Presentation Type

Poster

Abstract

The American Girl brand is characterized by its ability to promote identity development in young girls through play and educational experiences. Due to the accessibility of smart-devices (e.g. mobile and web based technologies) and the frequency of their use, recent trends in toy designs have shown an increase in digital/technology features. Taking this into consideration, American Girl has continuously emphasized doll-centric products and experiences that also satisfy consumer’s digital interests. American Girl’s interactive digital resources include: the entire American Girl website which features a wide selection of Games, Apps, activities, e-cards, the InnerStar University (i.e., an interactive world for My American Girl Dolls and their owners that provides girls with games, advice and new friends) as well as information about how to plan a trip to your local retail store. Again, the inherent theme in each of these digital activities is the doll. American Girl uses doll-centric activities in retail stores to promote the “American Girl” experience. For this project we examined all aspects of the American Girl Retail Experience ranging from making reservations to planning parties, events, and excursions. Our approach to developing this proposal came from observations of the American Girl Place in Chicago, Illinois and the American Girl Store in Orlando, Florida. We also conducted a review of digital resources such as the American Girl website, 2013 Mattel Annual Report, press releases, videos, and Apps available in the iTunes store. The American Girl website provided us with information about all of the current in-store experiences (e.g. book reading, craft making, cookie decorating, hair styling and more) as well as the current list of products and respective pricing. These details strongly influenced the development of our design. Our proposal examined the user experience from the perspective of the performing arts. The proposal outlines the performing arts experience which suggests the need for a performance stage and describes the activities and events that go along with the stage.

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The American Girl Retail Experience

The American Girl brand is characterized by its ability to promote identity development in young girls through play and educational experiences. Due to the accessibility of smart-devices (e.g. mobile and web based technologies) and the frequency of their use, recent trends in toy designs have shown an increase in digital/technology features. Taking this into consideration, American Girl has continuously emphasized doll-centric products and experiences that also satisfy consumer’s digital interests. American Girl’s interactive digital resources include: the entire American Girl website which features a wide selection of Games, Apps, activities, e-cards, the InnerStar University (i.e., an interactive world for My American Girl Dolls and their owners that provides girls with games, advice and new friends) as well as information about how to plan a trip to your local retail store. Again, the inherent theme in each of these digital activities is the doll. American Girl uses doll-centric activities in retail stores to promote the “American Girl” experience. For this project we examined all aspects of the American Girl Retail Experience ranging from making reservations to planning parties, events, and excursions. Our approach to developing this proposal came from observations of the American Girl Place in Chicago, Illinois and the American Girl Store in Orlando, Florida. We also conducted a review of digital resources such as the American Girl website, 2013 Mattel Annual Report, press releases, videos, and Apps available in the iTunes store. The American Girl website provided us with information about all of the current in-store experiences (e.g. book reading, craft making, cookie decorating, hair styling and more) as well as the current list of products and respective pricing. These details strongly influenced the development of our design. Our proposal examined the user experience from the perspective of the performing arts. The proposal outlines the performing arts experience which suggests the need for a performance stage and describes the activities and events that go along with the stage.

 

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