Playful Design in Ice Cream Shops Across Four Settings

A new collection from ArchDaily examines the design of ice cream shops as a form of branding through playful retail and commercial spaces. The feature, written by Olivia Poston and published on August 3, 2026, highlights how designers use color, materiality, and childlike curiosity to attract customers from streets and parks. The collection spans four distinct settings: urban storefronts, interior locations within malls or markets, outdoor patios and terraces, and pop-up installations. Each setting imposes its own design logic: urban storefronts must negotiate street presence and pedestrian flow, interior spaces rely on lighting, signage, and material contrast without a street facade, outdoor areas address climate and seating, and pop-ups use bold geometry or unexpected materials for memorable communication. The article suggests that these design strategies persist across climates and cultures, indicating that shared experience and indulgence connect them. The piece is illustrated with an image of Brando Ice Cream Shop by SOLAR, courtesy of Imagen Subliminal.