Store fronts of the shop not only are the face of the shop, but it also composes commercial avenues and even a city image. In order to figure out the relationship between impression of the exterior and the exterior components, impressive evaluation was done, and quantitative factors were extracted from the evaluation stimulus. Experiment 1 was using photographs of various store fronts of a single shop and experiment 2 was using the photographs of commercial avenues. The evaluation stimulus was chosen by considering the influential factors listed in the previous researches. 30 stores each for the noon and night experiments were chosen (25 shops were in common, in total 60 evaluation stimuluses). 20 to 22 subjects were asked to evaluate them using semantic differential method of 5 rating scale of 15 adjectives. Experiment 2 evaluated the commercial avenue as a whole and a particular shop in the photograph. Using 4 photographs of 4 different commercial avenues (16 evaluation stimuluses), 20 adjectives (6 for the particular and 14 for the avenue) with the 7 rating scale were asked to evaluate to 20 subjects. In order to clarify the influential factors, formed description questionnaire was used as well. The experimental results shows the following 4 points.
First, the framework of the impressions were verified. Using factor analysis, both experiment 1 and 2 resulted in three factors. Both containing the evaluation of a narrowed area of the target, and the evaluation on the balance with the surroundings.
Second, other factors than size of the openings were figured out. Many previous researches showed the relationship between easiness of entering the shop with the size of the openings. By the multiple regression analysis, the size of the opening were found useful, yet also the amount of products and information they display at the store front and the number of people seen were other factors found useful for increasing the easiness of entering. They help predict what's inside the shop. Also “wanting to enter” is increased by the evaluation of the interior, and it is related with the color temperature of the lighting used.
Third, other impressive items were explained using the quantitative factors. For example, noticeability was found related with the distinguishability. They could be explained with the difference in the color used and the height of the building. The difference in color used does not need to take large area, rather, analysis results show that small amount of distinguishable color use is enough.
Lastly, the experiment results show that the ideal condition of commercial avenue maintaining the order and individual shops being original and attractive can happen. Experiment 2 focused on the evaluation on commercial avenue and a particular shop in that avenue. The results show that there were commercial avenues that both “like” evaluation points and “distinguishable” evaluation points of a particular shop being highly rated. They used similar color patterns as a whole, and the particular shop used distinguishable color as a signboard or a small area in the store front.
Using color distribution analysis was challenging, and further consideration has to be done. Yet, the experiment results showed its validity. Further consideration on the method of color distribution analysis can be applied to the field of landscape evaluation.
