Summary Design Trends Report 10/11

1

HABITAT TRENDS

REPORT

10/11

2 3

HABITAT TRENDS

REPORT 10/11

Texts:

David Gobert Teigeiro

Silvia M. Rodríguez Vives

Pepa Casado D’Amato

Carmen Jover Espí

Raquel Gálvez Orejuela

Jesús Navarro Campos

Vicente Sales Vivó

Cristina Revert Carreres

Design and layout:

In accordance with the provisions establis-

hed under current legislation, no part of this

whether electronic or mechanical, including

digital format, renting or leasing, without the

owners.

respective owners and have been reproduced

with their consent.

© ITC, AIDIMA and AITEX, 2010. ITC,

AIDIMA and AITEX reserve all rights, in par-

ticular to the reproduction, distribution, public

communication and transformation, whether

in whole or in part. The information and

however, ITC, AIDIMA and AITEX accept no

ISBN-13: 978-84-95077-40-0

Legal Deposit: V-1999-2010

Index

of contents

PRESENTATION

Prologue by the Honourable First Vice-President of Consell

Letter from the directors of ITC, AIDIMA and AITEX

Presentations of ITC, AIDIMA and AITEX

The Habitat Trends Observatory® team

What is the Habitat Trends Observatory®?

What do we understand by trends?

IN SUMMARY

Habitat: the general situation

Diagram of trend evolution

Table summarising accepted trends

Table summarising trends for 08/09

Table summarising trends for 10/11

Guide to using the Report

HABITAT TRENDS 10/11

New Classics

Sublime by Hand

The Essentials

Once upon a Future

Everyday Solutions

Basik & Raw

Mind the Green

MARKET KEYS

1. Brand universes

2. Discreet luxury

3. Here and now

4. The consumer at the helm

5. Desire for simplicity

6. The alternative consumer

7. Reinventing the green model

SOCIO-CULTURAL KEYS

A. The value of emotions

B. The frugal society

C. The multitasking generation

D. Digital natives

E. The need for rationality

F. Change in attitudes

G. Eco-behaviour

4

6

8

10

11

13

16

20

22

24

26

28

31

41

53

63

75

85

95

107

111

115

119

123

127

131

135

139

143

147

151

155

159

4 5

Prologue by the Honourable

Regional Minister of Indus-

try, Commerce and Innova-

tion and First Vice President

of the Generalitat Valencia-

na

changes occur complicates the forecaster’s

taking decisions, embarking on strategies or

deciding on major changes of direction for

the future development of societies, indus-

tries and individuals.

-

tion of the Habitat Trends Report produced ® with

Trade and Innovation of the Generalitat

Valenciana through the Institute for Small

the European Regional Development Fund

FEDER.

the Furniture, Wood, Packaging and Related

members of REDIT, the Institute of Techno-

-

-

with a particular focus on three determining

factors: socio-cultural, aesthetic and market

factors. These factors are understood to be

provide a broad picture of our habitat and

at the same time trace the movement and

-® therefore provides Valencian com-

panies with privileged information for the

design and development of innovative pro-

it offers a multitude of tools with which to

generate innovation as a strategic competi-

tive weapon.

and describes several of the predominant

trends that are, in turn, linked to a series of

us with comprehensive information on how

trends have transformed, or what were

the market and communication throughout,

placing the trends within their corresponding

socio-cultural framework.

across the whole of Spain. This publication

also aspires to become a valuable support as

the conditions to improve and expand their

competitive status to the full.

Vicente Rambla Momplet

and First Vice President of the Generalitat Valenciana.

6 7

Letter from the directors

of ITC, AIDIMA and AITEXshould add another maxim, attributed to

Albert Einstein, which states that we cannot

Since mid 2007, the economic environment

-

it all other sectors of production and almost

bringing about the collapse of the economic

into a social crisis, with repercussions

affecting the values and behaviours of

citizen-inhabitants. Out of this competitive

and market environment the present Habitat

Trends Report 10/11 was born, the leitmotif

of which is palpable throughout its pages:

market opportunities exist if we are able to

understand how the recession affects social

values and what repercussions it has on the

related manufacturers are producing.

Although it is important to safeguard the

-

king toward to the future is imperative. The

trends presented in this publication provide a

current picture of the state of habitat-related

-

enforced reflection in which the consumer

hedonistic and emotional consumption with

the efficient and rational use of resources

-

subject to the same rules.

produce a publication that companies can

use as a tool, and for that reason it appears

in the form of a work manual. The Habitat

Trends Report 10/11 revisits previous trends

and updates them with a view to the coming

-

dominant trends of habitat-related sectors,

trends that are reflected in mass consump-

-

prehensive overview of the habitat-related

milieu in Spain.

This publication would not have been

possible without the institutional support of

-

tion through various funding programmes

based on an improved knowledge of the

-

posals and inter-sector cooperation between

habitat related companies.

Carlos Feliu Mingarro

Director of ITC-AICE

Vicente Blanes Juliá

Director of AITEX

Mariano J. Pérez Campos

Director of AIDIMA

8 9

a state-subsidised partnership constituted

through an agreement between the Ceramic

the Universitat Jaume I of Castellón, which

was set up to respond to the needs of com-

panies in the Spanish ceramic tile cluster.

has coordinated cooperation between the

are reflected in the high levels of develo-

pment in the Spanish ceramic tile manu-

facturing sector. The ITC provides support

for companies through R&D&I and other

activities designed to make the sector more

competitive.

Of particular note are its undertakings in the

in surface functionalisation and in develo-

ping new technical and aesthetic features in

products associated with the broad habitat-

related sector, as well as other industries

sectors, etc.

The work of its Design and Architecture

design management, etc. Because its team

-

approach to its projects.

