Hi, I’m Alison.
I’m a generator of big ideas.
A cross-disciplinary collaborator.
A generous mentor and an enthusiastic mentee.
As an interior design director with over 30 years of experience, with a focus on retail, hospitality, and other consumer-facing environments, I translate a brand’s vision and strategy into memorable physical and emotional experiences.
I thrive on collaboration with design and client teams, and I continually strive for unique, human-centered design solutions that capture the essence of the brands I work with. I believe in turning the ordinary into the extraordinary, respecting financial goals, and designing solutions that are responsibly executed.
Currently available for both staff and consulting positions (for good businesses doing good things in the world).
Brands I’ve worked with
Allsteel • American Express • b8ta • Banana Republic • Bank of America • Best Buy • Bare Essentuals
Blue Shield of California • Brooks Sports • Burt’s Bees • ColorPlus (Raymond Apparel Group, India) • Club One
Dockers • Edition by Banana Republic • El Palacio de Hierro (Mexico City) • Facebook
A13 Far Eastern Department Store Group (Taipei Taiwan) • Forever 21 • Godrej, Script (India)
Hilton San Francisco Financial District • Hotel Kabuki, Joie de Vivre Hospitality
Leonisa (Columbia South America) • Museum of Glass Museum Store • The North Face • Pacific Place (Seattle)
Raymond Ready to Wear (Raymond Apparel Group, India) • Tokyo Star Bank (Tokyo Japan) • Tonga Room, SF Fairmont Hotel Timbuk2 • Visa • Walmart • Zeiss
What people are saying
“There is a rare and valuable quality in someone who heralds and creates the best designs and can yet collaborate on their design intent to achieve the most desirable end result. I consistently find that in Alison Carr. I was instantly enamored with the cleverness of her prescribed design cues for the client’s brand, the clearness of the design intent and the uncommon artistic beauty of her sketches and drawings. Her experience, professionalism, and enthusiasm are unmatched.”
— Kevin Boo
Account Executive, Reeve Store Equipment (previously at Fleetwood)
“We are always looking to implement futuristic ideas in our retail design, and Alison has surprised us each time with work that met our design goals solved our key business problems. She is an excellent designer and a positive human being to work with."
— Nagendra Pratap Singh
Head of Retail Design, Raymond Limited
Awards for projects I’ve worked on
shop! Retail Design Awards: 2018 store of the year
VMSD Retail: 2017 and 2019 Renovation Gold Award Design
Retail Portfolio Awards: Most Innovative Retailer
ICSC International Design & Development Awards: 1st place
Speciality Store Association for Retail Environments: Silver
Design Award Asia VM&RD Retail Design Awards
images retail awards: Innovative Concept
Publications & speaking engagements
PUBLICATIONS
B8ta “Go ahead and touch it !”, shop! Retail Environments, March, 2018
Script “Bold New Visions” Retail Renovation winners VMSD, September 2018
Raymond “Yesterday & Tomorrow,” iDecorama, July 2017
Raymond “Heritage Heroes” Retail Renovation winners VMSD, September 2016
Raymond, “Ready to Woo,” Visual Merchandising & Retail Design, VMRD, January 2015
SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
Panelist, “Future Trends in Retail Design” Hem Pop-up Store, San Francisco, 2019
Panelist, “Danish Meets California,“ Fritz Hansen showroom, November 2017
Jury Panelist, VM&RD Retail Design Awards, In-Store Asia, Mumbai, India, 2017-present
Speaker, “Anywhere Retail,” Asia Retail Congress, Mumbai, India, February 2015