**Freelance Creative Director / Spatial Designer — Pop-Up Retail Store**

Freelance Creative Director / Spatial Designer — Pop-Up Retail Store (Chicago) Engagement type: Short-term / Project-based Location: Remote with Chicago collaboration Timeline: Starting immediately — first deliverable end of April, store opens May 29 About &drop &drop is the brand merchandise, gifting, and experiential division of ADVOC8. We work with major tech and entertainment clients on end-to-end merchandise programs — from warehouse logistics to live retail activations. This project is for one of our longest-running clients and is our most ambitious retail build to date. Full brand details will be shared after NDA is signed. The project We're designing a temporary retail pop-up store inside an ~8,000 sq ft enclosed retail space in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood. The store opens May 29 and runs through June 8, with site access from May 11. It's for a major licensed IP brand with a passionate fan community — think product drops, limited editions, and high-volume merch sales over a concentrated window. We've run outdoor tent pop-ups for this client for years. This is our first large-scale, enclosed retail build and we're treating it accordingly. The design challenge This isn't a simple brand activation. We're selling approximately 150 SKUs across multiple product categories — plushies, apparel, accessories, lapel pins, backpacks, and more. Volume is high, product sells down fast, and the floor needs to work hard from day one through closing. You'll be designing a space that: Has clearly defined product zones (collections, teams, event exclusives) Handles high foot traffic and fast-moving inventory gracefully Uses a mix of existing on-site fixtures and &drop-owned gondola-style slat wall units Is modular and adaptable as product sells out or is rotated Translates a licensed IP's visual language into a physical retail environment using approved game elements — no characters, but logos, icons, and in-game assets are on the table Stays within an approx. $60–100K fixtures and graphics budget What we need from you Overall retail environment concept and spatial layout Floor plan and footprint planning — you'll be working from a 2D floor plan and Matterport 3D scan of the actual space Product zone strategy and planogramming — where does each product type live, how much space does it need, how does it adapt as inventory depletes Fixture plan incorporating existing assets + new fabrication needs Collaboration with our Chicago fabricator (already selected) on what gets built vs. adapted High-level rendered layouts for client approval by end of April — white models and placeholders are fine at this stage, finals to follow What we're handling on our end: 2D graphics and final artwork (we have an internal team and style guides) Project management and client communication Fabrication vendor relationship Inventory data and SKU lists Who we're looking for Experience in physical retail design, pop-up environments, or brand activation spaces Strong spatial layout and planogram skills — you understand how product density, fixture spacing, and customer flow interact Comfortable working with existing fixture constraints, not just designing from scratch Familiarity with licensed IP brand environments is a major plus Gaming, entertainment, toy, or collectibles retail experience is a significant advantage SketchUp or similar 3D modeling tools; rendering capability or comfort handing off to a renderer Able to move fast — first deliverable is end of April