May 31, 2017 by CallisonRTKL

Multifaceted Programming Will Bring Design into the Future

CRTKL’s Clayton Whitman recaps his ICFF and IIDA NY events.

The future of design is in the hands of the most innovative designers—those who dare to push the limits, break barriers and try new things. This May, I attended two different panels in New York City that brought together some of such designers, and when creative people like this get together in a room, sparks fly—and ideas come to life. This post is a recap of these two panels and the different things I heard at each.

IIDA NY Retail Forum—The New Luxury: A Better You

As the event chair for this panel, I worked with my IIDA committee to host a sold out, cross-disciplinary event that focused on “the better you.” Speakers from Starbucks, The Brandman Agency/Travel Currator, Humanscale, SoulCyle and Solace New York discussed how consumer focus has shifted from experiences to the luxury of personal wellness.

In recent years, we’ve seen a swing toward a “transformational economy” in which retailers act as brokers for wellness. They create communities, facilitate better lifestyles and engage consumers in ways we’ve never done before.

In discussing these recent trends, we found that the future of retail is truly a multi-disciplinary design approach, meaning retail will feature influences from all different market sectors to produce a holistic experience aimed at creating a better you. The focus has moved away from physical products and toward the client. This personalized experience takes retail to a whole new level. For example, Club Monaco stores are not solely brick-and-mortar locations that tout products; they’re retailers, a coffee shop, florists and a book store—all in one.

We’ve truly seen this trend flourish in fitness spaces like Soul Cycle and Solace New York. No longer a dingy place to try to meet your weight goals, a gym is now a group experience, a way to see and be seen, an Instagrammable, trendy activity. Interior designers now must design these spaces accordingly using forward thinking strategies.

The biggest takeaway from the panel was that the future is multi-programed and all about the user. We’re engaging new consumers in varied ways, but the key for retail, workplace, fitness and hospitality will be creating more diverse offerings that are ever-more experiential.

ICFF Contract Magazine Talks —New Generation of Leaders in Commercial Interiors

On May 21, I spoke at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair, one of North America’s largest design events. For the panel, moderated by Contract Editor-in-Chief John Czarnecki, I was joined by designers from HOK, Macini Duffy and Dash Design to discuss the integration of hospitality, workplace, healthcare and retail environments.

We focused heavily on the workplace, specifically its crossover with retail. One trend we’ve been seeing recently is an emphasis on translating the brand into the workplace. Typically done more often in retail environments, brand consistency and messaging is imperative to the new workplace.

Integrating company history and brand in the retail space, showrooms and workplace, can change the entire experience of that office. But sometimes this idea is hard to explain to clients. As a panel, we shared ideas about how to help develop a client’s vision. In a truly 21^st century moment, we agreed that online tools like Pinterest can help designers and the client better visualize and understand their brand story. Using that knowledge, we can create a workplace that works for the client, embraces all generations of the workforce and at the same time brings a company’s culture, heritage and history to life.

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CallisonRTKL

For more than five decades, Callison and RTKL have created some of the world’s most memorable and successful environments for developers, retailers, investors, institutions and public entities. In 2015, our two practices came together under the Arcadis umbrella, expanding our sphere of influence and the depth and breadth of our resources. Our team is comprised of nearly 2,000 creative, innovative professionals throughout the world who are committed to advancing our client’s businesses and enhancing quality of life.