printed prototypes, the workflow enabled meticulous refinement of layouts, enhanced accessibility, and ensured the digital signage seamlessly integrated with the brand's luxurious aesthetic.

No items found.

Results and Conclusions

ShapesXR fundamentally transformed L+R's design process for Printemps New York, unlocking immersive, full-scale prototyping capabilities that far surpassed traditional toolkits limitations. This provided L+R with a significant advantage, empowering their UX/UI team to rapidly visualize, iterate, and test designs at true scale, well in advance of physical construction. This real-time spatial prototyping fostered seamless collaboration between design teams and Printemps stakeholders, ensuring a unified vision from concept to execution. Ultimately, ShapesXR facilitated a more efficient and confident design journey, minimizing uncertainty and leading to optimized final implementation decisions.