Xijin Zeng

My design is a supermarket to satisfy
people’s quick pace and changing shopping needs. Shopping is severely challenged
during COVID-19, which greatly affected our behavior and psychology. 

My grocery shopping in the supermarket
downstairs inspired me. Everyone in the queue was trying to keep 2 meters
distance. When the security guard passed by, the woman in front of me asked:
“Are there any eggs left?” It’s so crowded and I waited for 15 minutes just to
buy a box of eggs. 20 minutes later, I entered the supermarket and continued
with the social distance. I was relieved when I stepped out of the supermarket.
There was still a long queue...... So I decided to design a supermarket
providing a safe and enjoyable shopping experience. Since frequent hand washing
helps a lot, how do we incorporate this in a daily routine within this context? 

Based on my observation and survey, three
strong needs of shoppers were identified. Integrating them with the overall layout,
I created a new shopping journey. Goods were placed in different areas based on
their attributes. Colors, lights, sounds, etc. are used to guide customers'
shopping, making shopping behaviors simpler, more predictable, and more
efficient. Spatially, original shopping areas divided essential and staples.
Goods were statically or dynamically displayed according to their features.
Functionally, hand cleaning was the soul of my design. Different hand cleaning
ways are offered before, during, and after the shopping. 

Supermarkets meet people's physical and
mental needs during the quarantine. We may have to live with viruses for a long
time, and how to stay connected to others and society is the challenge to
embrace. 

The design responds to the existing social
phenomena and provides a possibility for dealing with social distancing in the
future retail industry.