OuGD503 Brief 1, D&AD John Lewis - Brief insight

The Inside Scoop

John Lewis brief writer, Howard Sullivan (YourStudio) gives you

a ready, steady, go.
1. Why should people be excited by this brief?

Retail is one of the most exciting areas of design to work in. It’s the 

perfect combination between lifestyle, entertainment and visionary 

creativity. The shop window provides a key moment in the shopper’s 

journey. It’s your moment to grab someone’s attention, take them 

away from their everyday, inspire people to dream up all sorts of 

imaginative visions in their minds, and all of this with the skills of 

your creative hand.

2. What are the dangers/pitfalls entrants could fall into while responding 

to this brief?

Think about this moment as a key story but with a big headline. Windows 

only have a few seconds of people’s attention so keep this in mind and 

make your idea snappy. Don’t over complicate and over-fuss, you want to 

distill that ‘penny drop’ moment into this great space.

3. No freebies, but give us a pointer. Where would you start?

Trawl your imaginaton, art galleries, vintage books. You don’t want to 

simply rely on what’s gone before, the most dreamy campaigns have always 

come from that spark of imagination that draws your personal inspirations 

together with the task at hand.

Essentials

Window dimensions: 2.4m high, 6m long, 1.2m deep.

The window must show that John Lewis is a cross-category brand including electronics, fashion and home goods.

Whether or not your concept includes actual digital elements, it must include a link to JohnLewis.com, to bring together the digital and physical sides of the business. You must also include the John Lewis brand logo.

With a canvas of this scale and exposure, imagination is key. Visualise your idea in detail: how would it look, sound and feel? What will it do, and how? What would the experience of seeing or interacting with it be like?

Include a summary of key insights from your research, and the reasons behind your approach.