For the past eight years, the Visual Elements design team has pioneered the normalization and elevation of the cannabis retail experience. Part of a renowned retail manufacturing firm with more than thirty years’ experience creating environments for top-tier brands like Louis Vuitton, Nordstrom, and Coach, the dispensary team leveraged Visual Elements’ expertise to mold cannabis retail design in a way that negates stigma and encourages innovation.
The evolution of dispensary design: from stigma to sophistication
As Canada’s cannabis industry grew, Visual Elements recognized the need for a dedicated division that could serve the emerging market. So, the dispensary design firm took its team’s extensive background in high-end fixture and millwork fabrication, noted the unique needs of dispensaries, and set out to create solutions for dispensary owners across North America.
“Because we come from mainstream retail and we have people on our team who actively worked for traditional brands, we came into this with a deep understanding of how retail operates,” said Vice President of Business Development Danielle Marzarella. “That’s what makes our customer service so significant. We already have a really strong idea of how this is supposed to work.”
Unlike many firms that pivot to new industries and don’t look back, Visual Elements remains deeply connected to the world of mainstream retail, and that connection continues to shape the team’s approach to dispensary design. Recently, the firm partnered with Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty to design, engineer, manufacture, and install fixtures for the brand’s shop-in-shop at Selfridges, London. The Visual Elements team also fabricated the Moose Knuckles flagship store and Birks’ fine jewelry boutique at Royalmount Mall in Quebec. High-end mainstream collaborations like these inform Visual Elements’ work with top retailers inside and outside the cannabis industry. The team has become a trusted resource, particularly for trend-forward operators that target the younger consumers who are shaping the future of retail.
How a vertically integrated dispensary design firm streamlines retail builds
One of the key differentiators is the firm’s vertical integration — a rarity in the design world. While most designers work with unrelated manufacturers to execute their designs, Visual Elements manages everything in-house, from design development through engineering and manufacturing to installation. The streamlined approach allows the company to design and engineer with production in mind from the first brainstorm.
“It helps bring speed-to-market,” Marzarella said. “Those transitions and phases you have to go through when you have one service provider for one thing and someone else for another — we already have that in-house mindset of how to engineer fixtures so they are commercially viable and production-friendly.”
The meticulous attention to detail for which the dispensary design firm is known begins on day one. When onboarding a new client, the team conducts an in-depth discovery process, using a detailed questionnaire to gain a thorough understanding of the brand’s identity and competitive positioning.
“We work closely with our clients to identify and define their unique differentiators in the market,” Creative Director Desmond Chan said. “Good design is also a combination of form and function. It balances aesthetics with purpose, ensuring staff efficiency, operational flow, and an unforgettable customer experience. If a store’s design doesn’t function well, it won’t retain customers.”
The team’s immersive, high-end dispensary environments have been featured in numerous mainstream publications, including The New York Times, Hospitality Design, Dwell, Wallpaper*, and Interior Design.
“I think we’ve brought a lot of perspective to the cannabis experience when it comes to design,” Marzarella said. “The designs that Desmond and the team have created resonate with so many people because they emphasize the power of storytelling and the meaningful impact of branding.”
Raising the bar for dispensary design across North America
The desire to encourage function and erase stigma enables Visual Elements to create spaces that look and feel unlike any other luxury retail experience. The firm’s approach is not only creative and strategic in navigating cannabis industry regulations, but also has been instrumental in reshaping how cannabis is perceived in the public eye.
“Designing within strict regulations requires a different level of creativity that isn’t always needed in traditional retail,” Chan said. “But based on how Canada has evolved since 2018 [when the country legalized a recreational market], I’m confident these frameworks will continue to adapt. For now, it’s an opportunity to innovate, whether that means designing a decompression zone to elegantly maintain privacy or reimagining the check-in process as an engaging brand touchpoint rather than a routine ID check at the pharmacy.”
Visual Elements’ ability to turn challenges into opportunities has allowed the firm to set new benchmarks for cannabis retail design. By thinking beyond compliance and focusing on experience, the team helps retailers create immersive, welcoming environments that resonate with both seasoned consumers and the newly curious. With a growing list of clients and projects, the dispensary design firm continues to push boundaries, developing adaptable, design-forward solutions that keep cannabis retail on par with the world’s most sophisticated shopping experiences.
“Being on the front line with clients, the best evolution I’ve seen in this space is increased sensitivity and the identification of the importance of the retail experience,” Marzarella said. “I think when we first started, there was little understanding of the significance of the brand and customer perspective. But we’ve come a long way, and we’re excited to see what’s next.”