AIDIMA, the Furniture, Wood, Packaging

-

tion with legal status as an Association of

Companies, operating both at home and

the Spanish Interministerial Commission of

-

sociation and as a Centre for Innovation and

the competitiveness of the Spanish furnitu-

re, wood and related industries sector, and

the packaging and goods transport sector,

environment and improved management,

-

tion and marketing and in consolidating

AIDIMA is a member of REDIT and FEDIT

and forms part of the OTRI network. It

is a member of the Board of Directors of

-

the European Union as a Centre of Excellen-

ce for the wood, furniture, packaging and

related industries sectors and participates in

European R&D and training projects and in

activities for the dissemination of innovative

technologies.

Valenciana through the Institute of Small

Network REDIT.

AITEX’s main objective is to enhance

competitiveness among textile companies

R&D&I, introducing new technologies, im-

the areas of design and the market.

To achieve these aims, the Institute carries

out technological research and development

activities, provides advanced technical servi-

ces through specialised laboratories with the

highest national and international accredi-

tations and recognition, and offers consul-

tation and dissemination in areas related to

design and the market.

AITEX also designs tailor-made training

services for companies and has its own sur-

veillance and technological transfer tools.

and activities are designed to support the

-

gical needs.

INNOVAWOOD, the European Association

-

working and Furniture sectors.

AIDIMA has an established track record in

and strategic planning, and research into

consumer patterns and distribution in the

short, medium and long term through the

AIDIMA has participated in the Habitat ® since it began in 2005.

ITC AIDIMA AITEX

Presentation

of ITC, AIDIMA and AITEX

10 11

The Habitat Trends

Observatory® Team

EXTERNAL EXPERTS

Ismael Quintanilla

Arantza Vilas Textile designer and artist, and associate professor

Jesús Navarro CamposDirector of Corporate Development, AIDIMA.

Vicente Sales Vivó

J. Javier Iborra Casanova

Cristina Revert Carreres

Carmen Biel SanchisCentre for Product Development.

® is an

organisation for generating and dissemina-

ting knowledge on habitat-related trends.

It has become an information tool to help

companies take strategic decisions that in-

-

providing medium-term information for the

® team

consists of personnel from ITC, AIDIMA and

AITEX, a substantial group of experts from

-

-

gies between the knowledge from the sectors

What is the Habitat Trends

Observatory®?

Observe and generate strategic information on habitat, market and environment

HTOHabitat Trends

Observatory®

Competitive Intelligen-ce System

Company

Strategic and product innovation

Business development units

Make profitable

Design solu-tions focused on user

David Gobert TeigeiroHead of the Market Area and Lecturer in the

Area of Marketing at the Universidad Jaume I of

Castellón.

Javier Mira PeidroHead of the Design and Architecture Area, ALI-

CER.

Mila Payá SáezHead of Trend Department.

Silvia M. Rodríguez Vives® at ITC.

Pepa Casado D’Amato®.

Vicente Cambra SánchezSub-director of the R&D Area.

Carmen Jover EspíHead of Training and Responsible for the Innovation,

Fashion and Clothing Manufacture Research Group.

Raquel Gálvez Orejuela® at Aitex

and Design Projects Specialist.

Cristina Serrano GarcíaDesign Specialist.

Lola Macías Mañas

12 13

Reliable, tested information: our resear-

chers come from various specialist areas, we

consult external experts, we explore a range

of international sources, we keep a close

we attend a broad spectrum of European

trade fairs, congresses and events in order

to build up a comprehensive picture of all

trend-related issues. We have also develo-

summarise all the information we gather so

as to offer exhaustive and useful knowledge

to companies and designers.

Trend analysis: The HTO studies trends

causes, revealing the concepts behind each

we describe show how design can connect

with users’ lives, and thus avoid the rapid

different approaches.

Trend application:

and designers to come up with new propo-

-

viduals are evolving, and are able to antici-

pate movements in the market, thus helping

should be aligned with the organisation’s

-

the HTO runs workshops focusing on the

creative side of the innovation process that

aim to achieve innovative results based on

information about trends.

Knowledgeareas What do we understand

by trends?

Distribution and retailing

Communication

Marketing

Graphic design

Urbanism

Architecture

Interior design

Furniture

Ceramics

Coverings

Lighting

Home textiles

Home automation

Culture

Values

Socio-cultural context

Habitat Communication and Market

Analysis

Information Application

14 15

In summary

Seletti Palace Collection

16 17

Habitat: the general

situation

The reasons behind the dramatic changes

in a series of transformations in the socio-

cultural and economic context that have trig-

gered different reactions among users and in

the markets.

excesses and return to a less ostentatious,

and collective consciousness as one of the

increased concern for values that affect the

-

ment, well-being, anti-manipulation and

-

blems of others. The alternative consumer

has come onto the scene, a group which,

15% to 20% of all consumers.

Emotional values are still important, but

-

panies must set appropriate prices for

their products, and public administrations

and citizen-consumers must tighten their

budgets. Consuming still requires a touch

of emotion and products will continue to be

-

therefore remains important, but it cannot

be divorced from the context of the crisis. In

some cases it is even disguised behind an

now looking for well-being without excesses

in a move towards a more rational consump-

tion. Consumers are attempting to avoid

the superfluous in their purchases and this

is also reflected in how product information

Understanding the Post-Recession Consu-

mer, published in the Harvard Business Re-

with the economic crisis and will continue to

grow in the long term as a result of changes

in consumers’ habits.

>>>

Net de Mark.

www.markproduct.com

18 19

-

ther reflection of the changes occurring in

our socio-cultural context. These variations

-

tances of continual socio-economic shifts

and turbulence.

As in all areas of consumption, moderation

and rationalisation have made a vigorous

comeback in habitat-related consumer acti-

related companies, can also be regarded

as a framework for new opportunities and

needs, preferences and desires for their

living environments, which more than ever

before obliges us to think about what these

present and future demands are.

