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How has the interior design industry changed in the last decade?
The interior design industry has experienced a profound digital transformation throughout the last few years. E-commerce and cloud-based softwares have emerged as a dominant force in the industry, powerfully impacting the way consumers and interior designers engage with products and services.
From our analytics, we can see exponential growth in searches for “AI interior design”, “Portaire” and “augmented reality”, which showcases a rising interest in the frontiers of design and technology.Today, designers expect to find inspiration, source and communicate totally online, something which only a few years ago seemed impossible. The pandemic and ensuing shutdown showed designers it is possible to do everything online, and now they have the skills and confidence to do so freely.
While online and social media platforms have become central hubs for inspiration, designers are still expressing concern over their limitations these platforms provide in regard to vetting and quality control. This has opened a gap in designers' confidence sourcing on social media exclusively and are often looking for other reliable sources before specifying products.
As a result we are seeing the majority of our brands and the brands we speak to updating their websites; understanding this is now changing the hierarchy of their bricks and mortar shop fronts versus their online platforms.
Beyond Suppliers’ websites, Portaire was designed to provide that additional layer of trust with designers. Through a heavy vetting process, Portaire has won the trust of some of the top design studios in the UK, such as Albion Nord or 1508 London and has positioned itself as a leader of curation. To us, this continues to show a rising need for digital solutions in the interiors industry.
Virtual showrooms and design tools, including augmented reality and virtual reality experiences, have also allowed customers and designers to visualise products in their own or clients’ spaces, contributing to a more immersive and informed decision-making process for everyone.
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The new age of digital interior design
The text above is an excerpt from our e-book 'The Business of Luxury Interior Design Brands'. In this chapter, we talk about the increasingly digital design process, which can now encompass a digital floor plan, design service, layout, schedule and even mood board. Through increasingly sophisticated and far reaching interior design software, interior designers are able to offer design options with trade discounts via video call apps and email (also called and online interior design service). Behind the scenes, interior designers are now also able to design freely with Autocad, and order architectural elements, furniture, decor and accessories via e-commerce sites; thus changing completely how a simple design concept becomes a real home design. You can read more about this in our new e-book.
In this free resource, we interviewed top interior design studios, brands and consultants to learn more about the business of interior design. In the 50+ pages, you'll learn about: PR and communications for Interior Design suppliers, Sustainability and ethical business practices, Sales strategy and influencer marketing and Interior design trend forecasting with prominent designers like Maddux Creative or Albion Nord.
