Surfaces: How Starbucks Uses Unexpected Design to Drive Brand Loyalty
07/31/2015
DVS Project Newest Project
With more than 21,000 stores and 60 million customers weekly across the globe, Starbucks might as well be a religion. But it’s not just the coffee that keeps people coming back; the Starbucks experience is one of superior service, environmental awareness and ethical sourcing stitched together with cohesive, creative design.
It would be quite easy for Starbucks to replicate a mold blueprint across all of its stores worldwide. But instead, they choose to engage visitors with a visual atmosphere and ambiance unique to each location, often drawing inspiration from the surrounding area’s character and lifestyle.
As Starbucks’ preferred graphics and material production consultant, we work alongside their world-class team to develop captivating visuals on unconventional surfaces. Here are a few of our recent Starbucks installations throughout New York City:
54th Street and Broadway Nestled between the Theater District and Central Park, Starbucks at 54th Street and Broadway is an urban getaway in the heart of Midtown Manhattan. After a successful direct-to-cement display at the Starbucks in UNIQLO’s SPRZ NY, Duggal again produced a large format arrangement of architectural cement panels, with associates Steve Arnesen and Adam Ballaban liaising between the general contractor and design team to facilitate the heavy yet fragile installation.
2 Grand Central Tower More than 750,000 people pass through Grand Central Terminal every day. A gorgeous, constellation-themed mural at Starbucks in 2 Grand Central Tower captures the levitating energy of New York’s iconic train station, inviting customers in for a cup of coffee and a break from the busy world outside. We worked hand-in-hand with Starbucks store designers to produce a durable, colorful wallcovering that required perfect execution to isolate and match various light fixtures playing into the image.
Spring Street In SoHo, the Spring Street Starbucks welcomes its au courant crowd with a mirror map of the world’s coffee growing regions. Printed directly onto oversized glass with white ink, the map equates brews with the exotic cultural experiences sought by New Yorkers and tourists alike.
An Ongoing Collaboration Duggal is committed to continuing our collaborative design endeavors with Starbucks. It’s both a privilege and a pleasure to help convert their creative visions to in-store realities.
