Vision Express, a major chain of high-street opticians, sought a new identity for their stores in a highly competitive market-place. Approaching Conran & Partners after consulting several other design agencies, a new concept was evolved, that aimed to address both the conceptual and practical aspects of their retail proposition.

At a conceptual level, the store design expresses the quality of the merchandise and the efficiency of the service, through a clean, simple, overtly ‘clinical’ feel. A new name – ‘Optical Lab’ – further reinforced this idea.  At a practical level, the fixtures and fittings were developed as a ‘kit-of-parts’, enabling modular and ‘flat-pack’ elements to be integrated into the design, streamlining the on-site fit-out process.

Conran & Parters were also commissioned to carry out a re-working of the store’s visual identity, and a graphic/retail manual was produced to ensure the consistency of the design as it was rolled-out across the chain.