DisplayIt + Sokit: A Case Study in Experiential Retail Design & Engineering
- Andrea Brown
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
In today’s retail landscape, customers have endless ways to shop.
They can order online, pick up curbside, or have products delivered the same day. So when they choose to walk into a store, the experience needs to offer something digital shopping can’t.
It needs to be immersive.
Memorable.
And unmistakably tied to the brand.
That was the goal behind Sokit’s flagship retail environment.
The project became a powerful example of how design, engineering, and fabrication can come together to create a retail experience that is both visually striking and highly functional.
The videos above offer a glimpse into that process — from concept to completion.
Designing a Space That Feels Like the Brand
Every retail environment starts with a question: How should this brand feel in physical space?
For Sokit, the answer was an environment that felt modern, energetic, and elevated — while still remaining approachable and clean.
The design team created a soft pink architectural interior that immediately communicates the brand’s identity. Custom brass fixtures, clean shelving systems, and curated product displays allow the merchandise to take center stage while maintaining a cohesive visual language throughout the store.
At the center of the environment are sculptural ribbed structures that move across the space, creating rhythm and dimension.
These architectural elements serve several purposes:
guiding the customer through the store
framing product displays
reinforcing the brand’s visual identity
creating an environment customers remember
But achieving this type of architectural detail inside a retail environment requires more than great design. It requires a workflow that can move quickly from concept to fabrication.
The Challenge of Complex Retail Design
Elements like Sokit’s ribbed structures are visually compelling — but traditionally very time-consuming to design.
In a conventional design workflow, every rib or architectural element would need to be placed and adjusted manually. If the client wanted to change spacing, curvature, or shape, the entire system might need to be rebuilt.
That slows down iteration and makes it difficult for clients to fully explore creative ideas.
Instead of limiting the design, DisplayIt approached the project with a more advanced workflow.
Designing with Computational Tools
For the Sokit project, DisplayIt integrated computational design tools into the design process.
Using Rhino and Grasshopper — advanced modeling platforms commonly used in architecture — the team developed a system that could automatically generate the ribbed architectural features across the store’s surfaces.
Instead of manually modeling each rib, designers could adjust parameters such as:
rib spacing
profile shape
curvature
density
The design would update instantly.
This allowed the team to rapidly explore design variations and present Sokit with accurate visualizations of the space.
The result was a much faster design process and a more collaborative relationship with the client.
As Cole Howell, DisplayIt’s computational designer, explains, systems like this allow designers to automate complex tasks that would otherwise take hours of manual work.
Real-Time Design Collaboration
One of the biggest advantages of computational design is the ability to make changes in real time.
Instead of sending revisions back and forth for days, designers can adjust parameters during meetings and instantly show how the space evolves.
For Sokit, that meant the team could refine the rib structures quickly and ensure every detail aligned with the brand vision.
Changes that might normally take hours or days could be completed in minutes.
According to Howell, this dramatically reduces iteration time while allowing the team to present more accurate design concepts to clients.
Bridging Design, Engineering, and Fabrication
Beautiful design alone isn’t enough in retail environments.
Every element must also be engineered, fabricated, and installed precisely.
Because DisplayIt’s designers and engineers work closely together — often using the same digital tools — the Sokit design was developed with fabrication in mind from the very beginning.
This integrated approach ensured the ribbed architectural elements were:
structurally sound
efficient to fabricate
easy to install on site
The result is a retail environment that looks effortless but is built on careful engineering and advanced digital workflows.
From Concept to Completion
The Sokit project demonstrates what happens when retail design is approached as a fully integrated process.
Instead of handing designs from one team to another, DisplayIt brings design, engineering, fabrication, and installation together under one roof.
That means:
ideas move faster
designs become more ambitious
and brands get environments that truly reflect who they are
For shoppers walking into the Sokit store, the experience feels polished, immersive, and uniquely branded.
Behind the scenes, it’s the result of thoughtful collaboration, advanced design tools, and a team committed to bringing ideas to life.
