JALPA PATEL
Sr. Visual Merchandiser + Interior Architect
Meet ZenGenius’ very own Senior Visual Merchandiser and Interior Architect, Jalpa Patel. Born in Mumbai, India, she and her family now call Ohio home. As ZenGenius’ lead retail designer, she provides creative direction and oversees design development from concept to production. Jalpa’s international experiences influence her creative mindsets, sharing her design ideas, knowledge and passion with our creative community. Not only is she the winner of several India Retail Excellence design awards for her work with Kellogg’s, 3M, Cadbury, Unilever and Fujifilm, her creative contributions have earned ZenGenius two nominations in 2019 for Retail Design Institute and Shop! Association design awards.
Read further to learn about Jalpa’s expertise and her contributions to excellence as a member of the ZenGenius team.
Q&A
How have your past roles influenced your work during your time at ZenGenius?
I’m closing out my first decade as an interior architect and designer in the retail industry, but got my start while living in South Asia. I worked for FITCH, crafting experiential in-store concepts for brands like Vodafone and ITC, focusing on overall store design, fixture design, space planning, visual merchandising and much more. These past experiences laid the groundwork for a seamless transition into the world of visual merchandising.
FAST FACTS : PART ONE
HOMETOWN?
Although, I was born in Mumbai India, my family and I now call Columbus home.
ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS?
Always paper! It’s my favorite medium to work with - so flexible!
FAVORITE ICE CREAM
Coldstone coffee ice cream with graham crackers and caramel sauce. Perfect!
CEO, Joe Baer, made a special stop to India to visit our amazing Zen, Jalpa Patel, while traveling for business.
Jalpa takes the design process seriously. She believes that ideation and conceptualization sets the tone for the project as a whole.
Q&A
What is it about ZenGenius that you love? The projects, the clients? The snacks?
Since moving to the United States from India, ZenGenius has become my second family - my home away from home. Everyone on this team exudes warmth and is so genuine and caring. It’s everything you love about family, with hugs and all. Most of all, there is freedom and flexibility to embrace projects on a personal level, putting individual touches on them. Oh! Our office is open to dogs and babies to help move the day along. This is wonderful, as I have an adorable 2 1/2 year-old boy who has all my heart!
FAST FACTS : PART TWO
HIDDEN TALENTS?
It’s more of a skill than a talent, but I can read and write in SIX different languages.
WHAT’S IN YOUR BAG?
Inspiration can strike anywhere. I’m never without a sketchbook.
WEEKEND HOBBY?
I love to dance and participate in many competitions.
Q&A
What is unique about your approach to determining visual merchandising and design solutions?
When designing, I believe in strong concept ideation. It establishes the foundation on which an entire design can flourish, creating the desired impact. I like to think that lateral creative thinking helps in identifying the right design solutions to various challenges.
Q&A
To date, what has been your favorite project to work on during your time at ZenGenius?
I can’t say that there has been just one - each project has had its own challenges, memorable moments and highlights. With team collaboration, there is a variety of perspective brought to the table, putting our hearts into everything we do. However here are a few of my favorites below. Click the image to see more about each project.
fujifilm
“Having the opportunity to work with my favorite medium, paper (seriously, my artistic passion for paper is crazy) made this project even more exciting. For each seasonal window I crafted garlands, wreaths, snowflakes - whatever they needed for their in-store selfie moments. “
stitchwow
“This project holds a special place in my heart as it was my very first project when I joined ZenGenius. I developed the overall store design and accompanying windows for this charming shop at Easton Town Center in Columbus. The result was a colorful and playful retail space.”
shop/lab
“Designing this transitional space was a learning experience. Not only did we provide store layout, fixture and display specs, space planning and merchandising services, I was able to explore and implement digital signage strategies, tracking, and analytics. It was an honor to lead the development of this experimental retail project.”
Love Jalpa’s work?
See how she and our team can create an elevated visual presentation and in-store experience all your own with the experts at ZenGenius.
