Although many consumers don’t consciously realize it, retail design is an extremely important aspect of the shopping experience. Retail design incorporates gestalt psychology in order to create retail spaces that are appealing, comfortable, and stimulate shoppers to buy your products. If you’re looking for ways to improve your small retail space, here are 4 retail design ideas that are fast and effective.

1. Accent walls are your friend.
   When dealing with small retail spaces, the only thing that you can do to make a space look bigger is to create the illusion of a bigger space. Many of these tips will point to that, but to start, try painting one of your walls a bolder color than the rest, such as royal blue or coral. Accent walls are an excellent way to open up a space while adding an interesting pop and contrast of color.
2. Create windows of opportunity.
   If you’ve ever played the Sims, you might remember how the addition of windows to your home or bedroom would automatically increase the appeal of the space, and drastically increase your character’s mood. The same applies in real life. Windows not only make a room look bigger, but the promise of natural light also has a tendency to lift spirits. If your retail space doesn’t have many windows, make your own. If you have walls separating sections of your store, construct windows between the walls. It will make your space look bigger and will add quirky appeal to your store.
3. Vertical, not horizontal.
   In fashion, they say that vertical stripes are more flattering on people, as they create longer lines and make you look taller and thinner. This is because the eye generally follows lines from the bottom up. Interestingly enough, the same logic can be applied to a retail space. In your creative design plan, try to hang shelving at different level, and incorporate drapes that hang from floor to ceiling. This will make your space look automatically taller.
4. Don’t be afraid to call retail design firms for help.
   Taking on a retail design project on your own can be daunting. If you feel you don’t have the time or knowledge to employ creative design ideas but you feel your small business needs it, enlist in the help of professional retail design services. Good retail design firms understand the psychology of retail design. At the end of the day, investing in good retail design firms can be one of the best marketing tactics of all.