design:retail - May/June 2020 - 32

road, where consumers will discover brands and
develop loyalties," Yi says.
The goals for the DTLA location were to first
and foremost provide the literal storefront for the
STIIIZY brand-and where better than in a highprofile area next to the Arts District in the largest
city in the state? The design also needed to reinforce the company's California roots and reflect its
cultural capital-an authentic space that would feel
familiar to STIIIZY fans.
"The STIIIZY brand is much-loved, and that's
reflected in our vocal, loyal and growing online
community," Yi says. "We wanted a store with a
presence that showed just how expansive the brand
actually is and could serve as a design blueprint for
future locations."
Authenticity and familiarity were achieved by
creating an homage to the medical marijuana era.
The Shryne Group founders and the avid STIIIZY
fans have had a deep connection to cannabis since
before Prop. 64 and adult legalization. They have
experienced medical dispensaries in strip mall
locations with tinted windows where people show
identification and medical cards before passing
through a series of doors. The design concept intended to pay homage to that experience, but then
elevate it.
The "Influence, Inspire, Innovate" mantra of the
brand guided every aspect of the design from the
architecture and art to traffic flow, LED lights and
digital screens. The intent was to create more than a
store for shopping-a distinctly STIIIZY destination.
While adjacent to the Arts District, the flagship location is a bit gritty with an industrial feel.
The non-descript exterior itself honors the early
medical dispensary days, but posters and a canvas
billboard with brand imagery give it a STIIIZY tag

that provides a sense of arrival. For the customers
who lined up at 11 p.m. the night before the grand
opening, it was all they needed.
Just like the original medical marijuana dispensaries, customers arrive in a waiting area. However,
STIIIZY transformed this moment into an art gallery experience. Visitors are wowed with street
art-inspired murals by legendary L.A. artists Mister
Cartoon and RISK, and then engaged with visually
and texturally interesting Instagram art pods. More
than a waiting area, this is a cool space for people
to hang out and take pictures-a place they are
encouraged to stay and play in.
When customers are ready to proceed into
shopping mode, they are transported through a
LED light tunnel with programmable, projection
mapped images-a distinct moment of leaving the
outside world and entering STIIIZY's inner sanctum of cannabis culture. A 4K projector supports

custom projection mapping and a reflective paint
makes the colors in the kaleidoscope projections
stand out.
The tunnel leads customers down and in before
opening back up into an expansive showroom
space with four giant shopping pods and a massive 29-ft.-high, black-and-white "Stay STIIIZY"
art installation by typography phenom RETNA.
While the art serves as a focal point, the four floorto-ceiling shopping pods with simple glass displays
support customer flow and provide a personalized
shopping experience.
"The shopping pods function as mini dispensaries, each carrying the same strains of flower, oils,
edibles and vapes," Yi describes. "That means there
are more than 55 premium and value brands, and
up to four budtenders at each pod, so both experienced customers and dispensary first-timers can
shop at their own pace."
Video monitors with brand imagery, an engraving station for STIIIZY batteries and locally inspired
music playlists add to the experience. An added
element of interest is a series of round windows
with recessed lighting. These are portals to an actual
cannabis grow. The design piques shopper curiosity
and gives some people their first look at cannabis
cultivation at scale.
In addition to STIIIZY DTLA, the brand now has
locations in the San Francisco Mission District and
the city of Davis. At the time of this interview, Yi
had said the goal was to have approximately nine
dispensaries in operation by the end of 2020.

design:retail - May/June 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of design:retail - May/June 2020