Meeting with prof. Antonella Caru’, from Bocconi university, with some questions about service design - crea news - CREA International - italian retail design

Meeting with prof. Antonella Caru’, from Bocconi university, with some questions about service design

How can service design feed business? How can it be a success’ implementation?

Service design concerns design of services and it’s a difficult activity because of immateriality and procedural nature that characterize them. Service design rotates around the brand identity: the design of all elements of the service should be directed to the creation of brand identity. Following this aspect, a fundamental component is given by the environment, by the structures where service is provided, which must be functional to service delivery and to customer participation, but also help to create and and simultaneously convey the brand's service. The context in which the service is delivered has a strong impact on the brand and, on one side is the element of identity par excellence, on the other is the field that most directly contributes to the generation of customer experience: this may contribute significantly to the success of a service concept.

Have you got any considerable company case to bring as model?

A first example that comes to my mind is the one of “Apple Stores”, characterized by a modern interior design, charming, apparently simple but extremely aimed to details, with an optimal balance between functional aspects and emotional accessibility to the service. Another example is “Abercrombie”, very connotated, which divides consumers between those who hate it and those who love it, but that is an important element of identity for the brand. Very interesting in my opinion is “Eataly”, an innovative concept, masterfully developed following elements of originality focused on a concept of authenticity. I would also mention, among high emotional innovative designsCheBanca!, as expression of change in marketing strategies in retail banking field. It must be said that the contexts are not only physical, but can also be virtual: the websites linked to a brand (for example Mini, Fiat 500, or Nutella), are created to welcome people into a virtual experience

What are the main reasons that led you to call Crea International as company testimony to run your workshop?

A distinctive feature of our Master of Science in Marketing Management is the constant interaction with business: we deal with various themes searching for integration and comparison between theoretical and managerial aspects. In this case, facing servicescape’s aspect in Services Marketing course I wanted to engage a company who were skilled in service design activity: I asked about, I looked at your website and I called you, discovering with pleasure that we share the sensitivity to these issues, with a lecture marked by different and complementary skills.

Meeting with prof. Antonella Caru’, from Bocconi university, with some questions about service design - crea news - CREA International - italian retail design

Crea International at Bocconi University: why not? - crea news - CREA International - italian retail design

Crea International at Bocconi University: why not?

The Physical Brand Design idea and strategy approaching service design in telecommunication and retail banking field

Service design is becoming a driving element in defining a brand: the physical landscape in which company services are offered is one of the most important aspects able to communicate a company’s distinctiveness. The attention to the customer and his needs is an aspect which companies are more and more considering as essential in increasing their reputation because customer always expresses opinions and assessments firts of all trough the analysis of the touchable aspects of the service.

In this scenario it’s easy to understand the importance of projecting spaces that are strictly connected with the brand and the service model, that can fully embody brand’s values and spirit. That’s the first reason why, in her master’s degree in Bocconi University, Prof. Antonella Carù has invited Crea International to give a company testimony about service design.

Marco De Carli, strategy director of the retail design company, has held a lecture master to the last year Bocconi’s students, exploring how service design is the first step in retail concept innovation.

De Carli made an overview on Crea International’s way of working through the unique method of Physical Brand Design®: starting from exploring the different aspects of the process to define a service design strategy which lead to create an appropriate service model, retracing all the key points discussed with the client.

Most architecture and design projects are judged for their external aspect, but when it is the Brand that builds its space it is important to listen, to absorb its emotions, feelings and point of view.The aspect and form that will take its shape are the expression of its spirit and soul. That's PBD method, that’s the different starting point by Crea International from the others design studios. The brand identity is studied in every aspects, both digital and physical.Only by a careful analysis with the client a service model perfectly sewn on the brand can be created.

Marco De Carli during his speech focused on the steps which lead in creating an appropriate service design model, according to the brand’s values and expectations. He gave the example of Saudi Arabian Airlines,one of Crea’s important projects, to support this thesis : Crea's team spent 2 weeks in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, to try to understand how people live the spaces in places with different culture and habits.This period led to a better understanding of how starting in creating the space and experience and giving life to project.

Besides obviously thinking in creating an appropriate design it has been determinant to breathe the country, to observe people, to listen to their habits, to observe the landscape and, after that, possessing all the elements to start defining the layout. It's necessary to understand what kind of experience people will have within the space, what does the brand really want to translate in it to bring concept innovation to life, making the brand a unique one.

