01 — Context / Introduction
As Apotheke explored ways to expand its brick-and-mortar presence, we created Apotheke Studio: a 90-minute immersive candle-making experience inside the Red Hook flagship. Guests learn about fragrance, blend their own scents, and pour a signature candle. I led the end-to-end creative direction, from concept and spatial design to collaboration with perfumers and interior designers, and the development of a cohesive sub-brand for the Studio.
02 — Problem Statement
Apotheke sought an in-store experience that felt premium, immersive, and educational, while seamlessly fitting into the flow of daily retail operations. The legacy retail setup offered little opportunity for customers to engage deeply with the brand’s craft-driven narrative.
The challenge was to translate Apotheke’s artisanal identity into a sensory, scalable experience that could operate within tight spatial and operational constraints. This experience needed to feel elevated, memorable, and destination-worthy, inviting customers to explore, learn, and connect with the brand, without disrupting staff workflows or store performance.
04 — Constraints & Goals
Constraints
The flagship’s limited floor space required a layout that delivered impact without crowding, while strict safety, ventilation, and workflow needs shaped how guests interacted with wax, fragrance, and open flames. The setup also had to be fully modular, shifting seamlessly between retail hours and hands-on classes. The project involved close collaboration with external interior designers, Givaudan perfumers, and production vendors, all while building an experience from scratch—Apotheke’s first educational program with no existing framework to reference.
The Goal
The goal was to create a warm, tactile, and premium in-store experience that expressed Apotheke’s artisanal identity while remaining simple and intuitive for guests. We needed a format that could scale to future locations, supported by a cohesive sub-brand that complemented the parent identity. The candle-making process had to be distilled into a clear, guided flow, and the overall experience aimed to deepen Apotheke’s presence in Red Hook—transforming the flagship into a community destination for engagement and learning.
06 — Outcomes & Impact
Apotheke Studio launched as a fully realized, craft-driven experience that quickly became a destination for both locals and visitors. Early classes consistently sold out, reinforcing Apotheke’s position as a brand rooted in creativity, community, and sensory storytelling.
The Studio established a scalable blueprint for future locations, expanded Apotheke’s experiential offering, and strengthened its brick-and-mortar strategy with an initiative that feels timeless, tactile, and deeply aligned with the brand’s values.
07 — Reflection
This project marked my introduction to experience design and reshaped my entire design perspective. Our process was grounded in thorough research: in-depth interviews with perfumers, site visits to comparable experiences throughout the city, iterative prototyping, and feedback sessions with friends and family, all executed within tight budget constraints. The dual challenge of crafting the guest journey while simultaneously directing the overall visual identity proved deeply rewarding. The Studio's successful launch, drawing significant engagement from press, influencers, and the local community, validated our approach: that research-driven design, when thoughtfully executed, can harmonize craft, narrative, and impact.
