Kristy McNiff

Specialized Chicago Hub | Fulton Market, Chicago, IL

The first in a series of stores as part of Specialized’s Hub and Spoke model, this experiential store concept was designed as a community hub complete with retail showroom, demo and service center, and event and classroom space — all with the rider at the center.

The location also included two interactive installations created in partnership with Patten Studios. The Community Wall: a touch-interactive map populated by user uploaded photos “pinned” to the map using their embedded geolocation metadata; and the Reveal Room: an immersive product display that uses sound and video to create a 360 degree experience. Along with the store’s expansive brand and product storytelling, these experiences helped to further drive the connection between Specialized and the local community, all built around a love of cycling.

Store Environment Design Concept: Jennifer Gibbons, Victoria Weinberger, Julia Manley, Kristy McNiff
Retail Marketing & Visual Merchandising Direction: Ronnie Domoe, Julia Manley, Kristy McNiff
Graphic Design: Jared Alexander
Project Management: Chelsea Newcomer

Architect Partner: D+K

Specialized Hub Concept | Shanghai, China

Burton Flagship Store Concept | Denver, CO

The Denver Flagship store opened as the third in a series of newly designed stores under version 3.0 of Burton’s store design strategy with a flexible fixture plan and a localized community approach.

Store Design Partner: Starch Creative

Specialized Turbo Store | Long Island City, NY

The first Specialized branded store in New York City, this location was designed as an e-bike only concept store to support Specialized’s mission to Pedal the Planet forward. Along with e-bikes, the store included apparel and equipment geared toward city riders with a full service cafe to fuel their commutes and the community.

Store Design: Brett Harrison
Store Environment & Visual Merchandising Direction: Kristy McNiff
Project Management: Gilberto Jasso

Specialized Lincoln Park | Chicago, IL

Visual merchandising execution support for the Specialized Spoke location in the Lincoln Park neighborhood in Chicago. This model store is intended to act as a neighborhood bike shop - engaging riders in the local community while also serving as a model and resource for local retailers. Design decisions for the space support this direction, reflecting a merchandise assortment and in-store marketing program that are achievable for a standard bike shop.

Store Environment Design & Visual Merchandising Direction: Ronnie Domoe, Julia Manley, Kristy McNiff
Visual Merchandising: Julia Manley, Ronnie Domoe, Cody Pham, Kristy McNiff
Project Management: Chelsea Newcomer

Architect Partner: OKW Architects

For Burton Snowboards, I developed new guiding principles to elevate their approach to storytelling and visual merchandising supported by a comprehensive guidebook.

This guidebook covered everything from store environment strategy and design standards, to in-store communication and product presentation guidelines, ensuring that all global teammates would be armed with the knowledge needed build, scale, and maintain Burton’s premium store environments.

Developed in partnership with Starch Creative
Images provided by Starch Creative

Specialized Retail Displays

Select visual merchandising display concepts, renderings, and guidelines created for seasonal product launches and retail marketing campaigns.

Burton Flagship Store Concept | Stockholm, Sweden

The Stockholm Flagship store opened as the second in a series of newly designed stores under version 3.0 of Burton’s store design strategy with a localized community approach.

Burton Flagship Store Opening | Sapporo, Japan

The Sapporo Flagship store opened as the first in a series of newly designed stores under version 3.0 of our store design strategy.

Burton Store Design Strategy, 2020 | Denver CO, Stockholm SE, Sapporo JP

Updated store design strategy for Burton Snowboards to be rolled out in proof-of-concept stores in Fall 2020. The objective with this project was to evolve the retail store experience to better meet Burton’s customer-first objectives at retail and develop a strategy for effective scalability across store tiers to achieve global consistency. Design direction included an updated materials and fixture package, store tiering and layout strategy, storytelling and wayfinding solutions, and visual merchandising guidelines. A comprehensive visual merchandising standards manual accompanied the updates for implementing in existing stores.

Renderings shown: Denver and Stockholm

Strategy and Design Partner: Starch Creative

Global fixture package developed as part of Burton’s updated store design strategy. Package includes perimeter, floor, and storytelling fixtures, optimized and value engineered for scalability across global store formats.