Service design must help to either innovate or improve services to make them more useful and desirable for clients, as well as more efficient and effective for organizations who are working to improve and innovate services. It is a very different way of approaching the way we think of the relationship between company and clients, through the creation of outstanding and innovative experiences, the tool through which companies can create competitive advantages and higher profit margins. But service design is not necessarily synonymous of innovation.

Before designing, a strategy must be put. And it is not always aimed to put high technologies, but sometimes the strategy is used to reinforce the brand’s mark. It must be said that surely technology has changed the relationship between clients and service providers, but it’s important to consider that clients are not so easy to understand, they have individual needs and expectations that are difficult to standardised. So Service design can really support the service market with new concepts, it can becomes the tool through which organisations can find a new way of standing out against competition and to offer new values. And there are a lot of ways of doing that: analyzing some distinctive projects of the retail design company as Air Bank and CheBanca!,Tim and Wind, Marco De Carli's presentation has focused on how service design gives a strong identity to the brand and strengthens its reputation and the relationship with the customer, aimed to make a client a faithful customer always according with the brand’s expectations.

Air Bank, basing on Agora model, is one of the examples where service design perfectly translate the relational model. Air Bank can be considered a store more than a bank, where the customer is free to do what he most desires: taking a seat and self-browsing, or being assisted by an attendant or just having a look to the new bank products. Whatever he decides to do he must feel free in a friendly and simply landascape, that wants to be noticed but be simply and fresh at the same time. A layout where feeling good and loose, easy to understand without renouncing to innovation, how the client who commissioned the project wanted.

CheBanca! instead is a start-up project that really wants to break down with the traditional bank patterns. It perfectly communicates through service design brand's values of a company that aimed to create a new positioning in retail banking field, without renouncing to simplicity, innovation, transparency and efficiency. A new concept which radically breaks down with the old bank rules, but offers a totally new landscape based on a opened and self browsing space in a friendly and intuitive layout.

Tim’s new layout instead was not so focused on new experiences for the customer or new technologies, but the brief of the company was to offer a space able to transfer to customers the historical value of the company, able to reassure the customer giving an accessible service model under a consistency of experience and language. The result is a highly understandable environment, emobodying brand's values, maintaining its colours and forms with the furnishing lines and the wall system all over the space reinterpreting the waves of the logo, symbol of technological and cultural evolution of a country which has always been accompanying the Italian customs and the trend and tastes changing.

Last, but not least Wind project underlines how service design has been able to reinforce the brand identity creating fashion oriented and glamour flagship stores, in Milano and Roma. Service design has been able, through the introduction of interaction areas through technology, to raise the brand’s identity and putting the company on a higher level among its competitors.

Marco De Carli comments below the importance of exchanging expertise beteween university world and company one : “ Generally speaking, service design is a strong asset helping the brand to reinforce customers’ relationship, reputation and distinctiveness versus competitors. We strongly believe that the uniqueness of a brand comes, beyond communication and branding, even from a strong experience within the store, in all its dimensions. The future of the brand is evolving and it ranges more and more among a lot of dimensions, between digital, physical and mobile ones.

Spaces can generate value, continuity and credibility within the dialogue between brand and customers.”

Crea International at Bocconi University: why not? - crea news - CREA International - italian retail design

A new air flowing into Czech Republic’s retail banking market : Air Bank. - crea news - CREA International - italian retail design

A new air flowing into Czech Republic’s retail banking market : Air Bank.

Discover the ambitious and new bank in central Europe designed by Crea International

Air Bank, just inaugurated in Prague, represents one of the most innovative and interesting retail-banking-design project conceived by the Physical-Brand-Design company in a country still attached to the traditional idea of bank.

The brief assigned by the client was to become brand of choice in retail banking that customers will talk about with enthusiasm and passion and to propose a new environment searching for new solutions, steping out from “banking routine”.

An innovative and interesting bank, introducing retail store coding rather than banking one, supporting selling process and dialog in a peer to peer relation with the bank. The final result is not a traditional bank but a real store that firmly wants to know its customers’ wishes and feelings, in a sort of community atmosphere of relationship and interaction, to invoke positive mode for satisfied customers.

Design innovation and return to ancient times harmoniuously blended in the metaphor of “Agorà” landscape, in ancient Greek an open “place of assembly” ,to create an opened bank where been really involved into the experience of freedom to browse by oneself or to be assisted if desired.

An opened squared place with a multifunctional central area to make the space fruition free, without frills, using modern technologies on a new service model, paperless, with outstanding services, speaking of semplicity and transparency in a friendly, enjoyable and pleasant space. All surrounded by an amphiteater with a stair system looking towards the center, where customers can choose the seating on different levels.

