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TEACHING · 01 VISUAL MERCHANDISING

Technology-enabled
Visual Merchandising

A real brand project became the vehicle for teaching physical interaction to design students with no coding background.

Course and cohortVisual Merchandising 1 · 32 Year-2 Fashion Interior Design students · 5 teams
ContextDonghua University × Coach Shanghai Limited · Spring 2025
FundingUniversity-funded teaching-development project
RoleProject lead · interaction-technology instruction · tutorials
CollaboratorFrancy — course organizer
System diagram linking interactive storytelling, sensing and output components with the display window
A system diagram linking interactive storytelling, sensing and output components with the display window.

Teaching challenge

Connect spatial storytelling with sensors, actuators, interaction logic and physical deployment—without turning the course into an engineering module.

Students began with a foundation in visual and spatial design but no software or hardware development experience. The pedagogy made technology answerable to the design proposal—not the other way around.

01 · Four-stage teaching model

Technical complexity follows the proposal—not the timetable.

  1. 01

    Frame the experience

    Translate the brand brief, audience and site into an experiential design question.

  2. 02

    Design the interaction

    Move from static display to input → processing → output logic.

  3. 03

    Choose a making path

    Two teams fabricated independently; three worked with technical partners while retaining design responsibility.

  4. 04

    Deploy and reflect

    Prototyping, public display and brand review reveal technical and experiential consequences.

Student making process

Ideas moved repeatedly between spatial mock-ups, circuits and full-scale assembly.

Students assembling a full-scale interactive visual merchandising prototype in the studio
Introducing students to interactive electronic components, software and their practical use during the workshop.
Students testing materials and mechanical movement around a studio worktable
Teams tested materials, movement and access for maintenance before deployment.
Close-up of students wiring sensors and electronic components for a prototype
Debugging the stepper motor, linear-rail mechanism, control circuitry and code together with students.
Students and tutors reviewing the visual merchandising production process
On-demand support covered Arduino UNO, sensors, actuators, circuit topology and control code.

02 · Student outcomes

Five teams, five deployable interaction directions.

Millennium Hai Cuo Tu interactive window project
Millennium Hai Cuo TuDistance sensing → responsive RGB lighting
Nature Journey kinetic window project
Nature JourneyTouch or pressure → servo-driven movement
Voyage de Rexy shadow narrative window project
Voyage de RexyInfrared sensing → animated shadow scene
Flow sonic interaction window project
FlowDistance sensing → plucking and melody
Spring with Life responsive furniture project
Spring with LifePressure input → responsive environment

Prototype demonstrations

Four interaction systems shown in operation.

Each clip is available on demand so the page remains quiet and the reader controls playback.

Spring with LifePressure input → responsive environment
Nature JourneyTouch or pressure → servo-driven movement
Voyage de RexyInfrared sensing → animated shadow scene
FlowDistance sensing → plucking and melody
Awarded Millennium Hai Cuo Tu work presented as a static exhibition installation
Awarded work presented as a static installation at THE SEED, West Bund Shanghai.

Awarded exhibition work

Millennium Hai Cuo Tu presented as a static installation at THE SEED, West Bund Shanghai.

The work was presented as a static installation at THE SEED in West Bund, Xuhui, Shanghai. The exhibition focused on the physical artefact rather than the project’s dynamic interaction system, which was not installed on site. The presentation therefore records the work’s scale, material resolution and public exhibition outcome.

03 · Evidence

5 / 5teams passed brand review and progressed to physical prototypes
2 + 3self-built teams + collaborative fabrication paths
5projects publicly displayed at the World Design Cities Conference
Outstanding Instructor recognition for project tutors
Outstanding InstructorThe university–industry collaboration recognized the project tutors for guiding the students from concept development to public presentation.
Outstanding Work award for Millennium Hai Cuo Tu
Student outcome: Millennium Hai Cuo Tu received Outstanding Work recognition.

Reflection and next iteration

Deployment demonstrated progression—not uniform engineering mastery.

The differentiated paths allowed every team to retain design responsibility while choosing an appropriate level of technical making. The project produced a teaching text, digital tutorial, student case collection and a teaching paper under revision.

Next: cross-school teaching, tiered technical assessment, stronger pre/post evaluation and deeper engineering support.