SIRRMER004
Develop visual merchandising creative concepts


Application

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to develop visual merchandising concepts in response to a design brief or organisational strategy. It requires the ability to generate a range of creative ideas and present these ideas to stakeholders for feedback and approval.

This unit applies to visual merchandisers and stylists working in a diverse range of sectors and business contexts. They operate with independence, under limited supervision of others, and within established organisational policies and procedures. They may have responsibility for making a range of creative and operational decisions within the scope of their job role.

No occupational licensing, certification or specific legislative requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.


Elements and Performance Criteria

ELEMENTS

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

Elements describe the essential outcomes.

Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element.

1. Determine visual merchandising requirements.

1.1. Access and interpret a visual merchandising design brief.

1.2. Identify and confirm visual merchandising objectives, specifications and constraints.

1.3. Clarify budgetary and time requirements with relevant personnel.

1.4. Review existing visual merchandising activity and performance results to identify strengths and weaknesses.

1.5. Research local and global visual merchandising trends and draw inspiration to inform concept development.

1.6. Review competitor and market activity to identify trends and creative opportunities.

2. Generate options for visual merchandising concept.

2.1. Apply principles and elements of design to generate creative concept options that meet design brief or reflect organisational merchandise strategy.

2.2. Ensure concept options reflect visual merchandising objectives, specifications and constraints.

2.3. Challenge assumptions and traditional ways of working to generate concept options that promote diverse and innovative approaches to visual merchandising.

2.4. Consider the need for scalability and generate concept options accordingly.

2.5. Consider the need for consistency across channels and locations and generate concept options accordingly.

2.6. Assess commercial and creative feasibility of concept options and make any required adjustments.

2.7. Document visual and written representations of concept options.

3. Present creative options.

3.1. Prepare materials and documentation that support the presentation of concept options and aid audience visualisation.

3.2. Use visual and verbal communication techniques to present creative options to relevant stakeholders.

3.3. Promote preferred concept option demonstrating alignment to design brief or organisational merchandise strategy.

3.4. Seek feedback from stakeholders and make any required adjustments to creative options.

3.5. Agree on preferred concept options and ensure consistent understanding and expectations of all relevant stakeholders.

4. Finalise the visual merchandising concept.

4.1. Document detailed visual and written representations of the finalised and agreed visual merchandising concept.

4.2. Seek final approval.

4.3. Communicate finalised visual merchandising concept to relevant personnel for implementation.

Evidence of Performance

Evidence of the ability to complete tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit in the context of the job role, and:

review a visual merchandising design brief and develop two different visual merchandising concept options that reflect:

target audience

brand and product objectives

commercial objectives

resourcing specifications and constraints

implementation specifications and constraints

use elements and principles of design

research local and global visual merchandising trends and use findings to inform concept development

present one of the above concept options using:

visual and verbal communication techniques

digital and non-digital representations of concept option

document one finalised visual merchandise creative concept.


Evidence of Knowledge

Demonstrated knowledge required to complete the tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit:

key aspects of legal and ethical considerations as they relate to visual merchandising concept development:

copyright

intellectual property

role of a design brief in visual merchandising concept development

role of an organisational merchandise strategy in visual merchandising concept development

principles of visual merchandising and their application in visual merchandising concept development

current visual merchandising trends

sources of creative influence

key considerations made in visual merchandising concept development and common types of:

objectives

specifications

constraints

creative concept development and application of:

design processes

creative thinking techniques

innovative approaches

scalability and its role in visual merchandising concept development

techniques to determine commercial and creative feasibility of visual merchandising concepts

elements and principles of design and their application in visual merchandising:

elements of design:

texture

form

colour

space

line

principles of design:

harmony

rhythm

balance

dominance

scale

proportion

light

contrast

visual and written techniques for representing visual merchandising creative concepts

digital and non-digital methods for creating visual representations of design ideas

presentation techniques for:

story-telling

increased sensory engagement

aiding visualisation

communicating concept options:

visual

verbal

communicating to a range of audiences

managing feedback and critiquing

gaining agreement.


Assessment Conditions

Skills must be demonstrated in a service industries environment. This can be:

an industry workplace

a simulated industry environment.

Assessment must ensure access to:

visual merchandising design briefs

sources of information on current local and global visual merchandising trends

digital and non-digital tools for creating visual representation of design ideas

stakeholders with whom the individual can interact. These can be:

stakeholders in an industry workplace, or

stakeholders who participate in role plays or simulated activities, set up for the purpose of assessment, in a simulated industry environment.

Assessors must satisfy the Standards for Registered Training Organisations’ requirements for assessors, and:

have worked in a job role for at least two years where they have applied the skills and knowledge within this unit of competency.


Foundation Skills

Foundation skills essential to performance in this unit, but not explicit in the performance criteria, are listed here, along with a brief context statement.

SKILLS

DESCRIPTION

Oral communication skills to:

adapt communication techniques and styles to meet the needs of a target stakeholder audience when presenting visual merchandising concept options.

Numeracy skills to:

determine financial feasibility of visual merchandising design options in line with budgetary requirements.

Technology skills to:

access, document and communicate information using digital technologies.


Sectors

Retail


Competency Field

Merchandising