Kitchen & Bath Design News is the industry's leading business, design and product resource for the kitchen and bath trade.
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June 2015 | ForResidentialPros.com | 5 Editorial { +anice $osta editor } Facebook.com/KitchenBathDesignNews @KitchenBathDesignNews A t a recent visit to a New York City American Standard show- room, I was blown away by an amazing, open faucet design made by a 3D printer (see story, Page 12) . The ability to manufacture totally custom one-ofs through this technology is most assuredly going to be a game changer in the future as design becomes ever-more personal, and innovation becomes pos- sible for anyone with a vision. Technological advances continue to come down the pipe, fast and furious, and the resulting challenges can be overwhelming. In this month's Market Pulse (see Page 6) , designers talk about the impact of the Internet on their frms: Some invest sig- nifcant resources to keep abreast of technology trends so they can harness the power of the Web for their marketing. Others struggle with competitive challenges from online-only companies that can sell a nearly end- less array of product with little to no overhead. In her DPH Perspectives column (see Page 18) , Kaye Powell talks about the huge array of products on dis- play at the recent ISH, and notes how it has become physically impossible to showcase every product out there in a showroom – even as consumers can fnd pretty much anything online. As she says, "No showroom can out-mer- chandise the Internet." But it's not just the breadth of prod- ucts and information available online that creates challenges; it's also the sheer speed that information travels. In a moment's time, a new product, design idea or piece of information can go viral and reach literally millions of people. And, since most of us don't spend every minute online, it means you can fall be- hind the curve in the time it takes to get your morning cofee. It's interesting to note that Facebook now rates a business "not very respon- sive" if it answers 100% of messages and requests in an average time of one hour. Consumers want what they want, and they want it now…or sooner, if possible. This is why social media is so important, according to designer, au- thor and blogger Jamie Gold, who writes about the value of social media in this month's Trend Spotting (see Page 30) . Technology is also having a dramatic impact on the showroom experience (see related story, Page 36) . In the past, showroom technology usually referred to things like big screen TVs, product videos, sound systems or working dis- plays. But even beyond the physical technology is the impact of today's tech- nology on the role of the dealers and designers who populate the showrooms. Powell believes that technology "has changed the roles of the showroom and the sales professionals who work there," and she states, "Their primary role now is to curate the masses of information that are available to their customers. Showrooms and salespeople need to be able to identify and solve problems that customers don't even know they have." Consumers arrive at the showroom today better educated than ever be- fore. The showroom trip usually comes only after poring through magazines and bookmarking pages on Houzz; re- searching products and getting input from friends on social media. But information is not knowledge. And now, more than ever, knowledge is power. One consumer survey noted that roughly a third of those planning a kitchen remodel drop out of the pro- cess early on because they are simply overwhelmed – and paralyzed – by the sheer volume of choices, and the scope of what's involved. And, new technology that will allow for greater customization may only make this more difcult. Consumers who once had to choose from fve products, and then had to choose from several hundred, may soon be asked to choose from an infnite number of products, as new technology will al- low them to have literally anything they can envision, created specifcally for them. For the design profession- al who can help consumers navigate these waters – and fnd their way to their dream kitchen or bath through the path of technology that pro- vides infnite possibilities – the rewards will undoubtedly be huge. Ironically, where technology was supposed to have usurped the old- fashioned "relationships" way of doing business, it's become evident that the future, more than ever, will be won by those who can establish those personal connections and act as a guide in an increasingly techno-driven world. Information Proliferates But Knowledge is Power "It's become increasingly evident that the future will be won by designers who can establish personal connections and act as a guide in an increasingly techno-driven world." ® Publisher Paul DeGrandis Publisher Emeritus Eliot Sefrin Editor Janice Anne Costa Managing Editor Anita Shaw Senior Editor Andrea Girolamo Group Editorial Director Patrick O'Toole Contributing Writers Kim Berndtson Joe Dowd Jamie Gold, CKD, CAPS Elizabeth Richards Denise Vermeulen Columnists Ellen Cheever, CMKBD, ASID, CAPS Hank Darlington Leslie Hart Bruce Kelleran, CKD, CPA Stephen Nicholls Ken Peterson, CKD Mary Jo Peterson, CKD, CBD, CAPS Sarah Reep, CMKBD, ASID, CMG, CAPS, IIDA Bryan Reiss, CMKBD Eric Schimelpfenig, AKBD Creative Director & Production Manager Tracy Hegg Graphic Designer Cathy Petersen Circulation Manager Mike Serino Reader Service Manager Jeff Heine Digital Programs Manager Tim Steingraber Operations Manager Marie Snow Copyright © 2015 by SOLA Group Inc. 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