This means that as users, we stop and think

require them to have meaning for us and to

-

of objects, which represents a sea change

is now a widespread practice of launching

valued. We talk about a return to a more

as the use of handcrafted articles or limited

editions of decorative pieces. This change

in direction can be seen in design for living

environments through a range of different

values such as:

1/ The assessment of a product in terms

of its usefulness and long life, with lasting

2/ Increased

3/ The demand for products and services

that give the user more

4/ The search for safe values, which remain

stable and are considered as a good inves-

design.

incorporate a distinctive component such

reasoned and

.

for Alessi.

www.alessi.com

20 21

Current trends Trends 08/09 Trends 10/11

FUNCTIONALContemporary functional

Natural functional

Press Start

Home Sweet Home

The Essentials

Everyday Solutions

IDENTITIES

Rustic

Renewed rustic

Ethnic

(G)LocalSublime by Hand

Connective Space

Once upon a Future

Green Balance

Mind the Green

Press Start

Home Sweet Home

Manifesto

New Classics

The Essentials

Everyday Solutions

Basik & Raw

20th CENTURY

Scandinavian design

Minimalism

Pop

Industrial

DIAGRAM OF TREND

EVOLUTION

The diagram traces areas of

evolve from their present position

towards the trends of 10/11, to

adapt to consumer demands.

However, this does not mean

that companies might not move

This evolution is more

evident in textiles and

ceramics.

CLASSICAL

Historical classical

Renewed classical

Neo baroque

Excessive Objects

New Classics

Sublime by Hand

22 23

TABLE SUMMARISING

CURRENT TRENDS

Introduction Manifestations Examples

Current trends:

companies and professionals in habitat-related sectors,

.

Identities

-

other cultures.

Rustic: Reproduction of traditional products

with legacies from various crafts.

Renewed rustic:

Ethnic:

aspects from a culture or ethnic group.

Terracota Glass

Decorativa.Expormim.

Manuel Revert.

Classical Renaissance, Neoclassical, Baroque, etc. The

Historical classical: Textual references to

Renewed classical: Classical repertoire

Neo-baroque: Reinterpretation of Baro-

-

tion perspective.

Monteb Comersan Antibes collection.

Event collec-tion, designed

team for Amboan.

Functional

rigorous reinterpretation of functionalism which

apparent, one more practical and the other more

Contemporary functional: -

functionalism to make them more familiar

and commonplace.

Natural functional:

functional products.

Cerámica.Arbres, Milenio. Alta costura de Piel S.A.

Top 2008 200.

20th Century

-

sign, Pop and Minimalism.

Industrial:

-

mocratise design.

Scandinavian design:

beautiful, functional and democratic

design, with references to crafts.

Pop:

elements include rounded forms, acid

colours, optical illusions, etc.

Minimalism: Movement that pursues the

related to art, architecture or design.

Bruko duvet

Atrivm.Porcelánico.Vicent Martí-

nez for Punt Mobles.

24 25

Home Sweet Home

Connective Space

(G)Local

Manifesto

Green Balance

Excessive Objects

Press Start

What it consists of Manifestations ExamplesWhere the trend is now

TABLE SUMMARISING TRENDS FOR 08/09 Trends 08/09:

Report 08/09.

Espacio Bisazza in Barcelona.

-cesco Binfarè for Edra with Swarovski.

Madam Rubens Excessive, expressive, passionate

and impulsive products. Their irrea-

them a provocative sensationalism.

-

tic and varied aesthetics.

Transreality

Rococo delirium

Consolidated and oriented towards

-

markets and Excessive Objects are being

Emiliana Design Studio for Nani Marquina.

Hotel Fox in Copenhague.Radi Designers.

Spaces aim to surprise through

among those sharing a living

environment.

-Retro collage

Fictional spaces

Everyday creativity

Erwan Bouroullec for Vitra.

Soft Wall

+ Macallen for Molo.

F. Molenschot.and mental well-being. A habitat

designed to encourage social

relationships. Placebo for nature.

intuitive in their relationship with

users.

Extrasoft

Bucolic nature

Consolidated and with a long future

trend, based on similar principles, but

Hadid for Dupont. Studio Jungen

Wireless speakers

Architecture/ Design Studio for One Off.people live at all levels and in all

ambiences. Pursues warm, intui-

with the user.

Supra-well-being

Exploration

An emerging trend with great scope.

Once Upon a Future takes a further

step in the search for the home of the

more important role, since the objects in

the home learn and evolve alongside its

residents.

Flowerchair Design Hotels in México.

Suited

Ralph Borland.

-

cation. Heterogeneous manifes-

tations. The object is viewed as a

takes second place.

Emerging. More accepted in independent

markets. Basik & Raw represents a less

experimental evolution of this trend, clo-

ser to the alternative consumer, offering a

response to the socio-economic situation

and presenting more critical proposals as

alternatives to consumerism.

Imperfection

Protest

Project: Utopia

Seoul Communes

Studies.

Kleensex®

Emiliana Design Studio.

Ventilated facade -

gation on the part of companies.

Commitment to people and the

environment. Sustainable products

to improve the habitat in aspects of

into our homes and cities.

Sustainability

Immediate nature

Community

Consolidated with a long-term outlook.

Another trend, Mind the Green, has

emerged with the same aims, and repre-

sents a paradigm shift in the concept of

consume less or cause less damage to

and individuals.

Ceramic latticework

-

Pavilion at the Aichi Expo.

The object as an expression of a

that establish an emotional rela-

tionship with the user. Incorporates

local into global. Revitalises crafts

and cultural exchange.

The resurgence of crafts has evolved

importance and local aspects become

less relevant.

Cultural exploration

Crafts revisited

Made for China Jongerius for Vitra.

26 27

What it consists of Manifestations Factors driving the trend

Socio-cultural keys Presence in the markets

Market keys Where the trend is now

-

sics’, signature pieces destined

to become cult objects with their

origins in industrial design.

the traditional know-how of the

designer’s creative and personal

reinterpretation.

