By Cecile Corral
Love it or fear it, technology is redefining and rapidly reigning over the home decor and design industry.
The good news is that no innovation can replace the uniqueness, brilliance and creative imagination of the human mind. But designers, take heed: Those of you taking on tech are poised to win, while those of you dodging it risk becoming as obsolete as trend boards from magazine cutouts.
Nervous novices need not worry. We’ve got you covered here with a starter kit that spells out the terminology (as defined by Merriam-Webster), explains the concepts and weighs advice from experts on the three leading innovations leading the way in home décor and design: AI, AR and VR.
AI: Artificial Intelligence, the intelligence of machines or software able to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence. Examples include visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making and translation between languages.
AR: Augmented Reality, an enhanced version of reality created by the use of technology to overlay digital information on an image of something being viewed through a device (such as a smartphone camera). Some everyday examples include Snapchat and Pokemon Go.
VR: Virtual Reality, an artificial environment which is experienced through sensory stimuli (such as sights and sounds) provided by a computer and in which one’s actions partially determine what happens in the environment. It is commonly used in gaming.
For some perspective on the central role technology is commanding within the home décor and furnishings space, here’s a glimpse into consumers trends at retail around AI, AR and VR, according to a recently released study by customer relationship management software and applications provider Salesforce.
Retailers are focusing their AI initiatives this year on enhancing the customer experience, much of that on improving customer service, said the study. And more specifically, 93% of retailers surveyed said they are investing in personalization throughout the customer journey.
“AI can make data-driven recommendations around messaging, volume and send times and automate your outreach (at scale) to improve conversion rates,” the study explained. “2024 could be a breakout year for savvy retailers who prioritize AI-driven personalization capabilities to deliver compelling and relevant messages.”
The same can be said for designers.
To help you navigate the tech landscape for the benefit of our brand, business and bottom line, Designers Today spoke with some leading experts in interior design technology and gathered from them some handy tips on tackling tech with tenacity – today and tomorrow.
Leslie Carothers, principal, Savour Partnership
“Our company is a digital marketing consultancy specializing in working with furniture and home décor related brands and interior designers on innovative digital marketing initiatives. Most recently, we produced the Metaverse Lighting TrendHouse project for the January 2024 Dallas Market’s Lightovation tradeshow. The ability for consumers to see home goods featured in their own homes, virtually and pre-purchase, is exciting.
Here’s how it works: Designers can create 3D renderings of spaces featuring their designs and products. Each product is embedded with a QR code that has AR capabilities, allowing clients to scan the code and click to view the products in their own homes virtually as well as gain product details for possible
purchase. These technologies create opportunities for designers to not only better engage with their clients and keep them in their websites longer, but also earn percentages of sales from products featured via affiliate links.
Examples of affiliate links include vendor and/or retail partners, like Wayfair, Amazon and others who pay designers and bloggers a percentage of the sale of every product sold from their websites via this technology.”
Fernando Duque, CEO/co-founder, Duke Renders
“By integrating AI, AR and VR technologies into their services, interior designers can improve the overall design process, enhance client engagement, and deliver more personalized and immersive experiences. The application of AI, AR and VR not only streamlines the design workflow but also empowers clients to make more informed decisions, resulting in more gratifying and successful design outcomes.
Here are some ways designers should be applying technologies, like AI, AR and/or VR, to their services and offerings.
AI for customized designs: AI algorithms now play a pivotal role in assessing client preferences, lifestyle choices and design inclinations. The impact is evident in virtual assistants powered by AI, suggesting personalized design elements based on extensive data analysis. From color schemes to furniture styles, AI contributes to tailoring designs to individual client preferences.
AR for interactive presentations: Augmented reality is utilized to enhance client presentations by overlaying virtual elements onto real-world spaces. This enables clients to visualize and interact
with proposed designs in their existing environments before making decisions. An interior designer using AR could project virtual furniture and décor items into a client’s living room through a mobile device, providing a real-time and interactive preview of how different design elements would appear in the actual space.
VR for immersive design reviews: Virtual reality is employed to offer clients immersive design experiences. Clients can virtually “walk through” the proposed designs, gaining a comprehensive
understanding of spatial arrangements, proportions, and overall aesthetics. An interior design firm could develop a VR simulation where clients use VR headsets to navigate through different rooms of a virtual home, experiencing the design from various angles and making informed decisions about layout and décor.”
Jenna Gaidusek, founder, CEO and educator, AI for interior Designers
“I am an online interior designer that has decorated hundreds of rooms across the country all from my home office. With over seven years of experience as an exclusive virtual interior designer, I have perfected my process and encouraged other creatives in the interior design industry to do the same.
The first thing you need to know as a designer when you’re thinking about technology is that you have probably already used AI and may not even realize it. AI has already been worked into so many programs – Grammarly, for example, Canva, Photoshop, Microsoft Copilot, basically any rendering software includes AI, some in little ways that will soon get bigger.
The second thing to note is that none of this technology is a fad. It is all here to stay, and you must adapt to it and embrace it and work it into your existing workflows.
Technology should not be viewed as a replacement to what you bring to the table as a designer. As far as floor plans, for example, I have yet to find anything better than the human brain.
What technology does is enhance your existing talents. AI is made to help you produce work at the next level. More than that, it equates to fewer mistakes, quicker turnarounds, more precision.
AI, AR and VR replace the old style of mood boards. With generative AI, for example, you can create imagery and implement concepts into your design. I create my own patterns for home décor to use all the same colorways and hex codes. Then I use print on demand to generate a custom pattern that I have printed on pillows and blankets and curtains. This means I can offer custom design and goods for every budget.”
See also:
From drop shots to digital design: AI powers Venus Williams’ latest venture