Gruen transfer

In shopping mall design, the Gruen transfer refers to the moment when consumers respond to "scripted disorientation" cues in the environment. It is named for Austrian architect Victor Gruen (who disavowed such manipulative techniques) and lately popularized by Douglas Rushkoff.

Unconsciously influenced by accent lighting, ambient sound and music, spatial choices, visual detail, mirrored and polished surfaces, climate control, the sequence and order of interior storefronts, etc., the consumer's decision-making consciousness subsides and he or she becomes an impulse purchase looking for a place to happen.

The effect is extensively documented, reliable, observable, and marked by a slower walking pace and glazed eyes.

External links

• http://www.ibiblio.org/nmediac/winter2002/mind.html
• http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/cool/rushkoff/brand.html