The last few years have us feeling all kinds of things. As designers of the built world, we have an innate responsibility to recognize cultural impacts and plan to help alleviate them the best we can. Some of the ways we do that have infiltrated the mainstream, like biophilic design and sustainability. However, there is a type of design that we feel is the basepoint of all of these, and that’s empathic design. Empathic design relies on psychographics as opposed to demographics. It pays special attention to how a user feels and processes their surroundings based on their mindset, not their age, race or gender. By focusing on temperament, we can create spaces that are more intuitive, inclusive and welcoming. Instead of the question being, “Should we add plants?” the question becomes, “Why should we, where should we and how?”
WGSN, an international think tank, creates consumer profiles based on their research in world culture and consumer behaviors, and the four profiles they introduced recently feel very relevant. For this year’s interior design trends, we focus on those consumer profiles: the new nihilists, the reductionists, the timekeepers and the pioneers.
The new nihilists are tired of the state of the world and that has driven them to be non-conformist, authentic and honest. They are looking for joy and happiness through humor and playful sophistication. They like bright and calm colors such as celestial yellow, warm golds, pinks and soft blues. They are grounded with natural materials, mixed with nods to pop culture, history and hope punk.
The reductionists are striving to reconnect with their physical world. They value kindness, integrity, storytelling and human interaction. They want materials that are textural, with softer more natural colors like retro blue, terra cottas, cream and greens. Biophilia and sustainability in their truest forms are important to them, as well as raw and reused materials and antiques. They are more comfortable in smaller, more intimate settings.
The timekeepers appreciate things of value. They seek enrichment and luxury. Trends that appeal to them are jewel tones such as cherry lacquer, color drenching, bolder but classic design, hidden technology and large patterned natural stones. Well-made antiques and one-of-a-kind pieces, especially items handed down through generations, are also of interest. They like spaces that feel flexible and want every square inch to have meaning and purpose.
The pioneers are risk takers that feel comfortable in both the digital and physical worlds. They are mercurial and want to be inspired by things they haven’t seen or experienced before. They want spaces that feel futuristic, with bold colors and patterns, and sleek materials that have a nod to technology. They like integrated and statement lighting and colors like future dusk purple, deep oranges and pinks, and bold black and white. They like networking and feel comfortable in larger spaces with high energy.
A challenge with this type of design approach is that people are infinitely complicated and there are thousands of human emotions. Individuals may see themselves in one of these profiles today, but that may be different tomorrow, making flexible spaces more important now than ever. We’ve mainly focused on what these personalities look like, but they can also drive how a space is laid out: Is it intimate, or is it social, what functions should be next to one another and does an open or closed floorplan make sense? Trends are a guideline, not the rule, and the only one to always follow is designing for one’s targeted audience.
Christina Johnson is creative director of Phoenix- and San Francisco-based Private Label International, a full-service interior design studio that develops hospitality environments and lifestyle brand experiences for clients worldwide.
Did You Know: Private Label has recently won two national awards: Multi-Housing News has awarded Private Label with two Gold Awards in the “Development and Design – Senior Housing” category for two separate projects — Revel Legacy and Revel Folsom.
Photo courtesy of Private Label International