Strategy and Design Partner: Starch Creative
3D Renderings: Mark Cernosa - MFC Designs

Specialized Turbo Press Event | Invisible Dog Art Center, Brooklyn NY

Display support for event showcasing the Specialized e-bike collection for NYC media.

Environmental Design & Visual Merchandising: Kristy McNiff
Graphic Design: Jessica Allred

Burton PR Showroom 2019 | Milk Studios, NYC

Environmental Design Direction: Kristy McNiff
Art Direction: Andrew Lakata
Fixture Production: CainCain Studios
Visual Merchandising & Styling: Kristy McNiff, Kim Smith, Libby McCarthy, Sarah Rogers, Caroline Janeway

Photo: Jesse Dawson

Mine 77 Launch Party | SubMercer at the Mercer Hotel, NYC

For the launch of Jake Burton’s new personal collection, I was responsible for developing the display concept and bringing it to life at the press event held at the Mercer Hotel in NYC.

Environmental Design & Creative Direction: Kristy McNiff
Art Direction: Jay Dacek
Design Development & Production: IDL Worldwide
Visual Merchandising & Styling: Kristy McNiff & Kim Smith

Burton Global go-to-market campaigns designed for retail using an attract-engage-connect visual strategy. Campaign sets include collateral for window displays, in-store initiative features, and product highlighters.

Renderings shown:
Multipath Campaign, Fall 2020

Campaign Art Direction & Design by Burton Creative team

Burton Global retail POP, designed and produced to promote product technology, consumer benefits, and/or brand awareness in the wholesale and DTC retail settings.

Renderings shown:

Burton Step On Product Highlighter, Brand Sign, and Floor Mat

Burton Brand Signs - neon and wood/metal versions

Burton Living Lining Demo

Burton Store Design Strategy, 2018

Design Partner & Renderings: BGI Retail

Burton Flagship Store Renovation | Burlington, VT

Environmental Design: Kristy McNiff

Art Direction: Andrew Lakata

Visual Merchandising: Kristy McNiff, Libby McCarthy, Sarah Rogers, Caroline Janeway

Photo: Jesse Dawson

ANON Optics Fixtures & POP

Retail POP and fixtures for Anon Optics, a global helmet, goggle, and softgoods brand owned by Burton Snowboards. The collection of wall fixtures, floor fixtures, and POP was designed and produced to support product presentation and promote product technology, consumer benefits, and/or brand awareness in the wholesale and DTC retail settings.

Design Partners:

Starch Creative

MSI Inc.

Burton Flagship Store Opening | NYC

Photo: Dean Blotto Gray

Display buildout & styling for the launch of the Phil Frost x G Pen x Burton collab at the Burton NYC Flagship store. The collection was shown alongside the original pieces by Phil Frost that inspired the collections’s design.

Photo: Dean Blotto Gray

Burton Flagship Store Opening | Santa Monica, CA

Santa Monica was the first in a series of Burton’s Flagship store openings designed for Global scalability under Burton Store Design version 2.0. The new design strategy set a new level of global alignment across the stores, accounting for some regional flexibility, and included an updated fixture package. The designs also allowed for improved brand storytelling moments throughout the space.

Mural Artwork: Maris Turner
Photo: Adam Moran

Burton Flagship Store Opening | San Francisco, CA

Burton Flagship Store Opening | College Street, Burlington, VT

Photo: Pat Wright

Burton Shop-in-Shop | REI Flagship, Denver, CO

Design & Build Partner: Lotus United

Burton Flagship Store Opening | Zurich, CH

Burton Flagship Store Opening | Toronto, ON

Photo: Roth Photo

Burton Flagship Store Windows | Various Store Locations - North America, Europe, APAC

SIA Trade Show | Denver, CO

Annual winter outdoor and snow show “booth” for Burton Snowboards at the City Hall venue in Denver, CO.

Design and Build Partner: Greenspace

Outdoor Retailer Show | Salt Lake City, UT

Annual outdoor trade show booth for Burton Snowboards at Outdoor Retailer.

Design and Build Partner: Greenspace

Anthropologie visuals | Chestnut Hill & Burlington, MA

Various visual merchandising work for Anthropologie.