- Posted by Lew Migliore on May 4, 2010
Standard of care is the degree of care an ordinary, reasonable, and prudent person would exercise in given circumstances. Used as a test of liability in cases of negligence, this standard is not applied uniformly on all persons because varying degrees of reasonableness may be expected from a minor (infant), an unskilled person, or a professional such as a doctor. In tort law, a duty of care is a legal obligation imposed on an individual requiring that they adhere to a standard of reasonable care while performing any acts that could foreseeably harm others. It is the first element that must be established to proceed with an action in negligence (from the definition of standard of care).
As a flooring dealer or contractor, you pass yourself off as an expert in the sale and installation of every type of flooring material you sell and install. This includes all soft and hard surface products. If a consumer comes to you to purchase a soft or hard surface flooring material and relies on your recommendation, you are responsible for the performance of the product. Regardless of whether or not they insist on a certain product or rely solely on you, you have a degree of responsibility to provide a product that is merchantable for the particular purpose or service intended. This responsibility would lie with you by either suggesting a product they are considering purchasing that would or would not be appropriate for them. You determine the application and appropriateness by asking questions such as “where are you going to use this material?” and “what type of traffic and care will it receive?” These two questions and others like them would go a long way in helping you determine whether or not the product they want will actually perform as expected. If you tell them it will and it doesn’t just because you want to make the sale, then you can be held responsible for the failure. Just because you didn’t know where it was going to be used (which you should always determine to avoid failure) is no excuse. The standard of care here is that you are passing yourself off to the consuming public as an expert simply by the fact that you are selling floor covering material. As such, you are considered the expert as you function in this field everyday and your customer does not. So if you tell them to use something and it doesn’t work and they file a claim, you’re the first one on the hook. You can compare this to the guy at the tire store who recommends a particular set of tires for your vehicle. You rely on him to sell you the right size and type of tire for the type of vehicle you drive. But in the tire analogy there are guidelines for what type, kind and size tire should be used. Unfortunately, we don’t get those types of guidelines in the flooring industry which is all the more reason your expertise is relied on and so important. This, however, does not mean you are responsible for a particular failure of the material’s performance but it does mean you’re the first in line if there is a complaint filed.
There’s also a standard of care relative to the installation of the flooring material and this is even more important. You may not have as much influence over the sale of the flooring material if the consumer insists on a particular product but you certainly have control over how it is installed if you’re firm is doing the installation. The standard of care would be that which is given as industry or manufacturers guidelines to install various types of flooring material. In the case of carpet, the CRI Installation Guidelines would be used as a standard of care relative to the acclimation of the carpet, stretching, tack strip type and placement, making of seams, etc. The same would be true of resilient flooring through the Resilient Flooring Institute or for wood through the National Wood Flooring Association. The manufacturer of the particular flooring material would have guidelines for installation which would supersede or adjunct the associations mentioned. If you don’t install according to specific and particular industry standards and/or the flooring manufacturers guidelines, then you are responsible for the failure of the installation. Again, you are responsible for how the material is installed but not necessarily with everything associated with the existing or environmental conditions of the installation and installation site. In the case of wood for example, if the installation is done properly and the environment not controlled in the installation site and there is an installation failure as a result, that is not an installation issue. That would be a standard of care of the individual who’s supposed to protect the integrity of the space by making sure the HVAC system is operating where it should be to protect the flooring and other furnishings stability.
The standard of care is something you may not be aware of legally but it is simply making sure you do your job according to the industry standards and standards of the manufacturer. It doesn’t mean you’re supposed to know everyone else’s obligations but you have to know yours.
- Posted by Victoria Redshaw on April 21, 2010
Let me take you on a journey back in time for a moment…
The early 20th Century was a period in history when people experienced economic depression, hardship and war, eventually followed by a post-war spirit of frivolity and an eagerness to challenge convention. Comparisons to our recent global economic crisis, war, slow economic recovery and eagerness for Change can easily be made. Therefore we are predicting that, throughout 2011, a design influence which relates to the 1910-1920s era will have a striking presence in Interiors (as well as both Men’s & Women’s wear) resulting in a mixed upbeat mood of sophistication.
A significant piece of this trend's jigsaw to consider and be inspired by is the hugely influential dance company Ballet Russe (1909-1929). Diaghilev’s Ballet Russe caused a worldwide sensation during their tours, reinvigorating the art of performance dance, altering the course of musical history and establishing artistic links between creative arts disciplines. Whilst the Ballet Russe were training and performing in Paris the contemporary fine artists of the day, such as Picasso, Matisse, Miró and designers such as Chanel, Poiret and Bakst Lev (whose 1911 costume design is pictured above with the kind permission of the Russian Paintings Gallery in Samara City, Russia) contributed their creative skills via set designs, costumes and posters, effectively introducing Modernism to the masses. The avant-garde Modernism, Orientalism, Neo-Classicism and Neo-Romantic influences that originally inspired the dance company can also be identified in this new interior trend.
