Window displays in downtown Athens may be getting modern makeovers this semester — thanks to the design expertise of University students in a new service learning project.

“We always enjoy partnering with the University,” said Kathryn Lookofsky, director of the Athens Downtown Development Authority. “It’s a win-win for everybody.”

Katie Robertson takes measurements for her senior studio retail project. Robertson and her classmates will help improve local shops.

Groups of fashion merchandising and furnishings and interiors students will be assigned to different stores in downtown Athens, providing them free design tips and services in return for real-world experience.

“I thought to myself, we always take, take, take — how about why not trying to return some of it?” said Katalin Medvedev, an assistant professor in the textiles, merchandising and interiors.

Medvedev said she had coordinated a similar project at a previous job. When she saw how much the hands-on experience meant to students, she wanted to do this collaboration at the University.

“Once they are in the field they are usually more motivated — they want to do better,” she said. “It’s almost like a mini internship.”

Dina Smith, a graduate student from Hattiesburg, Miss., oversees the students’ project.

“They’ll go into the stores and observe specific things that I’ve laid out and examine what about this can be changed to make it better,” she said. “They’ll ultimately write a paper of suggestions to the store owners of what the owners can do better to better their business and how they could get the store to target their market a little better.”

Smith said some of the things students will be looking for in stores included window displays, store layout and dressing room accommodations.

“Anything that will make the customer’s experience more pleasurable and fun, because the longer a person stays in the store, the more they’re apt to buy,” she said.

Kasey Mays, a junior from Chickamauga, is in the group of students working at Flaunt, a boutique downtown. She had her first store walk-through on Tuesday, where she became familiar with the store’s owner, layout and merchandise.

“It’s kind of cool because yesterday I went in and there was discount stuff all over, and today I went in and she was changing everything and bringing in new merchandise,” she said.

Mays said she noticed the discount signs were taped to the walls.

“To me, that doesn’t draw my attention. It needs to be something more bold, brighter,” she said. “Also, the window displays — you can’t really see in; I don’t know if it’s the tint or the glare, so all you really see is the sign ‘Flaunt,’ and that doesn’t draw me in as a consumer.”

Megan Lee, an assistant professor in textiles, merchandising and interiors, said though fashion merchandising students will be more in tune with how the store’s layout affects customer purchasing behavior, her furnishings and interiors students will be focusing on design elements to make stores more environmentally-friendly.

“We’ll be offering design services depending on what [stores] need, anything from accessibility issues to privacy and theft,” she said. “And if they have any concerns with sustainability, we can help them to lower their energy costs.”

Tiffany Ward, a senior from Villa Rica, works with Athena Jewelers. She said some suggestions her group has for the store include livening up the floor, introducing storage units and helping to create a space for customers to create “virtual jewelry” to be made by the store.

“Sustainability goes back to repurposing,” she said.

Instead of asking Athena to purchase new items, the group suggests utilizing what the store already has to give it new life.

Lee said what fashion merchandising students can tell store owners verbally, furnishing and interiors students present visually.

“That’s what’s making it so unique and exciting,” she said.

Tricia Ruppersburg, owner of the downtown jewelry store Aurum, told The Red & Black she has a loyal customer base with a wide age range, but she thinks others are either not aware of the store or are misinformed about the store’s prices.

She said she hopes to get some good design ideas for the layout and display of the store from someone “who isn’t fettered by the idea that it has always been that way.”

“Another aspect [students] may choose to work on is to suggest ways we could more effectively reach the University student market for our fashion jewelry as well as engagement rings, and this may be the aspect that interested me most,” Ruppersburg said.

Medvedev said some stores in the project, such as the menswear store George Dean’s, have been in Athens for so long they have a niche market and an iconic window display but have trouble reaching outside that market to new customers.

Laura Elliot, a junior from Alpharetta, is working with George Dean’s.

“To actually work with menswear is gong to be interesting because I don’t have much experience there,” she said. “It’s going to be interesting to see what they do to target college-age guys.”

Elliot said she plans to talk with other students, including male students involved in the project, about why they shop at George Dean’s and what would make other people want to visit the store.

Lee said there was a lot of University support for service learning projects such as this.

“It definitely fits [President Adams’] mission,” she said. “When he was talking about sustainability and the Office of Sustainability, our project really fits that paradigm, and it’s really exciting to see the University heading in that direction.”

Ward said she is excited to get further into the project.

“It’s little shops like [Athena Jewelers] that keep downtown Athens a fun and cool place,” she said. “Athens has been so good to us — this is our chance to give back.”