"Assortment Styler is the only research tool that could provide us with a systematic and quantified overview of the trends within home design, with the detail necessary to provide insights beyond color and general style. It has been an invaluable tool for better streamlining our resources in product development to ensure the best possible fit into overall home décor trend direction.”
Free Presentation at Chicago Housewares Show
Design Research is pleased to announce that once again, we have been invited to offer a seminar at the Chicago Housewares Show. Our presentation is entitled “The American Living Survey: 5 Years of Home and Housewares Design Trends”. The American Living Survey is an annual trends study we conduct that captures color, design styles, and materials for key rooms in the home. Our focus for the housewares show is design trends in the American kitchen as well as what consumers seek in kitchen products. The data is presented by key demographic groups and also captures attitudinal data that helps to explain the whys behind the trends.
Who: Rick Babick and Janine Michalek of Design Research
What: Free Trends Presentation: Attendees are will be able to download the PowerPoint presentation
When: Sunday, March 3 at 10:30AM
Where: Innovation Theatre – Room E350 Lakeside Center (make a right after coming over the bridge from the other buildings to the Lakeside building – follow the bright red carpet)
Why attend and what you will learn?
• How to target product design to the key generations – Millennials, , Gen X, and Boomers.
• What American kitchens look like today and what consumers are seeking for the future
• What colors are growing in favor in the kitchen, and what colors are down-trending.
• What are the top accent colors being used in American kitchens.
• What materials are trending in kitchen flooring and kitchen countertops.
• What colors and materials are trending in kitchen cabinets.
• What is of critical importance in kitchen products such as small appliances, cookware, and kitchen gadgets.
• What is the #1 style of American kitchens – and is it growing or down-trending?
Design Research conducts and shares research on trends as a service to our clients in the support of the home and housewares product development process. We have been in the durable home goods categories for nearly 40 years. Over and over we’ve seen companies bring products to market that fail because their design elements are not consistent with the designs American consumers want to purchase. Why does this happen? We have several observations as to how to introduce trend-right new products.
One common reason why products fail is a simple disconnect between what companies create and what consumers want. While there are many resources that showcase thousands of potential design directions, those resources lack any kind of weight or quantitative grounding. If one attends many design shows each year or if one subscribes to design trends tracking services, it becomes clear that justification can be found for just about any new design direction. We have seen beautifully created, coherent design boards that were the inspiration for new collections that failed in test and failed in the market. Why? Because as beautiful as those design directions may have been, they were not broad enough to capture a sizable audience of consumers. It is all too easy to create something beautiful that consumers are simply put, not seeking. Research can eliminate this type of product failure. Our trend data (The American Living Survey™) is quantitative and it gives weight to consumer wants and needs. We look forward to seeing you in Chicago and sharing these vital consumer insights which will arm you with the knowledge to excite and delight your consumers!