With the advent of digital technology and marketing, it is said that the era of ‘Touch and Feel’ is long gone. But this cannot be held true for the architecture and interior design industry, where experience matters a lot. Successful interior design brands create opportunities for people to try out their products using digital, traditional, and experiential approaches. However, to get an idea of the right touch and feel, to check the ergonomics, to get an idea of colour options, and to quality check, the in-store experience becomes essential. A significant part of the population still prefers to feel products firsthand, especially big-ticket and custom products like appliances, furniture, and building materials. With this increased demand for more urbane, upgraded experience, and personalized participation, most brands have now gone ahead with the launch of experience centers.
Reinventing the identity of a showroom and fusing it with an exhibition, an experience center is spatially zoned to accommodate pockets of real setups to give the users a qualitative experience of materials, finishes, or objects. Arranging the elements in the righ configuration and using props like wall art, lighting, or tabletop accessories can help visualize and experience products. Planning an experience center through-composed zones can also help in engaging the user in a concept with multiple products instead of only one piece of furniture. Each space should be curated to provide the experience of a realistic setup and help visitors visualize the catalogue of spaces from which they handpick the curated products. A well-designed experience centre can work as a silent interior designer that recommends solutions, which can be experienced before it is bought.
While the showrooms are made up of visual components, experience centers engage all senses of the users and create a meaningful experience for them. An experience center can influence the way people feel about the products, through the ambience, lighting, or even through the music that plays in the background. The furniture or the furnishings is displayed in a flexible way for people to have a hands-on experience with the products which helps them articulate their decision to buy a quality product that suits them. Thus, an experience center can not only make the products look more aesthetically vibrant but also helps in increasing the footfall of the products by offering exclusive experiences.
The KariGhars, the interior designers of Bangalore, revolutionized the design scene with a grand experience center launched in close collaboration with Aristo India, the perfectionists in finishing.
The KariGhars, ‘The Gods of Contemporary Design’, have set the standard for great interior
design, with the launch of the very first Experience Centre in Bangalore. The experience center of Karighars has transformed the notion of viewing online to indulge physically with the product. The center is designed to provide a sense of how a home might appear and function. It is an assortment of different designs, materials, furniture, and furnishings. One can start imagining their dream home as they explore the storage-friendly designer solutions and modular wardrobes with smart shelving, deep drawers, and other features that optimize every surface of any property. The KariGhars’ handcrafted products and finishes can be viewed, as well as be touched and felt by the consumers. The center is a conceptualized reality, and not simply a showcase for furniture products. As a result, the entire space is spruced up with a range of colour schemes and themes in furniture, furnishings, and décor. The center allows the consumers to relax on the sofa and peruse the wardrobes so that they indulge in experiencing the products.
An ‘Experience Center’ is meant to leave a memory and an ever-lasting impression, and so
spaces that give the users an experience with events or pop-up shows while allowing its visitors in full-brand immersion seem like the perfect medley for the present-day urban environment. Expanded from the traditional brick-and-mortar stores and showrooms, the experience centers showcase the quality and comfort of the products. Technologies like virtual reality and augmented reality are no more restricted to being an online experience but are actively present in experience centers. These spaces are curated to suit the brand, style, and audience with art installations, innovative technology, coffee bars, themed events, and museum-like walk-through space, where the potential consumer can assess and experience the brand on their terms as the way forward.