Finally a revolutionary project speaking a new language,which sets the mark of a really different bank which does not intend to astonish and confuse, but innovate to create value.

Massimo Fabbro, founder and ceo of Crea International, comments below the project result : “I guess Airbank concept represent a breakthough within european retail banking scenario: a fully peer-to-peer, simple and no-frills banking store, that welcomes customers into an unexpected and friendly enviromment. Thanks to PPF group that challenged us to create a concept whose we are deeply proud of."

A new air flowing into Czech Republic’s retail banking market : Air Bank. - crea news - CREA International - italian retail design

La società italiana di physical-brand-design firma un nuovo importante progetto nel retail banking: Air Bank

Commissionata da PPF, uno dei più importanti gruppi finanziari e di investimento in Europa centrale e dell’est, Crea International, la società italiana di retail design, è stata coinvolta nella progettazione di un nuovo standard bancario unico, innovativo e del tutto nuovo.

Un vero e proprio store bancario che trasgrediscei temi progettuali tradizionali e che porta un’aria nuova nel retail banking del centro Europa, un mercato ancorato tutt’oggi a stereotipi tradizionali.

Le direttive fornite dal cliente sono state quelle di creare un nuovo modello di servizio che potesse diventare un vero e proprio marchio di scelta nel panorama bancario, che i clienti potessero raccontare con entusiasmo e passione.

Un innovative concept che fa chiaramente intuire di volere conoscere i desideri e le aspettative dei propri clienti, che li può far sentire a loro agio e sicuri di come potersi muovere e cosa fare, in un ambiente amichevole, familiare fatto di rapporti tra le persone, di interazione e condivisione, per poter vivere la banca in un clima sempre positivo.

Air Bank nasce proprio da questi valori con l’intento di essere notata ed ammirata.

Un negozio più che una banca dove trasparenza, eleganza e semplicità coesistono armoniosamente per creare un design concept dove potersi muovere in libertà.

Un “bank store” di consulenza più che di transazioni, dove la tradizionale esperienza del correntista all’interno dell’istituto assume nuove connotazioni: il cliente protagonista di un viaggio dove potersi sentire libero, sempre con la consapevolezza che la banca si muove per lui, con lui.

Approcciandosi alla realizzazione del progetto con la metodologia di Physical-Brand-Design, il team creativo è partito dall’analisi del mercato, in uno scenario sempre più digitale dominato dalla continua crescita di nuove tecnologie atte a sviluppare nuovi linguaggi per banche sempre più tecnologiche ed informatizzate a discapito delle relazioni con i propri clienti. Questa tendenza ha creato una crescente perdita di fiducia nella banca come istituzione.

È nata così l’esigenza di creare un design concept senza fronzoli ma essenziale dove poter rendere più facile il dialogo tra la banca ed i suoi clienti.
Un nuovo modello di servizio, aperto, libero dalle costrizioni della banca tradizionale.

In Air Bank il cliente può decidere l’esperienza che vuole vivere : sedersi, consultare i servizi offerti e chiedere se lo desidera un aiuto ad un addetto, seduti fianco a fianco, di fronte al pc, proprio per enfatizzare il rapporto alla pari con la banca.

Un innovative thinking totalmente focalizzato alla relazione e non alla transazione, dove il cliente può sentirsi rassicurato.

All’interno della banca tutto è semplificato con l’utilizzo di moderne tecnologie, con una fruizione all’interno dello spazio snella e libera, di facile intuizione seguendo proprio quei valori che Air Bank conclama, seppure in modo discreto: semplicità, trasparenza, familiarità con il coraggio di offrire al mondo uno straordinario modello bancario, mai visto prima.

Caratteristiche visibili anche nel logo stesso della banca, pulito, essenziale in un mix di colori dal verde al nero che creano una decisa alternanza tra vitalità, freschezza, rigore e sicurezza.

Questo nuovo interior design prende ispirazione dall’”Agorà” , nella Grecia antica una piazza di aggregazione, dove lo staff e il cliente possono stare fianco a fianco.

Un negozio dove poter decidere se operare autonomamente, sedersi e rilassarsi nella consultazione e o affidarsi al servizio di personale qualificato.

Ne risulta così un ampio spazio aperto con al centro un’area multifunzionale con sofisticata tecnologia interamente circondato da un anfiteatro multigradino con postazioni su vari livelli, tutte affacciate verso il centro.