Based on good design, aims to im-

-

jects must therefore be impeccable,

long-lasting and above all, useful,

emotional needs.

More than ever before, products are

becoming a service, a link with the

information around us. It is here that

we communicate with our objects,

This trend is based on the new

-

llapsible, modular, transformable and

functional and creative products are

proposed as solutions to consumer

Theories such as Cradle to Cradle,

Dreamtelligence or Co-design en-

courage us to think much more crea-

of the economic downturn. A new negative

attitude to consuming has contributed to

a rise in more critical responses exploring

viable alternatives to the present model of

consumption.

widespread concern about the short and

-

the climate, but also in terms of economic

and political changes.

-

dent designers, since it involves high levels

Firms such as Philips, Whirlpool or Soun-

dpower, manufacturers of goods related to

forward. Less well-known design professio-

also contributing solutions aimed at changing

Emerging. This social and ho-

listic understanding of sustai-

development in the medium and

long term.

Emerging with a clear future since

it presents alternatives that mar-

time when users are demanding

Form follows

solution

The naked object

Nothing is destroyed,

everything is transfor-

med

Rethink and change

habits

Cradle to cradle

-

date information mean that individuals de-

mand technological products to link the life

One of the main reasons behind this trend

appeared in recent decades. The gradual

shrinking of living space has also led to

greater appreciation of these solutions.

Firms producing for consumers with

average purchasing power are proposing

creative solution for domestic spaces.

Examples include Campeggi, Segis or

designers such as No problem, Matali

Crasset or La granja.

Great potential for growth and

market penetration, as this

trend is in line with the general

feeling that consumption needs

rethinking through a practical

lens.

-

strong innovation departments looking

to the future like Philips or Electrolux,

studios.

with the level of implementation

technological products.

in which consumers have shifted from

an attitude of exhibitionism to proposals

Companies and designers are in-

Tapiovaara design – Aero design fur-

niture, Bonestil, Brikolor, Ercol, Pinch,

Growing and with great poten-

tial scope in the market, since

their neutral, familiar and high

large number of users.

Consumer scepticism about short-lived,

a strong artistic and manual component.

greater appreciation of handcrafted items

than manufactured mass produced goods.

Social demands based on a discourse that

prioritises local over global.

Well-known brands such as Vitra, B&B and

Moroso turn to artisans to create sublime

-

ting from the premise of local production,

designer-makers have also found a niche in

this market.

Growing in the furniture and

decoration sectors. Emerging in

furnishings and home textiles.

like Capellini, Cassina, Poltrona Frau, Kar-

tell and recognised designers such as Kons-

tantin Grcic, Tom Dixon or Petter Knudsen

are names associated with a return to the

roots of design.

Emerging. More advanced in

furniture and interior decoration.

New rigour

Creativity Labs

The value of time

The Extra-Ordinary and

the Super-Normal

Invisible objects

Objects that evolve and

learn

TABLE SUMMARISING TRENDS FOR 10/11

The Essentials

Once upon a Future

Everyday Solutions

Basik & Raw

Mind the Green

The frugal

The multitasking generation

Eco-behaviour

Eco-behaviour

The need for

The need for

The need for

The frugal

The need for

The value of emotions


Change in attitudes

Digital natives

Digital natives

The multitasking generation

Change in attitudes

Change in attitudes

Discreet

Desire for

Brand universes

Discreet

Brand uni-verses

Desire for

The alternative consumer

Here and now

The consumer at the helm

Desire for


Here and now

The alterna-tive consumer


Desire for

Reinventing the green model


New Classics

Sublime by Hand

28 29

The Essentials

Min

d

the

Gre

en

Ba

sik

& R

aw

Eve

ryd

ay

So

lutio

ns

On

ce

up

on

a

Fu

ture

Th

e

Esse

ntia

ls



Brand universes

Each trend is associated with

one or more socio-cultural

each trend section and guide

complement the information

on each trend.

SOCIO-CULTURAL KEYS

MARKET KEYS

HA

BIT

AT

TR

EN

DS

The frugal society

The need for rationality

Discreet luxury

Desire for simplicity

The frugal society



The multitas-king generation

Digital natives

Digital natives

The multitas-king generation







Change in attitudes

Eco-behaviour

Change in attitudes

Change in attitudes

Brand universes



Here and now


Here and now




The alternati-ve consumer

Discreet luxury

The Essentials

Once upon a Future

Everyday Solutions

Basik & Raw

Change in attitudes


Eco-behaviour

Mind the Green

New Classics

Sublime by Hand

GUIDE TO USING THE REPORT

30 31

New Classics

Le Corbusier

Cassina.

32 33

notions of exhibition, attracting attention or

surprise, towards safe values like

and excellence of rationalist design.

of the times in which we live, in which the

consumer seeks out objects with a

value. In this case, while brand and signatu-

signature pieces destined to become cult

objects grounded in the roots of industrial

design.

found its direction in the origins of design,

and the principles of the Modern Movement

are once again being explored. We now hear

new industrial manufacturing processes and

the introduction of new materials capable of

-

ginable solutions.

Within this trend we are witnessing a return

to the origins of design in the modern period.

objects is making a comeback, providing

solutions resembling those from movements

like the Bauhaus School*.

Bauhaus School:

School of design, art and

architecture founded in 1919,

that laid the foundations of

Industrial Design, based on

responses to problems. It also

-

ject is designed and spread the

Le Corbusier collection

Grcic for BD Ediciones.

in production since 1979,

with a simple appearance

and materials like wood and

aluminium, behind which is

hidden a complex technical

extruded aluminium with a

various manual processes.

