Interior Placemaking is similar to Site Level Placemaking in terms of scale. They are both at the micro level. However, because interior space is significantly different from exterior space in both form and function, the research, products and services to support your self-help Placemaking efforts are also different. The interior spaces addressed are spaces that have public access, both commercial and noncommercial.

Commercial spaces can and should endeavor to be Places. A Place of commerce requires a person to be connected to that commercial space. To refresh, Placemaking includes action that preserves and tells stories, reflects values, supports experiences, personalizes or enables temporary and sustainable change, increases mindfulness, or makes the space more legible and memorable. Interior Placemaking of commercial space can thus involve preserving and telling the story of a commercial space as well as the story behind the products and services offered, striving for both the space and the products and services offered to reflect the values of employees and customers, and offering experiences for both employees and customers that engender positive feelings such as product demonstrations or classes.

While it is harder to personalize interior commercial space, it is not impossible. Employees could be allowed to personalize office areas or break rooms, and customers could be allowed to personalize select elements. For example, some restaurants allow customers to personalize tabletops by adding signatures, messages, or pictures. Many commercial Places use music that fits their brand, pleasant aromas, and samples to taste and touch to increase customer mindfulness. Those strategies have the added benefit of making the space more memorable. Larger public interior spaces often require wayfinding strategies to make the space more legible.

Transforming interior space to a Place for the salesperson will aid in workforce productivity and retention. Transforming interior space to a Place for the customer will aid in dwell time and loyalty. For commercial spaces, more time spent translates to more dollars spent. Designing a quality and effective Place of commerce is dependent on forming connections between the target customer(s) and the space, sales staff, product(s), and service(s).

On the physical side, Interior Placemaking targets design/merchandising to improve the chances for interior spaces to transform into Places. Examples of design/merchandising research and tools to support your self-help Interior Placemaking efforts include:

• Ties between Sense of (work) Place and workforce retention and productivity (workforce Place attachment)
• Interior space Observational Research Guides (e.g., secret/silent shopper guides)
• Business merchandising measurement tools (e.g., time spent shopping, footfall, dwell time, stock turn)
• Business specific Focus Groups and Intercept Surveys (physical elements)

---

On the social side, Interior Placemaking targets operations/floor strategy to improve the chances for interior spaces to transform into Places. Examples of operations/floor strategy research and tools to support your self-help Interior Placemaking efforts include:

• Social Hubs and Community Supported Enterprises as Places
• Business Retention and Expansion
• Evaluating Opportunities in Your Community
• Business specific market research tools and industry trends
• Place-driven Operation Guides (e.g., sales floor strategy guides for experience-based retail, destination retail)
• Business operations measurement tools (e.g., interception rate, conversion rate, loyalty, frequency)
• Business specific Focus Groups and Intercept Surveys (social elements)