Tracy Zaslow is a creative design professional with more than 25 years of experience in retail design and construction. Focused on strengthening brand identities through effective retail prototypes and value-engineering roll-out programs, she is broadly experienced in all aspects of retail interiors and is a true believer in collaboration as a means to excellence in design.
With a breadth of knowledge in planning, operations and fixture design, Zaslow focuses on interpreting management goals into prototype designs for implementation. She has held creative leadership positions with retailers such as Ross-Simons, Stride Rite Brands and Lechmere. She currently directs all design, construction, visual and maintenance activity for Ross-Simons, a Rhode Island-based jewelry retail chain.
As a professional member of the Retail Design Institute, Zaslow is completing her second term (fourth year) as the Boston Chapter president and served as the Boston Chapter education chairperson from 2000–06. She has participated with other chapters to run and judge two Store of the Year International Design Competitions. She is a LEED-accredited professional committed to the “greening” of retail interiors. She holds an MS degree in Management from Lesley University and a BFA in Industrial Design from RISD.
Zaslow has taught part-time in the Industrial Design department at RISD for many years. She has served on the advisory board for Retail Store Age Magazine and RCA and is currently active in her community in various organizations. She has also participated in many roundtable discussions and seminar panels for SPECS, Build Boston and ICSC conferences and had projects featured or quoted in several trade publications (DDI, Chain Store Age, POP Times, Construction Specifier, VM+SD).
Courses
Spring 2025 Courses
ID 24ST-06 - ADVANCED DESIGN STUDIO: DESIGNING SYSTEMS AT A BIGGER SCALE
LevelUndergraduate
UnitIndustrial Design
Subject Industrial Design
Period Spring 2025
Credits 6
FormatStudio
Mode In-Person
Start date
End date
ID 24ST-06
ADVANCED DESIGN STUDIO: DESIGNING SYSTEMS AT A BIGGER SCALE
The environments in which we live, shop, work, relax and dine are intentionally curated to communicate a message. Whether that message is subliminal or aggressively visible, the design intent is to transform the space to tell a story, evoke a sense of calm, to energize or otherwise engage the participants. As cultures, trends and our needs change constantly, these spaces must provide the ability to evolve over time. Creating an immersive experience is built upon systems fabricated from components designed to fit together to create a space that supports products, images and information.
Designing Systems for a Bigger Scale (DSBS) will introduce the field of designing narrative environments for exhibits and retail, where multi-component systems are shipped to a location for on-site assembly. These systems create larger structures that transform environments and deliver flexibility for ease of re-use and frequent updating of images and information. Whether the application is for a temporary exhibit, retail space or for a pop-up shop, the complete design package builds the experience through the intentional use of form, materiality, graphics, signage and interactive technology.
This studio class will study current trends, use research-based analysis, problem solving, and dive into the exploration of materials and fabrication techniques that are appropriate for ease of transport and assembly of larger scale displays and exhibits.
The DSBS class activities and assigned projects will focus on creating designs that deliver a point of view and reflect a hierarchy of information. Students will have individual and collaborative opportunities to create scaled sketch models, experiment with prototypes, produce finished components, and create a full-scale self-supporting exhibit.
Major Requirement | BFA Industrial Design, MID (2.5yr): Industrial Design
