Ever had that strange moment in a shop where the room feels slightly off balance? Not quite seasick, not quite faint - just a bit wobbly. You’re not imagining it. I had a customer come in recently and thank me for the layout of the store. She suffers from severe vertigo and walking into a space that has rows of vertical shelving, such as a book shop, is a major trigger and generally she avoids them like the plague.
I had no idea that bookshops can actually trigger dizziness or mild vertigo for some people. And so as I have an inquisitive mind, I did some research on this.
When shelves are stacked floor to ceiling with rows of similar shapes and patterns it can confuse the brain’s sense of balance. Our eyes, ears and brain work together to keep us upright, and when visual information becomes busy or repetitive, the system can get a little muddled.
And oddly enough, bookshops encourage something else - slow movement. Unlike supermarkets where people walk with purpose, bookshop browsing is more of a gentle drift. Stop, turn, scan, pivot, look up, look down, repeat. For some brains, that constant shifting can create a momentary wobble.
In this particular case, the customer told me that what helped prevent her vertigo was the way the shop was laid out. Rather than long, regimented rows of shelving, we have several large tables positioned through the middle of the room displaying books and products at different heights.
There is no strict formula to the displays. Some books stand upright, others are stacked flat. Some sit on an angle and many are mixed alongside gifts and other treasures. There are very few uniform lines of books stretching across the room.
And strangely enough, that mattered.
Breaking up long rows of shelving gave her eyes and brain clearer reference points and stopped the overwhelming feeling that triggers vertigo. It was a reminder that bookshops are experienced differently by everyone. For some people, neat rows are comforting. For others, a little visual variation makes all the difference. Sometimes good retail design is not just about displaying stock - it is about helping people feel comfortable enough to stay and enjoy the browse.
