Ruby Paterson

®2024

Ruby Paterson

®2024

Ruby Paterson

®2024

Houndstooth Lounge by David Jones

Houndstooth Lounge is a new service concept for its parent company, David Jones. It aims to provide tailored offerings for existing clients while also attracting a new audience. Blending premium service with curated experiences, it opens new opportunities to deepen relationships and expand the company's reach.

Client

David Jones

(HypothETical project)

Responablity

Service Design

UX | UI Design

Design stRAtegy

Year

2025

Role

designer

DELIVERABLES

DIGITAL ASSET
Team collABORATION
Project timeline

Houndstooth Lounge is a new service concept for its parent company, David Jones. It aims to provide tailored offerings for existing clients while also attracting a new audience. Blending premium service with curated experiences, it opens new opportunities to deepen relationships and expand the company's reach.

Client

David Jones

(HypothETical project)

Responablity

Service Design

UX | UI Design

Design stRAtegy

Year

2025

Role

Experience designer

DELIVERABLES

DIGITAL ASSET
Team collABORATION
Project timeline

"Houndstooth Lounge transforms a day of shopping into an unforgettable experience by offering a private lounge with meaningful connection— redefining retail from transactional to relational"

The Problem

In recent years, David Jones has faced growing negative feedback about inconsistent service quality in-store and online, with reports of dismissive staff harming its premium image.

Project Objective

Our goal was to create a service that attracts new audiences, deepens customer connections, and positions David Jones as an innovative, experience-led brand—avoiding the risk of appearing outdated while expanding its reach in Australia’s retail market

Results

  • A new service strategy
    Builds on David Jones’ heritage as an experience-led retailer, enhancing in-store offerings to deepen customer engagement and strengthen brand loyalty while staying true to its core identity.

  • Created a unique service proposition to help David Jones stand out in Australia’s competitive retail landscape.

  • Introduced curated, in-store experiences that blend retail with hospitality, creating memorable brand interactions.

The Problem

In recent years, David Jones has faced growing negative feedback about inconsistent service quality in-store and online, with reports of dismissive staff harming its premium image.

Project Objective

Our goal was to create a service that attracts new audiences, deepens customer connections, and positions David Jones as an innovative, experience-led brand—avoiding the risk of appearing outdated while expanding its reach in Australia’s retail market

Results

  • A new service strategy
    Builds on David Jones’ heritage as an experience-led retailer, enhancing in-store offerings to deepen customer engagement and strengthen brand loyalty while staying true to its core identity.

  • Create a unique service proposition to help David Jones stand out in Australia’s competitive retail landscape.

  • Introduced curated, in-store experiences that blend retail with hospitality, creating memorable brand interactions.

The Problem

In recent years, David Jones has faced growing negative feedback about inconsistent service quality in-store and online, with reports of dismissive staff harming its premium image.

Project Objective

Our goal was to create a service that attracts new audiences, deepens customer connections, and positions David Jones as an innovative, experience-led brand—avoiding the risk of appearing outdated while expanding its reach in Australia’s retail market

Results

  • A new service strategy
    Builds on David Jones’ heritage as an experience-led retailer, enhancing in-store offerings to deepen customer engagement and strengthen brand loyalty while staying true to its core identity.

  • Created a unique service proposition to help David Jones stand out in Australia’s competitive retail landscape.

  • Introduced curated, in-store experiences that blend retail with hospitality, creating memorable brand interactions.

Team Collaboration

We divided this project into three phases. Our team of creatives works remotely across different states in Australia, using Miro and Teams for most of our collaboration. As the only team member based in Sydney, I visited the Sydney flagship store for a research site visit. These contextual enquiry sessions helped us gather valuable insights.

Key findings

• Customer service is inconsistent across in-store and online experiences, with online service
needing the most improvement.

• The brand lacks engagement with Gen Z due to its focus on older generations.

• Target audience values luxury, sophistication, and premium experiences—they represent two-
thirds of Australia’s most affluent households.

• Online traffic is mostly from women, but the average visit duration is low.

• Customer service is inconsistent across in-store and online experiences, with online service needing the most improvement.

• The brand lacks engagement with Gen Z due to its focus on older generations.

• Target audience values luxury, sophistication, and premium experiences; they represent two-thirds of Australia’s most affluent households.

• Online traffic is mostly from women, but the average visit duration is low.

Once we gathered our research findings, we asked three HMW questions and ran a series of team brainstorming activities to develop concepts for the new service.

Once we gathered our research findings, we asked three HMW questions and ran a series of team brainstorming activities to develop concepts for the new service.

Concept Ideation
Idea output

From our brainstorming activities, we developed three potential service concepts to address current gaps and extend reach. Feedback from various age groups in the target audience revealed that the private lounge concept best aligns with DJ’s brand values and offers the strongest value proposition to fill the identified gap.

From our brainstorming activities, we developed three potential service concepts to address current gaps and extend reach. Feedback from various age groups in the target audience revealed that the private lounge concept best aligns with DJ’s brand values and offers the strongest value proposition to fill the identified gap.

Chosen Concept — The Houndstooth Lounge

Houndstooth Lounge reimagines shopping for life’s big moments as a shared, enjoyable experience. By providing a private space where friends and families can connect, relax, and celebrate together, it transforms shopping from a time-consuming task into something fun, meaningful, and stress-free.

Why this concept works

  • Elevates the brand’s luxury appeal beyond transactions.

  • Delivers tailored, interactive experiences based on users’ product interests.

  • Broadens appeal across age groups and occasions, making shopping memorable and positioning David Jones as the destination for unique luxury experiences.

We created—

• New Service blueprint • Life cycle map • New service offering map • A Journey Map that integrated into the existing service • 4 key experience principles to keep our goal aligned

• Style guide • Concept assets

Summary ——

Summary ——

We believe this new service concept can help David Jones stand out once again in the Australian luxury department store market. This experience highlights in-person luxury shopping as a meaningful, reconnective, and interactive experience between guests and our brand.


"Where Luxury meets Connection"

We believe this new service concept can help David Jones stand out once again in the Australian luxury department store market. This experience highlights in-person luxury shopping as a meaningful, reconnective, and interactive experience between guests and our brand.


"Where Luxury meets Connection"

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