We would love to claim that this is a textbook example of identifying an end-user (consumer) need and thereafter exploring suitable technology to fulfill it. However, it would not be exaclty true.

As often happens in real life, we had the technology solution before we had the problem.

Big touchscreens should be as easy and intuitive to use as small screens. We wanted to add the smoothness of a small screen to the impressiveness of a big screen. That is why we came up with an Alpha version of a product that used lasers and a super-sophisticated version of triangle mapping to follow user gestures on any glass surface.

That again inspired the idea of using the technology on store windows to enable customers in high footfall store locations to browse products in shop windows and to make purchases using their personal mobile handset even when the store was closed. We found the real problem; how to link the physical presence of a high-street brand into a brand's e-commerce presence on the web.

Window\Shopping is a turnkey software and hardware solution that lets any retailer turn any shop window into a life-size touch screen that allows customers to browse products outside the store and seamlessly link the products they like to their own mobile device for immediate purchase via e-commerce or for later viewing and sharing on social media.

We teamed up with adidas and started the joint development of a Beta. We agreed to do a proof-of-concept in an adidas flagship store in 6 months.

The agency-side team was comprised of a design lead, two designers, a technology planner, a software developer, a hardware developer, a project manager and an account lead. The software development was outsourced.

Rapid prototyping in real store-like conditions revealed that our Alpha product technology was not feasible for production use. The required high-end projectors were prohibitively expensive and unreliable, so we switched projection into monitors. While we could not find large touchscreens that would have given us the touch we all were used to on small screens, we opted to develop our own hardware using high-end narrow bessel monitors, a touch-foil in between the monitors and the glass window and custom firmware to connect the two.

The Beta version of the product consisted of: (i) monitors, touch-foil and firmware on a server (ii) software connecting the server to adidas e-commerce with content management (iii) a mobile shopping solution that did not require the customer to install any applications (iv) standardized interactive content of life-sized models wearing the products.

While most of the technology is readily available, we created proprietary technology in the way mobile devices connect with the big screen that is currently patent-pending.

Looking back, the fact that the solution was developed by an agency gave Window\Shopping some unique strengths.

Being the agency of record for adidas we already had a relationship with the client and understood their business. This helped us to get onto immediate prototyping and resulted in a 6 months time to market. None of other touch screen solutions have achieved the same level of integration with the brand experience.