As in my previous post, I used my trip into town to think about the subject of my POS stand. The Xbox 360 was an initial idea, but their POS stands are already efficient, minimalist and apparently easy to assemble. But then I walked around a corner and saw the ugliest POS I have ever seen: The Playstation 3.
A hulking monster more reminiscent of a home cinema it looked unwieldy and totally out of place in the games shop environment. Admittedly, I am designing for a supermarket environment but as most shops follow the ‘white box’ style of design (with some breakaway exceptions) the Playstation 3 with it’s giant, empty, black shelves holding token accessories, huge HD screen which could not handle the fast paced graphics, and brooding console underlit by coloured lights seems totally out of place in any retail environment. This may just be my opinion, but next time I will take some photos and post them, so you can see what I mean.
Admittedly, the Playstation POS may have been designed to defy the white box rather than blend into it, but it was not an elegant display. The console should be lifted onto a pedestal, not the television above it. The television dwarfed the console, and the lights drew attention to it but did not enhance it. I think this is my chosen subject, simply because it could be done so much better. However, I am going to research other sites in other environments, such as supermarkets, other electronics shops, games shops, department stores both in London and in Leicester. I will then compare these sites and hopefully gain data to put into my ideas.
I just can’t believe they didn’t showcase the Playstation 3 for what they want us to see it as: a powerful, elite console. Hopefully I will do this while at the same time as using ethical and environmental materials.
