Start with shopping

On the very beginning of the exploration of SL avatars end up with shopping areas. Since everybody feels an almost a obligation to sell something. The American users have this attitude saved in their gene code, but everybody else can’t avoid to put something on sale. At end everybody has to make living and pay the rent. Most of the shopping architecture is pretty ugly. One ask himself why would someone reconstruct RL shopping malls from the surbs in even more disgusting and stupid way, but that is an other discussion. However there a many well designed, intriguing and still commercially successful places around. Here are 3 examples.

In the first example author put a huge effort in designing futuristic, atmospheric and almost apocalyptic Sim. Based on its actual size, the shop seems to be a spin-off of another project. The Abyss is concentrating mainly on skins, make-ups and eyes in factory-like loft, which combines easy purchase with spatial sci-fi  experience. On the other hand, AVZ Cyberpunk main store is more role-based orientated. Only one space-ship like building is occupying the Sim and the choice of products are strongly connected to the topic. Although held in black the inner space plays very good with darkness and lightness, and it is intelligently organized. The central arrival point provides good overlook of the items. I can imagine Case would enjoy shopping here. The third one: LLP is actually mimicking the classic shopping mall in terms of organization. The architecture is more generic and has nothing to do with the topic (as in two previous examples): steam punk, punk, cyber doll. However, it relays on experience from real-life shopping. Good overview, easy access, customer friendly environment, focus on items. The main object on rather empty Sim is a floating box, an container full of cleverly arranged products. The design is done with great understanding of industrial architecture, with use of mostly metal as material. Everything is brought to perfection in its simplicity, by paying attention even to the smallest details. The inner space is atrium with second floor as a gallery. A rather neat detail are the light reflectors used in shopping malls to provide optimal artificial lighting. All three examples are dealing with issue shopping in a very successful manner and can be seen as reference projects for one of the main activities in Second Life.