Gli spazi chiusi e privati sono ridotti proprio per distaccarsi dalla vecchia icona bancaria, perché lo spazio è tutto per il cliente.

Finalmente una nuova banca, che parla un nuovo linguaggio, che pone un fermo paletto per una banca davvero innovativa che non vuole sorprendere o confondere, ma porre l’attenzione al cliente e l’innovazione come saldi valori per una nuova era bancaria.

Massimo Fabbro, cofondatore e CEO della società milanese, commenta così l’amizioso progetto: “Credo che il concept di Air Bank rappresenti un nuovo inizio nello scenario del retail banking. Un negozio vero e proprio dove potersi sentire alla pari con la banca, semplice e senza fronzoli che accoglie il cliente in un ambiente inaspettato e amichevole.Un ringraziamento speciale a PPF che ci ha dato l’opportunità di creare un concept del quale siamo profondamente fieri”.

Per maggiori informazioni:

www.creainternational.com

francesca.soffici@creainternational.com

mattia.stabile@creainternational.com

After Milano’s concept projected by Crea International, inaugurated in Rome the second Flagship Store of Wind - crea news - CREA International - italian retail design

After Milano’s concept projected by Crea International, inaugurated in Rome the second Flagship Store of Wind

The retail telecom Wind lands in P.za di Spagna with its innovative design concept

The "Empathicspherical" Open Flagship store opens its doors in Rome with its orange, blue, white and gray areas as distinguished areas of a new planet or better to say of a new Biosphere, meant as a habitat capable of generating a new life of telecommunication.

A reinterpretation of technology to facilitate the relationships between human beings, in a nowadays more and more globalized and under pressure world.

As a result the indissoluble binomial of Biosphere and Empathy inspired the Physical-Brand-Design company who conceived an innovative design project as a bio spherical, harmoniously technological environment which fruit of a design sensitive to the balance of different chromatic and morphological elements becomes a perfect habitat for a new empathic community.

Not only a telecommunication shop, but even a place destined to become a meeting place and landmark for telecom world and people.

After Milano’s concept projected by Crea International, inaugurated in Rome the second Flagship Store of Wind - crea news - CREA International - italian retail design

Crea International: concept innovation within retail banking design shortlisted and showcased at the prestigious exhibition of “Compasso d’oro ADI award” - crea news - CREA International - italian retail design

Crea International: concept innovation within retail banking design shortlisted and showcased at the prestigious exhibition of “Compasso d’oro ADI award”

CheBanca! Under the spotlight in Rome for the full-service-design category for the retail design company

The Compasso d'Oro ADI is the oldest but also the most authoritative design’s award, born from a Gio Ponti’s idea, aimed to give value to Italian design products.

Adi foundation (industrial design association) selects the most important projects, in different design fields, and gives the price to the best.

This year, the interior design company Crea International will take part into with its innovative project CheBanca! within the full-service-design section.

On 30th of May the event “Uniqueness of Italy - made in Italy and national identity - 1961/2011 Fifty years of Italian know through the Compasso d' Oro ADI award” will be inaugurated in Rome and will last until 25 of September.

A unique opportunity for Crea International to partecipate to a remarkable event in design’s world with its innovative retail banking design of CheBanca!.

The project is really enclosed in service design category, showing its essential, innovative, technological but friendly layout. A design innovation which takes the retail banking branch from an impersonal financial sphere to a different level able to stimulate interaction among customers, even thanks to its innovative design.

The Italian-retail-design company waits anxiously the day of the award ceremony on 12 of July, which will decree the winner.

Crea International: concept innovation within retail banking design shortlisted and showcased at the prestigious exhibition of “Compasso d’oro ADI award” - crea news - CREA International - italian retail design

Qatar's future has a bank: Barwa Bank!

Discover the last retail-banking-design innovative concept by the Crea International

The Qatari future has got a new bank, Barwa Bank which represent the most challenging retail-banking-design project conceived by the Physical-Brand-Design company: designing the most progressive Shariah compliant islamic bank of the future, showcasing either modernity and coolness strongly rooted with the tradition of the country. The objective was to propose an environment aimed to customers more and more familiar with most innovative technologies, a bank thought where people would feel comfortable and welcome in an retail environment close to the fashion mid market luxury.

Through the methodology of Physical-Brand-Design, Crea International team approached the project in a very logical and structured way: "In the first place, the history and traditions of the country had been studied to get familiar with the components Qatari people felt very belonging to their culture and were proud of. Crea also analysed throughout the mission of Barwa Bank and the values it stands for, and finally we looked at the banking models both in Western and Middle East countries to build a strong point of difference and a gap with the current models.