Ac lounge

New Classics

40 41

Sublime by Hand

La crisis en la literatura:

www.elpais.com/articulo/cultura/

editores/ponen/peor/elpepucul/

20090207elpepicul_1/Tes

B&B Italia:

www.bebitalia.it

BD Ediciones:

www.bdbarcelona.com

Konstantin Grcic:

www.konstantin-grcic.com

Nathalie Dewez:

www.n-d.be

Habitat:

www.habitat.net

Stefano Giovannoni:

www.stefanogiovannoni.it

Magis:

www.magisdesign.com

Capellini:

www.cappellini.it

Felix Diener:

www.felixdiener.com

Naturtex:

www.naturtex.es

Luca Nichetto:

www.lucanichetto.com

Foscarini:

www.foscarini.com

Christophe Pillet:

www.christophepillet.com

Porro:

www.porro.com

Andreu World:

www.andreuworld.com

Other references

Latent

Decorative objects Furniture

Interior design

ArchitectureTextile

Coverings

Lighting

Emerging Growing Current

Le

ve

l o

f p

rese

nce

Time

New Classics

Piero Lissoni:

www.lissoniassociati.com

Cassina:

www.cassina.com

Poltrona Frau:

www.poltronafrau.it

Tom Dixon:

www.tomdixon.net

Cotto Veneto:

www.cottoveneto.it

Patricia Urquiola for B&B Italia.

42 43

artisan’s traditional

know-how is blended with the designer’s

personal and creative reinterpretation.

-

sterile and industrial language is therefore

rejected. Its purpose is to give each product

a

of the designer’s own language.

that the user appreciates. These products

indeed, are not designed to be mass produ-

ced. Exhibitions such as Origin: the London

to the resurgence of interest in the new

According to Arantza Vilas, textile designer

and artist, and associate lecturer at the Uni-

the importance of the product’s origins, part

of the value of the purchase lies in the direct

relationship with the artisan who made it.

These are designers, architects and artists

down the barriers between art and design,

-

ting unique pieces and special editions for a

the product, the materials and processes

used in their creation”.

Thus, the user places greater value on

, as seen in the search for

artistic and manual component in which

the perceived and real value of the product

come together.

4343

Spanish Pavilion for the

2010 Shanghai from the

Miralles-Tagliabue studio

Sehnsucht piece from the Echos collec-

-

boration of Swiss artisans Greta Valer

Jenaz and Elisabeth Davatz Fanas. The

and alpine culture using various craft

techniques, in this case lace, which

took over 200 hours to make and is

protected behind a piece of transparent

Cibola

Pendent:

Dominic

and Frances

Scabetti.

Sublime by Hand

52 53

The Essentials

Other references

Nuevas Formas de Habitar.

AIDIMA, AITEX e ITC-AICE,

Comunidad Valenciana.

Origin. The London Craft Fair:

www.originuk.org/venue.shtml

Hidden Art:

www.hiddenart.com

Knitted Landscape:

www.knittedlandscape.com

Fabrications:

Html Patchwork:

Kwangho Lee:

www.kwangholee.com/main.html

Fabrica:

www.fabrica.it

www.fabricafeatures.com

Sam Baron

www.sambaron.fr

EMBT:

www.mirallestagliabue.com

Louise Hindsgavl:

www.louisehindsgavl.dk

Tak Cheung:

www.fabrica.it/fab-tv/video-tags/

tak-cheung

Secondome:

www.secondome.eu

Harri Koskinen:

www.harrikoskinen.com

Moroso:

www.moroso.it

Patricia Urquiola:

www.patriciaurquiola.com

Alcantara:

www.alcantara.com

B&B Italia:

www.bebitalia.it

Atelier Areti:

www.atelierareti.com

Scabetti:

www.scabetti.co.uk

Pour les Alpes:

www.pourlesalpes.ch

Pudelskern:

www.pudelskern.at

Soojin Kang:

www.soojinkang.net

Rodrigo Almeida:

www.rodrigoalmeidadesign.com

Bitossi:

www.bitossihome.it

Argenta:

www.argentaceramica.com

Danish Crafts:

www.danishcrafts.org

Casamania:

www.casamania.it

Latent

Furniture Decorative objectsArchitecture

Coverings

Textiles

Lighting

Interior design


Le

ve

l o

f p

rese

nce

Time

Sublime by Hand

54 55

What takes precedence in this trend is the

good design’, which revitalises its

needs, whether functional or emotional.

Their

aesthetic takes its references from Scandi-

navian design.

rejects fleeting fashions,

we acquire for our home can remain with us

throughout our lives.

This is an intermediate zone, where the

not the objective, but rather its excellence,

,

friendliness.

-

subtracting the obvious and adding the me-

aningful”, such that this trend is based on a

reflection about the role of design and how it

-

tions that are simple to use but sometimes

-

Charlotte Guisset

for VIA.

Nathan Yong for

Ligne Roset.

Lamp from the Sweet

Navone for Gervasoni.

Photo: Niclas Löfgre

to manufacture furniture

with a guaranteed

emotional and technical

The Essentials

62 63

Once upon a Future

Consumer”. Harvard Business Review,

simplicidad

Design for all:

www.designforall.org

Nathan Yong:

Ligne Roset:

www.ligne-roset.com

Mint:

www.mintfurniture.co.uk

www.rauzas.com

Pinch Design:

www.pinchdesign.com

SCP Furniture:

www.scp.co.uk

Donna Wilson:

www.donnawilson.com

Brikolor:

www.brikolor.tumblr.com

Gervasoni:

www.gervasoni1882.it

Paola Navone:

www.paolanavone.it

Other references

Antonio Ferre:

www.aferre.com

Kensaku Oshiro:

www.kensakuoshiro.com

Patricia Urquiola:

www.patriciaurquiola.com

Hansgrohe:

www.hansgrohe.es

Tord Boontje:

www.tordboontje.com

Kvadrat:

www.kvadrat.dk

Iittala:

www.iittala.com

Saloni Cerámica:

www.saloni.com

Tabuenca & Leache Arquitectos:

www.tabuenca-leache.com

Tau Cerámica:

www.tauceramica.com

Via:

www.via.fr

Latent

Coverings

Furniture

Textiles

Lighting

Decorative objects


Le

ve

l o

f p

rese

nce

Time

Interior design

Architecture

The Essentials

64 65

In this trend, the habitat attempts to reflect

in which the

limits of the tangible and the virtual almost

touch and at times blur into each other. In

this context, design becomes the interface

that attempts to bring low tech* within

than ever before the product is becoming a

service, a link with the information around

us. The challenge lies in imagining the futu-

re in order to design it.

