Aesthetics, Design, and Product Development

Computer-Aided-Design for a Visual Merchandising Class: A Case Study with the Program Developer and the Industry for a Curriculum Development

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Abstract

Recently, the importance of Computer-Aided-Design (CAD) in visual merchandising, which creates 3D store designs, is increasing in the retailing industry. According to vrSoftware, CAD in visual merchandising can significantly save time and labor for store design (cost-saving), improve communication with staffs globally, increase consistency of brand identity, help buyers’ merchandise selection with a sense of store atmosphere, and ultimately drive sales. Educators in higher education recognized the importance of CAD for students (Meakin, 2010); however, not many colleges are currently offering students an actual 3D store design CAD program in the classroom. Even if teaching a CAD, no clear direction/criteria exist to evaluate the class curriculum/outcomes to determine whether the class teaches students necessary skill sets that are transferable to their future professional job and whether students’ store designs are artistic and scientific enough to be used in a commercial setting. Therefore, this study examined whether the current curriculum of the author’s class is appropriately developed for students to achieve necessary skill sets that meet the industry expectations. This study is a case study with the Mockshop program created by vrSoftware. Two types of surveys were developed, one for the Mockshop program developer and the other for the companies in the industry, to receive valuable inputs for the curriculum development. The surveys include students' Mockshop assignments developed based on the program developer’s objectives and questions for the program developer and the companies to evaluate students’ designs.

Keywords: computer-aided design, Mockshop, store design, visual merchandising

How to Cite:

Kim, S. & Horridge, L., (2012) “Computer-Aided-Design for a Visual Merchandising Class: A Case Study with the Program Developer and the Industry for a Curriculum Development”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 69(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/itaa.17271