MoMA: Design StoreShop MoMA

Enticing customers to shop the unshoppable

When design e-commerce sites emerged with curated offerings of world-class items, MoMA Design Store needed to regain its competitive edge in this field. By leveraging its ties to the prestigious museum, and the idea of "shopping the unshoppable" works of priceless art, we brought to light many of the stories behind the objects – which both highlighted the store’s credibility and added value to the customer experience.
Ten years after branding the MoMA Design Store in Soho, the Museum of Modern Art's retail division called on us again to communicate the evolution of its shops. With competition from established European brands opening retail spaces in NYC and the rise of several e-commerce startups with similar offerings, the store needed to redefine how it spoke to consumers across digital, print, and physical channels.
One thing MoMA Design Store had that its competitors did not was the credibility of the museum. Aligning the two closely, the concept of "shopping the unshoppable" emerged as a method of treating the objects for sale like collectible artifacts. This entailed highlighting historical facts, designers, or technology; celebrating the concept behind the designs; articulating their relevance; or identifying direct connections with the museum itself.
The strategic pillars – which we create for every client – devised for MoMA Design Store included "authority/expert", "forward thinking", "new/relevant", "exclusivity". These were used as filters for the messaging, ensuring that the stories told about each design item followed the same level of detail and historical accuracy as the museum itself.
The core ingredients of the store’s visual identity were reimagined in new and surprising ways through color and art direction, creating a thoughtful yet inquisitive personality, and a dynamic, vital, and witty tone of voice. Products were carefully segmented to target specific audiences, and promotions written in the first person garnered higher engagement.
The remixed identity enlivened the store environment, catalogs and website, holistically helping to educate customers and improve their shopping experience by delivering meaningful information. This allowed MoMA Design Store to retain its kudos as the place to shop collectible design.

When design e-commerce sites emerged with curated offerings of world-class items, MoMA Design Store needed to regain its competitive edge in this field. By leveraging its ties to the prestigious museum, and the idea of "shopping the unshoppable" works of priceless art, we brought to light many of the stories behind the objects – which both highlighted the store’s credibility and added value to the customer experience.

Ten years after branding the MoMA Design Store in Soho, the Museum of Modern Art's retail division called on us again to communicate the evolution of its shops. With competition from established European brands opening retail spaces in NYC and the rise of several e-commerce startups with similar offerings, the store needed to redefine how it spoke to consumers across digital, print, and physical channels.

One thing MoMA Design Store had that its competitors did not was the credibility of the museum. Aligning the two closely, the concept of "shopping the unshoppable" emerged as a method of treating the objects for sale like collectible artifacts. This entailed highlighting historical facts, designers, or technology; celebrating the concept behind the designs; articulating their relevance; or identifying direct connections with the museum itself.

The strategic pillars – which we create for every client – devised for MoMA Design Store included "authority/expert", "forward thinking", "new/relevant", "exclusivity". These were used as filters for the messaging, ensuring that the stories told about each design item followed the same level of detail and historical accuracy as the museum itself.

The core ingredients of the store’s visual identity were reimagined in new and surprising ways through color and art direction, creating a thoughtful yet inquisitive personality, and a dynamic, vital, and witty tone of voice. Products were carefully segmented to target specific audiences, and promotions written in the first person garnered higher engagement.

The remixed identity enlivened the store environment, catalogs and website, holistically helping to educate customers and improve their shopping experience by delivering meaningful information. This allowed MoMA Design Store to retain its kudos as the place to shop collectible design.