Here we communicate with our objects,

which in turn, interact with us and learn.

the Internet of things

Auto-ID Lab, a research group working on

based in seven universities worldwide,

-

as simple as its application is complicated:

surrounds us. A good example is that of

information about traffic, weather condi-

expansion and contraction of the structure,

etc., allowing the bridge to react automati-

from a certain techno-centrism towards the

individual and his or her flexible relationship

-

dering users’ real needs”.

and exploration of the range of possibili-

in materials and procedures, no longer

the exclusive domain of the technologist.

Design professionals are becoming increa-

the conception of innovative materials and

processes, as reflected in the proliferation of

this creative process.

Once upon a Future

Low Tech:

sophisticated technologies.

The concept appears as a

counterpoint to High Tech,

resources, is easier to main-

tain, costs less and has a lower

environmental impact than

other comparable technolo-

Trish Belford and Ruth Morrow. This

surface covering is the result of a jo-

int collaboration between an architect

and a textile designer. It aims to turn

-

ment techniques and technologies to

their thermal and acoustic capacities

differ from those of traditional

cement.

with Jean-Louis Frechin and Uros

Petrevski. Gadget that enables

communication between people

using minimal signs and move-

ments to signal their presence

or to perceive the presence of a

or messages via networks like

Twitter or Facebook, etc.

74 75

-

ro. Tendencias de cambio en las TIC en

el entorno doméstico”.

XI Foro de Tendencias Sociales. 2009

casa del futuro. Resultados de un estu-

dio Delphi”. Fundación Sistema, Madrid.

will change the World”:

www.wired.com/magazine/2010/03/

Future Vision Montage:

www.officelabs.com/projects/

futurevisionmontage/Pages/default.aspx

International statistics on

www.exitoexportador.com/stats.htm

Libro Blanco del Hogar Digital:

www.sociedadinformacion.fundacion.

telefonica.com/docs/repositorio//

libro_blanco/1.pdf

Smart Bridge in Minneapolis:

minnsota-bridge-opens.html

Random International:

www.random-international.com

Philips:

www.philips.com

Nokia:

www.nokia.com

La Otra Cristina Serrano:

www.laotracristinaserrano.com

Lumiblade:

www.lumiblade.com

Other references

Everyday Solutions

Loop:

www.loop.ph

Light blue optics:

www.lightblueoptics.com

Power kiss:

Martela:

Nodesign:

www.nodesign.net

Nokia:

www.nokia.com

Compac:

www.compacmq2.com

Puff and Flock:

www.puffandflock.com

Latent

Furniture

Decorative objects

LightingCoverings

Textiles

Interior design

Architecture


Le

ve

l o

f p

rese

nce

Time

Once upon a Future

76 77

This trend mirrors the social change that

homes. The idea of living together, sharing,

solutions vis-à-vis space, home and objects,

individual and collective living in the context

of sharing a home with others.

objects are valued

problems. These products are created with

-

and , and all that

is multifunctional, collapsible, modular,

and rethought.

According to the designer André Ricard,

appearance of the things we have inherited,

and nothing else. Changing one form for

that, to create new tools that changes in li-

puts to the test. Companies and designers

-

and situations that can be

solved or made much less complex, with a

individual.

A recent phenomenon might be framed wi-

designed for users in emerging economies

such as India, China or Taiwan are beginning

to see a consumer demand in more mature

economies. These objects tend to be smaller

Products like low cost netbooks, designed

for countries in Africa and Asia, domestic

countries are starting to be seen in countries

like the United States.

more experienced shoppers have beco-

sustainable than the premium

Architect MAA for Bolia A/S.

Marc Venot, part of Via 2009.

This table has additional

simple twist of the hand.

Cerruti Baleri. Transforma-

dismantled into three pieces for

Everyday Solutions

124 125

undergoing permanent widespread evolu-

tion. One issue is crucial in this evolution:

the markets, but also public opinion, local

and regional politics, how a brand is percei-

ved, etc. The power consumers now hold

is decisive and has led to a major shift in

the role of each one of the market agents,

and as a result the rules of the game have

changed.

The phenomenon of -

ponential

more transparent, at the same time this

added emotions, intentions and interaction

share personal information on Internet

through social networks like Facebook or

behaviour from brands. Social networks are

another example of channels of commu-

half the users of social networks claim to

The tyranny of transparency

The new Osram packaging

design helps consumers

to decide on the right light

front of the pack show at a

the useful life the bulb, and

the colour, brightness or

differences between bulbs

consumer can make a quick

decision about which product

is right for his or her needs.

www.osram.com

Procter & Gamble has launched

reasonable prices for customers

packaging also complies with

demands for less fuss to make

purchasing decisions more

straightforward. Simple illus-

colours that emphasise aesthe-

and streamlining of elements.

www.waitrose.com/food/pro-

ductranges/essential.aspx

One of the consequences of greater con-

acquire things.

As the economists Flatter and Willmott

-

we have started to see signs of this market

Apple iPod or the magazine Real Simple

from the Time Inc. group.

Post-Recession Consumer published in the

trend that accelerates in times of economic

crisis and will grow further in the long term

due to a change in consumer habits.

