Find out how ASK Consultants and Vallect collaborated to deliver eye-catching display solutions at a premium shopping mall in Noida, India.
In today’s retail landscape, it’s no longer merely about what consumers choose to purchase — it’s also about how they feel during the process. Retail spaces are increasingly prioritising the shopping experience, placing it at the forefront of their design and strategy.
Moreover, the visual presentation of products and the atmosphere within a store have become crucial elements in shaping consumer perceptions. Displays and digital signage now serve as the first point of contact between shoppers and brands, conveying a brand’s identity and creating lasting impressions on shoppers.
Recognising this shift, DLF Mall of India embarked on a visual upgrade which won the Retail Project category at the Inavate APAC Awards 2024. For this project, ASK Consultants was appointed as the consultant and Vallect was the integrator.
Sangya Gupta, co-founder and CEO from ASK Consultants, shares the client’s requirements for the project: “We were tasked with enhancing the mall’s visual and interactive appeal by designing LED videowall solutions. The client required high-end displays for both indoor and outdoor areas to elevate their digital presence. The goal was to create captivating visual experiences that would not only enhance brand promotion but also deeply engage customers throughout the mall.”
Anshul Jain, customer success manager from Vallect, details how the integrator got on board the project: “There were many stakeholders involved and thus multiple meetings were conducted. We had to consider the needs and requirements of our client, DLF, as well as the end users and businesses who were advertising with the mall. Since we have worked on other malls, we brought the relevant stakeholders to visit to those sites for them to get a visualisation of what the outcome for DLF Mall of India in Noida could look like.”
ASK Consultants and Vallect collaborated and worked together from the beginning till the end. Jain reflects on this journey: “When we came on board, the discussions with DLF and ASK Consultants began regarding the design of the LED system. For the recce and preparation of shop drawings, our team went down to the mall to conduct a site visit and measurements for the videowalls. We gave inputs from our side on suitable sizes for the videowalls so that ASK Consultants could give us good-for-construction drawings necessary to implement the system.”
Meticulous planning
The visual upgrade at the DLF Mall of India sees a total of 14 videowalls being installed. Specifically, one videowall is strategically located outside the mall’s building. Inside the mall, 12 videowalls are arranged to align with the circumference of the mall’s ground floor. The final display consists of LED tiles wrapped around a square pillar in the mall.
All of the videowalls were provided by Xtreme Media — an Indian-based LED manufacturer. Jain comments on this choice: “We gave the client a few options of OEMs to choose from, and they decided to go with Xtreme Media after evaluating the options. Xtreme Media produces good-quality products, and their owners are based out of India, so we had direct contact with them and were well supported by their team. It was a win-win situation for both us and DLF.”
Gupta shares more details on the process of choosing technology for a project: “As consultants, when we design a solution, our focus is primarily on the functionality that the project needs to achieve. The functionality must be met, and to ensure that, we define the technical specifications that a product must meet to be considered suitable. During this process, we typically outline two or three, sometimes even four or five, brands or products that comply with the required parameters. We ensure the process remains brand-agnostic, focusing solely on functionality. Vallect proposed Xtreme Media, which met all the technical specifications of our designs and is aligned with the commercial terms for warranty, support, and other key parameters.”
In terms of the design process, certain considerations had to be made to ensure that content would be displayed seamlessly. Gupta notes: “The primary requirement from the client was to install elongated videowalls, which meant we had to work with a customised aspect ratio that couldn’t be covered by the standard 16:9 or 16:10 formats. It was crucial to avoid any distortion of the graphics and content, so we customised the aspect ratio of the videowalls accordingly.”
As the videowalls are primarily used for revenue generation and visual merchandising by vendors in the mall, the content management system had to be user-friendly and intuitive for all. Jain comments: “The content management was handled through a perpetual network. This means that there’s one PC with specific configurations that we provided to DLF, which they had set up according to our requirements. We installed a software system from Xtreme Media on that PC. This software manages the videowalls, and it’s all controlled through a single, centralised platform. It’s a very user-friendly network system, so there’s no need for a dedicated IT technician to take charge of it.”
