This week, Dering Hall hosted a session for the DDB entitled Today’s Changing Designer. The presentation focused on the results of the Chairish Inc spring survey and how larger shifts in consumer behavior are impacting the design industry. Erin Gilbert, Chief Operations Officer at Dering Hall , led the presentation. Here are some of the main takeaways:

Clients Are Now Part of the Design Team

Clients are playing a bigger part in design projects, with many designers saying the process has become more collaborative in recent years. Today, clients conduct their own research, source products, and communicate more consistently with their designers. According to the 2017 Universe study, 54% of professional designers list meddling clients as their #1 grievance. The Spring Survey reflected these changes as well, with 46% of end users who had hired an interior designer in the last five years, saying they had used Dering Hall to make product recommendations to their designer. This clearly shows a new level of involvement from the end user.

The Rise of Consumer Power

Consumers today want to be in control. Today’s consumer sits atop a personalized network of data that helps them make informed decisions and control their experiences. Consumers now expect to control everything from what song they hear to what show they watch. This change is impacting multiple industries and has been accelerated with the rise of unified data networks, recommendation engines, and ever-advanced mobile capabilities. In design, you see this playing out with consumer demand for outstanding shopping experiences, easy ordering, and the merging of the physical and digital worlds.

“Phygital” Design Process

Phygital (where physical meets digital) brings together the best from digital storefronts and brick-and-mortar stores to enhance the customer experience. Products are migrating to platforms. Designers and clients collaborate online before ever visiting a showroom in person. Yesterday we saw independent brands selling distinct products. Today, we’re seeing a rise in platforms like Chairish Inc and 1stdibs, aggregating a variety of brands to create a more robust shopping experience. The future is even more evolved ecosystems that incorporate the physical and digital worlds.

Designers Continue to Migrate Online, but not Exclusively

According to the Chairish Spring Survey, 81% of designers now purchase items based on viewing them online and 84% start their sourcing process online. The most popular place to source however, remains the design center. So while online sourcing and purchasing is becoming more popular, it is not the only way professional designers find products for their projects.

Final Thoughts

Across design, there are new expectations of convenience, choice and control. Those who adapt to meeting these new expectations and cultivating these types of relationships will ultimately come out on top. Chairish Inc provides a platform with three distinct brands, Dering Hall, DECASO, and Chairish, to help high-end brands start to meet these demands. If you would like to learn more about listing on Chairish Inc, please email sales@deringhall.com.