Speed up your 3D modelling workflow
with grey boxing in SketchUp

Grey boxing is a design technique originally from the video game development industry. The workflow sets out the level design process by creating simple untextured blocks to represent various elements of a level or open world environment. It is used widely in game development for various reasons. Today we will show you how you can adapt this technique in the retail and architectural design workflows.

Space Planning: basic layout and flow

Let’s start with something simple. You might have a planogram from a previous store design or a Brand Identity Guideline Booklet to guide you. Combined with a shopping mall floor plan, you can begin placing blocks of fixtures, displays, and other elements. This approach allows you to focus on space utilisation, customer flow, visibility from outside the store, and the use of back-of-house areas. Once you have arranged the necessary elements, you can consider the flow and connections between different hotspots, zones, and more.

Iterative Design Process: Rapid prototyping, flexibility and refinement

In this stage of the design process, these simple 3D shapes can be easily rearranged. During meetings and feedback sessions, you can gather input from all involved parties and adapt the layout iterations in real-time. This approach allows you to meet the client’s needs early on without committing extensive time and resources to a more detailed design. The simplicity of grey boxing enables quick changes, allowing us to make adjustments without significant time or cost implications.

Visualising space and interaction

By visualising the space early in the process, rather than relying solely on a planogram or floor plan, all stakeholders can engage with the environment, navigation, and interaction points of the retail space. This 3D approach provides a tangible experience, allowing non-designers to better understand scale, navigation, and key interaction points.

Case Study:

The below case study is an example of a boutique jewellery store. What makes SketchUp and Layout unique is the way the 3D model is updated in layout each time a change is made. This allows for quick iteration during design meetings being translated in Layout to a sendable pdf for those not part of the meeting or those who prefer a paper format print out to make notes on.

In this case study at the earliest design stage we considered the mall isle entrance to the store and considered the layout in relation to the entrance.

For the various private client fitting and experience zones we considered multiple layouts to create the flow in the store.

As we got more aligned between stakeholders we settled on a flow and directed our attention to branding, signage, display props, technology integration, atmosphere, scent and music.

Conclusion:

Grey boxing is a powerful tool for early-stage design, offering a way to focus on the core layout and functionality of a space before delving into the finer design details. In retail design, this technique helps create efficient, well-planned spaces that enhance the customer experience while allowing for flexibility and iterative improvements throughout the design process. By borrowing this method from the game industry, retail designers can benefit from a streamlined approach to spatial planning and design.

Don’t miss the upcoming SketchUp webinar

We look forward to sharing more with you about using SketchUp for retail-design in our next webinar. Subscribe below to join the guestlist!