The Bazaar and the Mall

In today’s India we have two distinct retail experiences. The bazaar and the mall. One is an age-old tradition and the other is a brand new ‘western’ phenomenon. Let us compare the two.

The bazaar is a hodgepodge of products from food to electronics. The layout is more often than not confusing  and visitors are bombarded with so many noises and cries from vendors that it is surprising how a purchase decision is made.

The mall seems to be exactly the opposite. You have signposts and maps telling you where to find whatever you might be looking to purchase. Attendants in the aisles will help you find a product that you are searching for. Muzak is playing in the background and just in case you do let your mind wander, you will be greeted with an advertising message.

These elements mentioned above are what we expect to see in a bazaar or department store. They are not hard to spot and as users we also expect to find these things in their respective environments.

The point of this comparison is that even though the bazaar and the mall perform the same function, the user experience of both are worlds apart. In case of the mall, the elements of user experience, the singboards, attendants and muzac, don’t serve an essential function to the retail process. Like the bazaar, they do not require active design in any sense. Yet, if we enter any retail store, the lack of these will make us uncomfortable just as the lack of hawking wares or the noise of haggling in a bazaar will be just as uncomfortable.

I’m really saying two things here:

1. Our picture of a good, contemporary retail store is defined largly by society and trends. This trend has been arrived at by an iterative design process. Each signboard, attendant and promotion stall has been placed at a specific location with a specific intention. On the other hand, as far as I know, no bazaar has ever been designed per se. It has grown and adapted to accommodate it’s users and merchants.

2. The elements that I am highlighting make what we refer to as the “ambience” of a place. What designers would call the ambient user experience.  An ambient user experience is what people experience while they are getting things done. Providing a good experience means incorporating elements of ambience. We should align these elements with our users’ expectations.

Pic: Crawford Market by superfamous