-

their users. For example, consumers place

increasing importance on communication,

-

-

Prime values are of

expressed and the product setting.

Back to the essence

-

than ever and demanding responses from

influence of Internet on purchasing deci-

sions’, 55% of customers look for information

from the manufacturer or the provider of a

service on the web.

Consumer participation in generating and re-

ceiving information has led to spaces on In-

ternet where this information can be shared.

In recent months a large number of websites

have sprung up to provide consumers with

-

ducts

and restaurants, price comparisons for books

-

of consumers. Websites like RealCarTips.

information on prices paid for second-hand

cars and offer advice on where to get the

Source: Harvard Business Review

DuringBefore the recession

Demand

for simplicity

Long termAfter

Desire

for simplicity

126 127

considered emotional consumer

products, like chocolate, do

not stop at printing information

about calories for the consumer

-

piBollo also shows the calorie

count for each section so consu-

is an idea from Adieffe in

collaboration with Cinzia Curitti.

www.adieffe.com

Post-recession consumer:

www.post-recession-consumer-2010.com

TNS Global:

www.tnsgloblal.es

More information

Some retail chains are tailoring

their offer to the economic

downturn. Carrefour, for

has selected, are guaran-

teed food for a week for four

people at the advertised price.

www.carrefour.es

have to know what their users needs are,

since traditional objective product informa-

tion is no longer enough.

This has led to the appearance of free

well as the standard information about the

product itself, such as price, area or num-

ber of rooms, the website allows potential

clients to search according to neighbour-

enable users to contact the estate agent

Information is given on contextual issues

-

Desire

for simplicity


128 129

The consumer is used to a shopping philo-

of bonus or additional

are therefore even more exacting when ma-

Social movements based on people’s gene-

strategies that will strike a chord with these

social groups. One example of this is Couch

where users offer travellers a sofa for the

applied this model to their business, which

provides accommodation and breakfast and

at the same time boosts local development

the paperwork.

This context encourages the creation of

products and services that provide addi-

receive

certain immediate advantages related to the

the nature of the relationship between the

purchasing decision.

In New York, Smart Fortwo drivers can park

-

ments for half the price of other car drivers.

This is an example of projects and initiatives

adapt to new consumer demands.

As platforms for the creation of social net-

Wordpress, Facebook, Friendster, etc.– the

number of applications and widgets* that

have taken advantage of this new fashion to

become suppliers of tools and services for

-

tive from the Johnson & Johnson group that

offers information and help to parents, as

well as information about their own products

and is one of the most popular websites on

childcare and childhood on Internet. Since it

was set up in 1997, more than 100 million pa-

rents have visited and it has won numerous

awards. In the United States it reaches 78%

of all new mothers and now has versions in

seven different languages including Spanish.

This new context has also favoured a spirit

Adidas and Samsung have worked together

to create miCoach, a web-based interactive

Free culture

Widgets:

In computing, a widget is a

small application or program

its purposes is to allow ease

functions and provide visual

information. However, widgets

-

nation desires and interact

with services and information

catching screen clocks, notes,

calculators, calendars, agen-

das, games, windows with

information about the weather

Promotion action man for the

marketing expert, which

-

of the consumer-as-marketing-expert has

become so commonplace that numerous

advertising parodies can now be seen on

platforms like YouTube or Vimeo.

-

tising is no longer effective and there has

been a visible shift towards direct language

it uses a clear, sincere language and messa-

ges with no ulterior motives.

happens in companies. In 2008, rumours

started to circulate about Steve Jobs’ poor

since he considered his health to be a priva-

te matter. However, these rumours affected

time. This situation even reached the point

where Jobs was rumoured to have died.

presented the new iPods standing before

able to draw a line under the rumours about

the state of his health.

The pure cold truth

“76% of all consumers do not believe that companies tell the truth in their advertisements.”Source: Yankelowich Monitor

-

-

and expression.

-

necting with this group of consumers, scep-

tics of traditional marketing strategies. New

tools must be created that are perceived as

useful based on the logic that both sides of

the equation will come out winning.

G.O.D. is a Hong Kong

organisations. It carries

products ranging from

big-name brands, through

designers, to industrial

and handcrafted products.

Other examples are the

Stockholm Furniture

Fair or Merci in Paris.

www.god.com.hk


130 131

Rise of the neo-hagglers:

www.archives.chicagotribune.com/2008/oct/19/business/

chi-sun-neohaggler-price-negotiatiaoct19

www.wired.com/techbiz/it/magazine/16-03/

More information

Sample Lab opened its

tryvertising retail store. It is

hands for the products,

can take a number of sam-

ples home from each visit.

www.samplelab.jp

to bring advertising closer to the experience

it in the right place at the right time. For

example, Ikea furnishes the rooms of the

hotel chain Etap, where guests also have

the Philips coffee machine, offers free coffee

to commuters in the metro stations of some

German cities.

-

such as waiting areas, rest areas, business

airports, offices or even cruises can be used

of their products to potential consumers in

consumer or user habit.

Marketing has even gone to the extreme of

-

freebies

and in the US, Canada, Australia, etc. In

countries such as Spain or Portugal more

newspapers are distributed free than are

that consumers do not mind advertisements

advertising.

The freebie phenomenon has become so ex-

tensive that thousands of Internet websites

businesses and sectors, from phone calls



132 133

New business practices and models are

constructed on both economic principles

and ethical practices. A new generation

of business people and entrepreneurs has

these sustainable principles. The marketing

of this new emerging advertising model.

This model must provide relevant, proven

.

and its core elements must be collaborative,

active, transparent and committed. Various

campaigns now exist in this line, such as the

Global Cooling programme from Absolut,

dollars to projects against global warming.

