Ben Kelly

BKD won the brief to create a brand new format for auto-parts retailer Halfords that would reposition the retailer from the high street to the superstore. Navigation was identified as key to the design solution. Bold signage was used to lead shoppers from the car-park directly to the sales and parts desks, while the massive windows offered views through the sheds into the fitting bays where owners could watch their cars being worked on. Arrows and chevrons relating to all the available services were used to guide customers to the entrances, exits and help desks. The scheme wholeheartedly embraced the original building, with design elements highlighting rather than disguising its industrial-sized scale and functionality.