Barkers

The Challenge

Barkers approached us to help create a visually impactful display celebrating the company’s rich history. The project, later known as the “History Gallery”, required a carefully considered design approach that would make meaningful use of a complex, high-traffic stairwell space.

The key challenge was not only to deliver strong visual impact within the store, but to ensure the story of Barkers’ heritage was communicated clearly and coherently across the space.

The project would involve working with a wide range of historical materials supplied by the client, including documents of varying sizes, quality, and condition. These would require thoughtful placement to ensure both visual consistency and historical integrity.

In addition, the busy stairwell location required careful consideration to ensure the final installation would enhance the store environment, reflect its quality and excellence, and stand out without overwhelming the space.

The Solution

The project began with initial design concepts and visuals for a wallpaper-based installation across the lower walls and stairways, which were approved and progressed into production and installation.

As the project developed, the creative direction evolved through close collaboration with Barkers, who remained highly involved and introduced inspiration such as black-edged print finishes. In response, alternative materials were explored, leading to the introduction of black rigid PVC panels up to 19mm thick, printed using white ink and CMYK to achieve a bold, high-impact finish. Following successful sampling, the wallpaper concept on the top walls was replaced with the PVC panel system.

Working closely with Barker’s documents of varying sizes and quality, each piece required scanning, resizing, and thoughtful placement to ensure context within the stairwell space.

Further enhancements included museum-grade acrylic displays to preserve and present original newspapers, integrated against the black PVC panels to add depth and protect the artefacts. Illuminated lightboxes were also introduced, elevating key imagery and adding atmosphere to the finished installation.

The completed project has been extremely well received by Barkers, delivering a striking and immersive showcase of their heritage. The team continues to work with Barkers on additional walls within the space, building on the success of the installation.