For its first physical retail venture, global brand PopSockets — known for its iconic smartphone accessories — tasked Yatofu Creatives with designing its debut concept store. Drawing inspiration from both PopSockets’ playful products and the sensory experience of discovery, the design team likened the process of finding a favorite item to an archaeological dig — a journey filled with curiosity and wonder. This metaphor became the foundation for an immersive, multisensory interior concept that translates exploration into architectural space.
A Retail Space Inspired by Discovery and Identity
Named Future Fossil, the concept reimagines the retail environment as a fictional excavation site, where visitors “unearth” fossils from the present and future—tangible metaphors for the brand’s identity. This approach strengthens the emotional connection between product and user, while encouraging personal exploration and interaction.
Subtractive Design and Material Composition
Referencing the stratified process of excavation, Yatofu adopted a subtractive design methodology: space is sculpted through the removal of volume, shaping negative forms that define distinct functional zones. Reminiscent of stone quarrying, this strategy delivers a dynamic spatial experience rich in perspective and dimensional depth.
The predominant material, a soft pink terrazzo with a smooth, polished finish, was selected for its warm, playful aesthetic — echoing the brand’s vibrant personality. Along the base of the display fixtures, algae green metal elements appear as scattered monolithic blocks, evoking unearthed boulders. These sculptural forms serve both display and storage purposes, introducing visual contrast and material tension against the terrazzo surface.
Yatofu also designed a custom display and storage system specifically for PopSockets products. A gridded structure presents the grips on its surface while neatly concealing inventory behind each panel. This solution preserves the space’s visual coherence and invites a tactile, exploratory engagement from visitors.
Expanding the Future Fossil Concept Across China
Following the opening of the concept store in Shanghai, PopSockets and Yatofu continued their collaboration with additional retail spaces across China — including locations in Beijing, Chengdu, Hangzhou, and Guangzhou. Each store reinterprets the Future Fossil concept while responding to the cultural and urban context of its city, reinforcing the brand’s physical retail presence with consistency, adaptability, and distinction.
Location: Shanghai, China
Area: 70 sqm
Interior Design: Yatofu Creatives
Design Team: Angela Lindahl, Yihan Xiang, Sheen Tao
Photo credit: Wen Studio