for whom do we design and build?

who knows most about their own

spaces and places?

demographic analysis: broad but shallow

transactional analysis: narrow but deep

spatial psychology is built on expert usership

and understanding the nature of their spatial transactions

finding the expert user base

• examine demographic data• understand the issues• find the 1st connector, explore the issues• connector cascade• agree the archetypal expert users• find the first ten and cascade out to 40

finding the Voice

• build the contract• set up an appropriate campaign• give voice, listen, feedback• adjust, consult, agree • legacy mechanism agreed

2125 young & mobile

Mid Easterners

710 local Emirate families

500 Gulf shopping

visitors

780 business visitors1200 wealthy

South Asians300 ‘Western’

Expatriate workers

2000 ‘Western’

tourists

TARGET GROUPINGSby,000’s

primary grouping

secondary grouping

SIZE OF OPPORTUNITYFREQUENCY OF VISITS +

+

-

-

mobile Middle Eastern

wealthy Asians

Gulf shoppers

Emiratefamilies

APPE

AL O

F CO

NCE

PTbusiness visitors

‘Western’ tourists

Western’ expatriateworkers

RISK +-

FACTORS• exclusive vs inclusive• standalone vs. mall• partner vs. solo

FACTORS• exclusive vs inclusive• standalone vs. mall• partner vs. solo

exclstandsolo

exclstandpart

exclmallsolo

inclstandsolo

exclmallpart

inclstandpart

inclmallsolo

inclmallpart

GRADING THE RISK FACTORS

what do we mean by luxury??• elegant stores• luxury brands• European/US tastes• beautiful objects• refined service• look, don’t touch• rich clientele• older, female

• vibrant stores• must-have brands• multicultural tastes• indulgences• welcoming service• try before you buy• affluent guests• youthful, both sexes

what kind of customer experience…?

• accessible• indulgent• fun• personalised• clubby• frequent visits

fetish transactions:Bond-ness

tribal transactions:head chatter

shopping psychology: aisle behaviour

introducing the archetypes1. 30’s male manager in the software industry: well off2. young club-going, commuting girl.3. male financial-industries football and sports-bar devotee4. Asian teenager, non-drinking5. white British teenager, too young to drink legally6. family with young children7. young over-educated Eastern European services worker8. 40-something male skilled manual worker9. youngish artisan/performer10. retired female college lecturer11. male / female retail manager12. 60’s – 70’s blue collar retirees.13. 50-something, affluent commuter with teenage kids

which venues serve the most archetypes?Archetype >

Places v

A1

30’s affluent manager

A2

young clubber

A3

male sportsbar

A4

Asian teen, non-

drinking

A5

white teen,

underage

A6

family with

young children

A7

young East

European

A8

40+ manual worker

A9

artisan

A10

retired female lecturer

A11

retail manager

A12

blue-collar

retirees

A 13

50 ‘s affluent

commute+

teenagers

1 Cassiobury Park

xxxx xx xxxx xxx xxx xxxx xxx xxx xxxx xxxx xxx Xxx xxxx

2 The Horns xxxx xxx xxx x xx x xxx xxxx xxxx xxx xxx xxx xxxx

3 Woodside Leisure Centre

xxxx xx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxx xx xxx xxx xxx xx xxx

4+ Pump House xx xxx x xxxx xxxx xxx xx xxx xxxx xxx x xxxx xx

4 + Museum xx xx xx xxx xxx xxxx x xxxx xxx xxxx xxx xxxx xxx

5 Harlequin Centre

xxxx xxxx xxxx xx xxx xxx xx xx xx xxxx xxxx xx xxxx

6 St Mary’s Church + Grounds

xxx x xx xx xxx xxx xx xxx xxx xxxx xxx xxxx xxx

7 Café Cha Cha Cha

xx xx xxx xx xxx xxxx xxx xx xxxx xxxx xx xxxx xxx

8 Jongleurs xxxx xxxx xxx xx x x xx xxx xxxx xx xxxx x xxx

9 Palace Theatre xxx x x x x xx x xxx xxxx xxxx xxx xxx xxxx

10 +The Market xx xx xx xxx xxx xxxx xxx xxx xx xxx xx xxx xx

10+The Flag xxx xxx xxxx x x xx xxx xxx xxx x xxx x

11+ The Parade xx xxxx xxx x xxx xx xxx xx xx x xx x xx

11+ Main Library x x xx x xxx xx xx xxx xx xxx xx xxxx xx

12 Colosseum xx x x xx x xx x xx xxx xxx Xx xxx xxx

13 West Herts College

xxxx x xxx xxxx

who is under-served in the town centre?

• families and kids• cool teens (other than drinking!)• cultural minority groups• affluent 30+s• business users

how do your cultural assets stack up?

regional hotspots local heroes sleeping assets

Harlequin Centre Cassiobury Park Watford Museum

Clubs Cha Cha Cha Watford Library

WFC & Saracens Inspiral Arts James Theatre

Watford Muse The Pump House The Colosseum

Palace Theatre WAAF Charter Place

BBC Orchestra Newton Price Centre WHC campus

The Horns

WHC media courses

Leavesden Studios

Watford’s road system constricts formal circulation and bisects the city centre…

people find their own ways to where they want to go… add the underpass thread…

add the well-signposted cycle route thread…

and the randomness of everyday culture, lived in public… finding the real desire lines through meandering …

Colosseum The Horns Library The ParadeWoodside

Leisure Centre

Palace Theatre

Market

HarlequinNewton Price

Centre

The Pump HouseMuseum

St Mary’s Church

Palace Cafe

Café Cha Cha

Cassiobury Park

Muse

cultural venues extend beyond the city centre , and most thrive in spite of the road system constrictions …

www.cornerstonestrategies.co.uk

the city’s threads are unplanned as well as planned, and the cultural zone extends organically.. .

no international design exchange

Blackpool Pride

finding a common voice

access, not buildings

Mapping the Necklace

pray, farm, fish, remember

organising strategies: making do

the largest room in the world

building the Temple

bringing it to life