CTE 3835 Midterm Study Guide:Visual merchandising: showing merchandise and concepts at their very best, with the end purpose of making a sale; silent selling.The functions of displays include:- To sell products- Promote store image- Educate customer in the store longerElements of design: (“tools” that you can use to create a selling display)- Color - Texture- Proportion- Direction- Line- Shape- Size- Sequence- TensionPrincipals of design: (“rules that govern the way the design elements are used in the overall presentation)- Unity - Harmony- Balance- Repetition- Rhythm - Emphasis- Contrast- Surprise*The first and most critical of the design element is color. *If using a neutral background you can make emphasis on the display. Neutral colors can be combined with any color group. *Colors are grouped into three families: neutrals, warm, and cool. Primary colors:- Red- Yellow- Blue Secondary colors:- Orange- Green- Violet *If you mix primary colors with secondary colors you’ll form tertiary (third-level) colors combination:- Example: yellow-green, blue-violetShades of a color are made by adding varying amounts of black or gray to darken it.Tints are created by adding white to a basic color to make it lighter.Value is the amount of lightness or darkness in a color.Hue is another word for the name of a color family- red, blue, brown, and so on. Intensity is the brightness or purity of the color.Monochromatic schemes:- Consist of a single color in different values and intensities (more white or gray blended into the basic color) Example: navy blue with medium blue and light blue.Analogous schemes:- Consist of two or more colors that are next to each other on the color wheel. Example: yellow with yellow- green.Complementary schemes:- Consist of two colors that are directly opposite of each other on the color wheel. Example: yellow and violet.Split- complimentary schemes:- Consist of three colors- one central color plus the two colors on either side of its complement. Example: yellow with red-violet and blue- violet. Double complementary schemes:- Consist of four colors- two colors plus their complements. Example: yellow with violet plus green with red. Triadic schemes:- Consist of three colors that are equidistant from one another on the color wheel (they forma a triangle when you look at the wheel) example: orange, green, and violet. Texture- is how a surface actually feels to the touch or how it appears that it might feel if touched. For example, roughness and smoothness may be readily visible but softness and hardness may require actual physical contact. Textures are often compared or contrasted in a display of merchandise. Proportion- is the relationship between the apparent size, mass, scale, or optical weight of two or more objects.Direction- in retail terms refers to the design element or tool that leads the shopper’s eye from one place to another. A directional arrow that points to a particular destination and leads the shopper from one space to another is one example. Lines- guide the eye to a feature or linear element that sets a mood. Long horizontal lines can suggest calm and stability, for example: jagged diagonal lines can convey a sense of excitement and movement. Promotional mix- is a combination of communication tools- advertising, in-store marketing, special events, and personal selling in addition to visual merchandising- that tells targeted customers about a store and its merchandise.What do visual merchandisers do? - Installing promotional signing for in-store selling - Designing and executing window and interior displays that support advertising goals- Producing workable departmental layouts and interior décor- Devising merchandise fixture layouts for day to day operations- Placing and presenting merchandise on walls and fixtures- Working as a team members with the stores promotional staff*Formal balance is symmetrical*Informal balance is asymmetrical Store layouts:- Grid layout- a linear design for a selling floor where fixtures are arranged to form vertical and horizontal aisles throughout the store. It is efficient in terms of space; allows orderly stocking, helps shoppers see (and reach) a great number of items easily, is simple and predictable to navigate, efficient to maintain. - Free-flow layout - has selling fixtures arranged in loosely grouped, informal, nonlinear formationsto encourage browsing. - Racetrack layout- exposes shoppers to a great deal of merchandise as they follow a perimeter traffic aisle with departments on the right and left of the circular, square, rectangular or oval “racetrack”- Soft aisle layout- fixtures are arranged in groups, creating natural aisles without any change in the floor covering to designate a separate aisle space. - Combination floor layout - employs the best features of several selling floor layouts in an overall plan that suits a retailer’s specific strategy. The five areas of a department within department store:- Trend- Test- Key items- Basics - A shop*The back should be used for clearance, on floor fixtures only, present clearance goods on large fixtures.Feature Fixtures: typically hold smaller merchandise assortments, allowing presentation of a single style (on a two way) or a coordinate grouping (on a four way). They are intended to spotlight items rather than show full category assortments. Test merchandise is usually presented on these. Position them in the isle to the front of the store.How to sort merchandise:- End use- Fabrication- Style- ColorCapacity fixture- holds large quantities of merchandise, usually showing a single style in several colors and in a complete range of sizes. They are the largest floor fixtures in the store; they should be positioned primarily in the rear of department or store layout. *Garment rods and crossbars are used in walls. *Sales per square ft. determine where you place merchandise. *The single most important fixtures are tables*The second most important fixture: T-stands *Do not put pants on top of tops on the wall and never let pants touch the floor. *Drawers must be at eye levelA Gondola is a versatile four-sided capacity fixture that may shelved for folding or stackable products, and is occasionally set with garment rods to show apparel on hangers. They are used for house ware or glassware; not used in the juniors department. Bins and Cubes- are interchangeable terms although many retailers define cubes as containers that are open on their