Spatial Designer — Pop-Up Retail Store

We're designing a temporary retail pop-up store inside an ~8,000 sq ft enclosed retail space in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood. The store opens mid-IMay. It's for a major licensed IP brand with a passionate fan community — think product drops, limited editions, and high-volume merch sales over a concentrated window.

The design challenge

This isn't a simple brand activation. We're selling approximately 150 SKUs across multiple product categories — plushies, apparel, accessories, lapel pins, backpacks, and more. Volume is high, product sells down fast, and the floor needs to work hard from day one through closing.

You'll Be Designing a Space That

• Has clearly defined product zones (collections, teams, event exclusives)
• Handles high foot traffic and fast-moving inventory gracefully
• Uses a mix of existing on-site fixtures and &drop-owned gondola-style slat wall units
• Is modular and adaptable as product sells out or is rotated
• Translates a licensed IP's visual language into a physical retail environment using approved brand elements
  
  

What we need from you

• Overall retail environment concept and spatial layout
• 3D renderings of the space and designs
• Floor plan and footprint planning — you'll be working from a 2D floor plan and Matterport 3D scan of the actual space
• Fixture plan incorporating existing assets new fabrication needs
  
  

Not required but if you have experience we could use help with planogramming — where does each product type live, how much space does it need, how does it adapt as inventory depletes

What We're Handling On Our End

• 2D graphics and final artwork (we have an internal team and style guides)
• Project management and client communication
• Fabrication vendor relationship
• Inventory data and SKU lists
  
  

Who we're looking for

• Experience in physical retail design, pop-up environments, or brand activation spaces
  
  

Strong spatial layout and planogram skills — you understand how product density, fixture spacing, and customer flow interact

• Comfortable working with existing fixture constraints, not just designing from scratch
• Familiarity with licensed IP brand environments is a major plus including gaming, entertainment, toy, or collectibles retail experience is a significant advantage
• Expert at 3D modeling tools; rendering capability
  
  

Able to move fast — first deliverable is end of March