To ensure real distinctiveness versus such current banking models and to build the most innovative bank, Crea International designed a new service standard: only a central banking area hosting multifunctional comfortable workstations where the bank assistant can seat close or in front of his client looking together at touch screen table, where all banking functions can be performed with total transparency and almost paperless. The final result is a delicate balance between tangibility, simplicity, intuitive space fruition of the service model together with the warm but still precious environment and design that characterizes the banking space.

The original inspiration came both from the landscape of Qatar and its nature: the dunes inspired the smooth shapes mixed with clear cut geometrical lines, the flowers of the desert with their delicate colours were source of inspiration for being symbol of energy and growth, the mother pearl and the finely carved architectural walls became the main components to translate the precious approach we wanted Barwa Bank to deliver. The bank would just be like a treasure chest: the centre of the branch hosts the precious blossom flower of the desert around which orbit as petals, a series of working stations where the main bank activities sheltering the growth of the country are operated.The mother pearl luminescence dresses the whole space to capture the Qatari colours, while the inlays with Islamic arabesque run along the perimeter walls.

Clients can freely browse within the branch and do not need to take a seat to queue while waiting their turn: each client is welcome by a butler who registers his priority of attendance, while letting take a look at the interactive tables showcasing all banking new products or at the innovative electronic devices displayed at the entrance". Finally a fully transparent shop front characterizes Barwa Bank: no posters, no displays, the bank innovative design is its best communication to announce the arrival of a new bank in town. To strengthen this uniqueness of Barwa Bank all atm machines and mobile branches have been developed with the same strong design approach. The flower, iconic symbol of Barwa Bank is now blossoming through out Qatar to deliver top quality service to clients.

Massimo Fabbro, Ceo of Crea International comments the project result achieved: " I am extremely proud of the design concept of Barwa Bank. The service model innovation developed for Barwa is breaking the rules of current retail banking models: it introduces a free flow and browsing approach and integrates and expands the self banking model one hand and strengthens the consultancy approach on the other. The final result is feasible either from the quality of design and the kind of service experience which are perceived as a fully integrated experience driven by our unique Physical-Brand-Design projectual methodology". In order to guarantee the highest standards in terms of professionalism and contracting quality, the implementation of Barwa Bank design concept branch has been entrusted to Bnaider United Group.

Design Innovation e Concept Innovation per il primo Flagship Store di Finanza & Futuro Banca inaugurato a Roma

Il 26 Novembre 2010 è stato inaugurato a Roma il primo Flagship Store di Finanza & Futuro Banca, progettato dallo studio di Italian Retail Design Crea International, specializzato nella progettazione di retail banking design concept caratterizzati da un alto coefficiente di innovative design.

Gli uffici dei promotori finanziari sono stati realizzati secondo un retail design concept fortemente orientato alla consulenza finanziaria: "Un viaggio finanziario in prima classe", questo innovative design concept sviluppato secondo l'esclusiva metodologia progettuale di Physical Brand Design.

Il concept store prende vita dall'ossimoro progettuale di "Esclusività e Accessibilità", introducendo così un nuovo standard altamente competitivo all'interno del private banking: uffici considerati come punti di riferimento di "Alta Consulenza Finanziaria", indirizzati ad un ampio range di clientela affluent.

Un servizio di "Alta Consulenza Finanziaria" erogato all'interno di un design concept che richiama un terminal di viaggio esclusivo, reso unico da un coefficiente stilistico di rotondità che ambisce a comunicare una forte desiderio di vicinanza nei confronti del cliente.

Altro elemento chiave del retail design concept è linguaggio cromatico all'interno, che è caratterizzato da una morbida scala cromatica che si sviluppa attorno al gradevole contrasto tra il blu e il bianco.

Nell’insieme esso conferisce consapevolmente un immaginario fresco al concept, che mantiene allo stesso tempo alta la percezione e l' identità di un luogo cardine, in cui vengono forniti "Servizi Top Class" per "Clienti Top Class".

L’apertura di questo nuovo importante presidio di rappresentanza si inserisce nel piano di espansione e restyling della rete di F&F Banca, che tra il 2009 e il 2011, prevede l' apertura di nuovi uffici secondo l'implementazione dell'innovative design concept di Crea International e la modernizzazione di altri 100 già esistenti.

All’inaugurazione del design concept di Roma, seguirà quella del Flagship store di Milano, prevista entro la prima metà del 2011.

Per ulteriori informazioni, mattia.stabile@creainternational.com