Being meticulous during the design process was of utmost importance to ensure that the LED system would be fully functional without any lags or latency issues. In particular, a square pillar required extra attention during the design stage. Gupta explains why: “For the square pillar, the content displayed had to flow seamlessly across all four sides of the pillar, meaning it wasn’t different content on each side but rather the same content was being displayed continuously across all four walls. Ensuring that every panel was perfectly aligned to achieve this seamless effect was a major task that required detailed planning.”
Going against all odds
The project was not without its difficulties, particularly in managing manpower and the installation process. As the mall was fully operational during the day, the working hours for the project were restricted. Gupta explains: “We had to create a project schedule which would support Vallect team to work during the night only, starting after 10pm to 11pm and finishing by 8am. This was necessary to avoid disrupting the mall’s operations during the day as it is usually busy with shoppers. Working at night also minimised the risk of any damage to life or property.”
Working at night, however, presented its own set of challenges. Jain says: “For instance, if we encountered an issue, it was difficult to get immediate assistance since most people were unavailable during those hours. Even something as small as not having the right nail could delay the work, as we’d have to wait until the next day to arrange for the necessary items.”
He adds: “Night jobs are particularly tricky due to the need for proper lighting, which we had to manage. After the installation, we added an escape door behind the videowalls. This way, if any issues arise, we can fix them during the day by accessing the back of the wall, ensuring that the front side remains unaffected.”
Additionally, logistical constraints made the installation process challenging for the ground staff. Gupta elaborates on this: “Another critical task was the mounting of the videowalls. The challenge here was that the videowalls were being installed just above several sales counters, including those showcasing luxury items like watches and bags, all encased in glass. We had to be extremely careful with the mounting process, as any mistake could have caused collateral damage.”
The height at which the videowalls were installed also posed certain difficulties. Jain explains: “Due to the presence of the counters below, we couldn’t position our ladders as we normally would. As such, we had to use boom lifts, cranes, and various other equipment to install the videowalls. We had to be careful with the boom lift due to the height at which we were working with. The videowall had to be mounted on high-level poles, requiring a complete structure to be built on the ground. We had to drill holes and be extra careful as the LED pixels are very sensitive.”
Achieving success
Despite the multitude of challenges that the team faced during the installation process, ASK Consultants and Vallect were able to overcome all odds. A forward-thinking mindset grounded the team to deliver a successful outcome. Gupta gives an example: “We had to be pre-emptive with a lot of our decisions and think long-term. For instance, the outdoor videowall was particularly important in this retail project. However, there was a huge drain near the mall that emits a lot of sulphur gas. To address the potential corrosion that would be caused by the sulphur in the air, we had to plan our designs carefully and coat our products with an anti-sulphur coating to ensure they would be weather resistant.”
Jain adds: “We also surveyed the existing technologies and equipment with great detail, and realised that there were power supply issues. We had to install new cabling and stabilisers to ensure everything worked correctly. The original cables and LAN lines provided by DLF were insufficient for the videowall’s needs. Had we used them, we would have encountered even more problems.”
The level of care and attention given to the project by both ASK Consultants and Vallect highlights the importance of not just technical precision, but project management skills. Jain notes: “Initially, it was very hectic because the primary challenge was managing the manpower. The people involved in this project were also engaged in other projects, so many of them were working double shifts. Managing the manpower was the biggest challenge, but once it became a routine, the process became much more manageable.”
Gupta weighs in: “For larger projects, this level of involvement is part of the PMC (project management consultant) role we play for our clients. This experience has definitely given us an edge, enhancing our management skills, and client relationship management. Working with a major client like DLF, with their high expectations, was challenging but ultimately very rewarding.”
Jain concludes: “Despite the many ups and downs, we faced during the project, the outcome was incredibly satisfying. The way the content is running and the feedback we received from DLF is very positive. We’ve even received many inquiries due to this project, which is promising for us. Considering it’s a prime location, with DLF Mall of India being one of the top malls in Noida, it was crucial for us to deliver an outstanding outcome.”