Another example is Nokia’s collaboration

is held at the same time in different parts of

the world and aims to promote understan-

out mobile devices in schools and refugee

-

cial marketing is to question existing models

and come up with new roles, practices and

The solution lies in innovation and the

creation of new bonds with consumers and

alternative forms of communication, as well

as renewing language in order to transmit a

message that turns its back on conventional

formats that have been repea-

ted ad nauseam.

reflec-

tion on the meaning of sustainable, and it

has also become a generalised stance for

with an ecological message abound in the

message, but one that is different from the

rest, that shuns the conventional formats

which have been over exploited in commer-

cial communication on a world scale. To do

this, the environmental clichés that consu-

disappear.

The excessive use of visual language to

-

pes

message.

There are, however, companies that manage

benchmarks in the market. In these cases,

also transmits the idea that some of these

example is Paper Mate, which has launched

-

ble packaging. This environmental philoso-

creatuhistoriaconpapermate.com where

consumers are encouraged to participate in

creating the brand’s own Green Book.

-

-

to fossil fuels. Numerous examples

of design oriented to sustainable

products in the car sector include

the electric sports car Tesla Roads-

www.teslamotors.com

Nissan Pivo2. www.nissan-global.com/EN/PIVO2

Forever is a range of

sustainable cleaning

products whose

packaging bears no

resemblance to the

associated with sus-

tainable products.

www.bee.net.nz

Alternative consumer:

adopts consumer habits de-

signed to reduce the pressures

consumers with a conscience

consuming are contrasted with

the social effects of consuming

itself.

The French philosopher and sociologist

-

cal products, are interested in the conditions

in which the product has been manufactured

their use of packaging, seek out unconven-

tional channels, substitute manufactured

products for handmade ones and so on.

The response from companies has not been

slow, although two contrasting tactics can

be distinguished: on the one hand, the use

commercial purposes, and on the other

the emergence of honest green marketing.

In the former, responsible arguments are

-

negative effect on

sustainable marketing, which consumers

perceive as a fashion or a slogan with no

thus heightening feelings of mistrust and

scepticism. In this context, messages lose

strength and need to be renewed.

“We are at the early stages of the biggest business movement in the history of the world and advertising is playing a larger role than any other time in history. Messaging has to be part of the solution. You need to find ways to use the skills you have in abundance to communicate the solutions.”

“It is about both ecology and economy – we are increasingly finding them both playing off each other in powerful ways”

The growing concern for environmental

change in working and business practices

towards greater

. Social

marketing is helping to guide these new

strategies, based on ethical behaviour in

different markets.

Data suggest that there has been a signi-

people want their behaviour to be perceived

as more ethical, responsible and sustaina-

ble. A recent international report, Havas

Media concluded that 81% of those polled

-

to change their behaviour, which is reflected

through initiatives such as that of Wal-Mart

to reduce their waste emissions to zero or

their sustainable packaging programme.

feature1319

Al Gore, former

US Vice-President.

David Douglas,

Vice President of Eco

The other way of consuming Ethical markets

Reinventing

the green model

134 135

The design of sustainable products has

shifted from having little aesthetic value,

to levels of design similar to their higher

being incorporated into sustainable pro-

ducts, how the all too familiar clichés are

being left behind, and how new icons are

The essential step of acknowledging the

consumer can grant a product icon status

represent emerging social values. As an icon

idealisation, a manifestation of a collective

-

Ford, designer and co-founder of the design

Green & Blacks, producers of organic choco-

environmental and fair trade attributes act

as proof of and support for its commitment”.

-

native consumption. Service and distribution

companies are also reorganising their busi-

ness models around just causes. The most

outstanding example of this is in commer-

the ethical and sustainable bank has grown

-

Producto sostenible: www.productosostenible.net

Who Wants to Be Iconic? Designing Futures for Iconic

Brands StepInsideDesign:

www.stepinsidedesign.com/STEPMagazine/

Article/28734/index.html

Triodos Bank: www.triodos.es

Banca Ética de Badajoz: www.badajoz.org/bancaetica

More information

sible investment programmes. Examples

include Triodos Bank and the Banca Ética de

Badajoz.

Ethical consumer icons


Corland Solar Powered

Bag incorporates a

flexible solar panel

that can charge electri-

cal devices.

Reinventing

the green model

136 137

“What is really important is not the product itself, but the way it is perceived, conceived and used by the person who buys it.”

Camera model LOMO

Diana F+ CMYK

to express themselves through the posses-

sion or use of products and services. The

intangible values embedded in products

and services have gained such importance

-

of the intangible and the importance of

personal expression through emotions” are

-

distinguished in the collective imagination.

The importance of emotional aspects to the

has been broached in the main

Emo-

tional Intelligence

become a bestseller since its publication in

1995, with over 5 million copies sold worldwi-

The

Experience Economy

economics that would supersede the service

-

nomist Daniel Kahneman received the Nobel

Prize in economics for his work on decision

rational economic behaviour to be modelled.

illusion of

’. Consumers consider themselves

to be responsible and extol the virtues of in-

-

consumption are real intentions with which

to approach competent consuming.

with these approaches and situations arise

in which compulsive purchases are made

and households accumulate debts that

have consolidated hedonistic consumer

-

markets, technological obsolescence in video

game consoles, mobile telephones, digital

of over 20%… And on top of this, it must

not be forgotten that globalisation has also

in developed countries.

The personal expression of

consuming

The illusion of rationality

Before the recession, there was a clear trend

with the . The adverse

economic conditions have brought about a

does not mean that the emotional component

moment there is a growing need to shop

entertaining, it gives added value to shopping

The emotional component is now approached

from the point of view of efficient use of

resources

their budgets go as far as possible. Because

that have committed to a focus on emotions

The efficiency of emotions


This desire for emotions is

-

can achieve which digital ca-

from the camera LOMO LC-A,

emphasises over-saturated co-

lours, off-kilter exposure, etc.,

as personal, artistic features.

163

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