

Retail design is a multidisciplinary field of study, which includes scientific research. Next, a clear set of definitions of related terms to the retail design discipline is provided, together with an explanation of the added value retail design can provide. A graphical timeline is designed to visualise the trends and innovations, and the influences of all three types on each other and other retail environments. Three types of stores are described: the department store the chain store and its derivative the boutique chain store and the supermarket. the building and interior design) and the managerial aspects. Therefore a closer look at the history and development of shops and shopping is made, with a focus on two aspects: the retail architecture (i.e. Now and in the past, some of the most innovative developments and interiors can be seen in the retail sector. The first part tackles the complexity of retail design and tries to understand why shops are what they are. There are three main parts in this thesis: Retailing, Retailology, and Experimental Research. It is proposed that this molecule is Apple’s rudimentary brand DNA and that further research and understanding of brand DNA molecules like it will lead to a better understanding of the industrial designer’s role in the relationship between product design and brand loyalty.

This research concludes with the construction of a brand molecule based on the analysis of the data collected. Semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, and product personality exercises were conducted in order to explore Apple™ brand loyalist perceptions, motivations and attitudes towards product attributes and brands and the individual meanings and values they place on them.
THE NUMBERLYS APP VERIFICATION
In the collection of data an ethnographic study on the attitudes, activities, and actions of Apple™ brand loyalists was conducted and a grounded theory approach was employed due to its deductive verification and inductive qualities in handling data regarding attitudes and motivations. The Apple™ Computer Company was chosen as an instrumental case study because of the avid following of its products and its reputation as a powerful brand. A literature review was conducted on brand equity, loyalty, and value. The metaphor of brand DNA and the DNA molecule within this study is based on the interaction of fundamental elements (the combinations of the essential building blocks of a brand) that lead to the evolution of the brand as a living organism able to adapt to its ever-changing environment. This research focuses on product design’s influence on brand loyalty through a study of the attitudes and perceptions of brand loyalists and the meanings they place on the product attributes of form, color, material, texture, and brand marks.

Little is known empirically about the effect product design has on branding.
