iart interactive ag » VitraHaus

VitraHaus — The New Showroom

The new VitraHaus, which has been designed by Herzog and de Meuron, shows products from the Vitra furniture collection. The products are displayed in different groupings — so-called collages — in the various exhibition areas. One or more info-terminals are available in every area. In all, there are around 25 terminals distributed throughout the house, both in the show rooms and in the shop. The concept of the terminals was jointly developed by Vitra and iart interactive. The implementation of the terminal hardware, system architecture, interaction design and the user surface design were the responsibility of iart interactive.

On entering the house each customer receives a RFID card, the so-called VitraHaus key. Customers personalise their key by indicating their country of residence and their language. During their visit, they use their key to log on at terminals and to obtain information. The exhibits are displayed on the first screen that comes up when customers log on. Once customers have registered, they access a second interaction level by touching one of the illustrations on the touch screen. They are then provided with information about the piece of furniture they have selected. All the available versions of the item are shown, together with the price and the designer’s name. Vitra’s digital catalogue, which lists the company’s entire product range and contains relevant information about it, can also be accessed from the same level. Since the terminals are directly connected to Vitra’s IT infrastructure and business processes, the content is automatically generated from its product data bank.

By logging on with their personalised key, customers automatically obtain information about price, colour, fabric, durability and the designer in their own language and for the country selected. If they want information about pieces of furniture in another country in the course of their visit, staff members can help them to adjust their key so that it applies to a different one. In order to make the change, the member of staff must use a special key to register at a terminal together with the customer.

Products in which a customer is interested can be added to his or her personal wish list by a mouse click. The list can then be emailed to the customer’s home or can be used by an advisor to order products and then passed on to a retailer.

Staff members can also use the key to modify the selection on the terminal, e.g. to adapt it to changes regarding the items on display. After logging on with the staff card, the pieces of furniture can easily be exchanged, supplemented, reduced and rearranged.

In addition to the terminals, the VitraHaus offers two other media for interaction that iart interactive has realised: the Photo Corner and the Library. In both of these, customers use their personalised VitraHaus key to log on before interaction starts.

The Photo Corner has already become the display’s highlight. Visitors can sit in Charles and Ray Eames’ iconic La Chaise, photograph themselves and send the photos via e-mail. The photos, taken in black and white, are in the style of portrait photos for a major Vitra campaign that are displayed on the wall of the Photo Corner and that show prominent actors, artists, designers and architects sitting in the Eames chair or other chairs. The Photo Corner includes a column with an integrated monitor and camera. If any visitor who has logged on sits in La Chaise in front of the column and presses the appropriate button, his or her photo is taken and shortly afterwards appears on the screen on the column.

The Library is equipped with a Vitra office system module (consisting of a rectangular table with integrated monitors and bookshelves). Here, visitors can immerse themselves in a comprehensive archive of information about designers, architects and Vitra, using the digital data bank as well as the books that are available.

The use of the keys also provides the VitraHaus with valuable information about customers’ behaviour and preferences, e.g. which pieces of furniture and which versions of them are the most popular.

Project description for download

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VitraHaus — The New Showroom
Permanent exhibition, Opening: March 2010

Client/Customer
Vitra AG

Services iart
Media concept and planning
Hardware supply and installation
Interaction design
Graphical user interface design (GUI)
Front– and back-end programming

Media
Digital product catalogue (EPI)
Digital photo stele
Digital library
Welcome screen

Project Partners
tegoro solutions ag, Programming, hardware, installation
customfuture SA, System architecture

Project Duration
1 year