Design Precedent Studies: Muji

The Muji store is located in Portland, Oregon and was completed in November 2018. Designed by Tokyo-based practice Super Potato, Muji is a Japanese lifestyle brand selling aromatherapy oils, clothes, coffee, among other products. The store also offers embroidery and alteration services to any textiles or clothing items sold in-store.

The floor plan of the space is unique in that it features diagonal merchandising as opposed to traditional aisles of vertical shelves, allowing customers to view the full extent of the contents of the store and navigate the space more easily. The interior space was also designed in such a way as to incorporate Japanese culture through the use of natural materials and structured shapes with exposed joinery.

The Muji brand is a Japanese brand and uses Japanese inspiration in terms of minimalism, natural elements and shapes. The colours have also been kept to a neutral pallet with wine red accents, as can be seen in figure 10. The branding has been translated into the space not through logo integration but rather via colour usage, natural materials and shape designs in order to subconsciously allow the customers to recognize the brand via the colours and materials used. The logo has rather been integrated through signage and product information posters so that the logo features in every department and concession.

Muji is a beautifully designed store and offers a lot of inspiration with regards to retail design.