CLINIQUE GONDOLA AT ULTA ICONIC
Clinique holds the top spot as the highest-selling brand within ULTA Beauty stores, a testament to its legacy, innovation, and consumer trust in the prestige skincare space. When ULTA began transforming its retail environment through the ICONIC store concept—a reimagined layout aimed at elevating the customer experience and showcasing hero brands—Clinique was given a unique opportunity. As the #1 Prestige Skincare brand in the U.S., Clinique was tasked with designing a completely new gondola fixture that would not only reflect the brand’s modern identity but also create an immersive, education-forward shopping experience.
Project : ULTA Iconic Gondola
Role : Senior Designer, Clinique North America
Incorporating brand codes into retail architecture.
The brand’s lab-inspired aesthetic in flagship stores focuses on playful interactions, dynamic graphics, textures, and visual storytelling that highlight hero products. These displays emphasize the science behind each product, showcasing ingredients and clinical power, reinforcing Clinique’s message that great skin is achieved through science.
White, bright lighting creates a sterile, laboratory-like atmosphere, while minimalist fixtures ensure the products remain the focal point, maintaining clarity and purity.
Materials like glass, acrylic, and chrome reinforce the brand’s clean, clinical edge and connect to the product packaging. Glass provides transparency and refinement, while acrylic’s glossy finish offers a modern look. Chrome fixtures add a high-tech touch. These materials elevate the tactile and visual experience, supporting Clinique’s focus on simplicity, science, and trust.
Guiding the Customer Journey.
Clinique uses color as a storytelling device, contrasting with the clean, clinical lab aesthetic that defines its spaces. The displays and zoning reflect a methodical, science-based approach to skincare, supporting the brand's dermatological credibility. Clinique’s visual merchandising ties into broader marketing campaigns with bold, simple messaging that highlights its expertise. Hero products are spotlighted in focused displays, often backed by testimonial-style graphics or data-based claims showcasing their efficacy.
Seasonal campaigns and newness zones feature playful accents that complement the core aesthetic and emphasize product benefits. Touch-and-try elements like testers, mirrors, and guided prompts encourage customer interaction while maintaining hygiene standards. These elements blend product education with trust and control, reinforcing Clinique’s position as a leader in skincare science.
Ensuring the design story through prototyping and engineering.
Overseeing the development stages ensure that every element — from fixtures to finishes — aligns with the design vision and storytelling of the concept. Especially for a large permeant unit like the Iconic Gondola.
Working the engineering and outside vendor team also allows experimentation with materials and functionality. Prototypes helped address potential challenges, such as customer interaction or fixture durability, before committing to final production.
Every detail, from structural integrity to lighting integration, must align with the design’s intent. This phase ensures that fixtures are not only functional but also fit within the practical constraints of the retail space.
Staying involved throughout the process, from concept to completion, to maintain the design's integrity. It’s about ensuring the materials, construction, and execution support the story we want to tell. By being present in both prototyping and engineering, I ensure that every fixture is visually striking, functional, and true to the narrative, creating a seamless customer experience in the final environment.
Telling the story throughout brand updates.
Creating a fixture that not only reflects Clinique’s clean, clinical identity but also remains adaptable over time. Designing dedicated spaces for changeable graphics and messaging, ensuring the fixture could evolve with the brand’s needs without requiring a full redesign.
Space for interchangeable visuals to highlight different campaigns or seasonal messages. The 3D elements were built to be flexible, with modular shelving and fixtures that could be adjusted as needed. Hero items are placed on risers, and larger props like seasonal product replicas can be added or swapped. For example, a pink-lit backdrop and sculpted water ripple can emphasize hydration, but the space is flexible enough to adapt to other seasonal themes.
This adaptability ensures that the fixture stays on-brand and relevant, with the ability to update graphics and seasonal elements while maintaining a consistent design and narrative year-round.