Fast forward to 2011…
This trend has a vibrant spirit and carefree attitude that is mixed with a laidback mood of dark 1920s dens and the sophistication and elegant glamour of the New York hotels and Parisian salons of the day. The presence of gold and copper tones mean that Baroque and Rococo styling is never far from our minds but the predominant design style is Art Deco which continues to surprisingly have a very modern look with its bold abstract geometric designs, curvaceous sweeping lines of furniture shapes, playfully stylised patterns, representations of exotic women and challenging mixes of traditional and (then) modern materials. Don’t forget about the huge influence of Howard Carter's discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922 which had a big impact on Western design...and is set to do the same again.
The vibrancy of spirit and glamorous mood is echoed in the trend’s color palette which includes flame-like oranges through to red and russets and deep wine shades that merge into dark purple tones. There is a very theatrical mood, bold and striking. There is a sense of passion and daring, of being unrestrained. The darker colors are not overpowering or gloomy...they are sumptuous! Plays of scale are present with exaggerated, oversized pattern motif. High shine lacquered surface finishes are favoured, smart lustrous velvet pile carpets and black or über-dark woods. Inlaid metallic embellishments feature along with brushed metallics and foil flashes. Oriental brocades and intricate paisley jacquards make good starting points as do mosaics, deco florals and bold scrolls.
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- Posted by Paul Friederichsen on April 15, 2010
Recently, I went to the post office to send an important proposal. I stood patiently in line to make sure that everything would be handled just right. After sending my letter “Certified Mail” (and paying a pretty penny for that “certification”) I left confident my intended recipient would be opening my proposal in a matter of a couple of days. I was even armed with a tracking number, so I could follow the progress of my package on line. That was two weeks ago. After countless entries of the tracking number, the answer was always the same: My package had been accepted at my local post office. Nothing more. Ever.
Ask me what I think of our postal service. Better yet, ask me how impressed or persuaded I am when I see the latest ad campaign by the postal service “If it fits, it ships”. While a boatload of money was spent producing that campaign and running it in primetime, they’ll never get another $7.53 of mine. I am now a diehard Fed-Ex brand advocate, thanks to the USPS.
There are three lessons to be gleaned from my little story …
The best marketing cannot overcome a lousy product or service. Tens of millions has been spent in developing a new delivery promise for USPS, millions more to advertise and promote that to business people like me, while at the same time polishing their brand image. For me (and likely millions more like me), a breakdown in the service, a disgruntled employee, or equipment malfunction suddenly neutralizes all that firepower. What’s worse, bad news travels fast. (Notice the fact that I’m sharing this with you now.)
Good marketing can actually accelerate the demise of a bad product or service. Nothing succeeds like over-promising to bring down a brand. Again, going back to my personal encounter with the postal service, they actually had me believing they were something they weren’t. So when they fail to live up to that expectation – Wham! My trust has been abused and betrayed. Multiply that over and over and you’re the postal service cutting Saturday mail delivery in order to stop the bleeding. Which leads to the third truth …
The business is one thing. The brand is something else. The business of the “if it fits, it ships” folks is delivering the mail. Duh. But the brand is all about trust. Trust built on reliability, dedication, efficiency, pride, etc. When I handed my proposal to the woman behind the counter, along with my $7.53, I gave her and the whole organization she represented my trust at that very moment. The entire business including all their trucks, airplanes, buildings, pension plans, sorting machines, boils down to an emotional connection between the business entity and the customer. That connection or bond is either made or lost with every touch point. One of my favorite quotes is from Sergio Zyman “Every detail either makes the sale or loses the sale.” The devil for brands is indeed, in the business details.
The moral for advertisers is simple. Your customer won’t be fooled. And there’s always someone else when it absolutely, positively has to be there.
- Posted by Warren Tyler on April 13, 2010
The former head of the educational arm of a large retail group used to joke that no matter what subject he gave to me, the presentation was the same. To a point, he was right because the acceptance of anything and everything we offer to others in life is dependent upon our attitudes. So whether I was speaking about selling, customer service or management, the first portion always dealt with attitudes.
Your success in life and in business is directly related to how you deal with people. If you are in management and you tell employees to do something, they may do it because of the knowledge that their job performance will suffer if they don't. However, if employees can't wait for the opportunity to carry out a request for you, you are a leader.
Most sales professionals know that people don't want to be sold, they want to buy. Good salespeople can persuade others to buy, but to become an elite salesperson, people will have a desire to buy from you and attitude dictates this critical difference.
One of the most difficult hurdles in life to surmount is the fact that your attitude has far more to do with your future success than knowledge. You may know more than others in your field, but that won't guarantee your rise to the top. Think about this for a while. It is emotionally, physically and intellectually impossible to do the best job for someone you don't like.
We survey customers constantly as to why they buy. One of the constants is that they don't buy at the other store because of better selection or lower price: they buy because they like the other salesperson better.
If you accept my premise, it's logical to believe that leadership is the art of being liked and that selling is the art of being liked as well. Very few, if any, business coaches or trainers teach employees the attitudes of success which is why, when dealing with utility companies, the DMV, retail salespeople or bank employees, especially when you have a problem, the encounter is less than fun – sometimes even hostile. This is the reason when employees greet you, "Welcome to Walmart," it's impossible to believe they really mean it!
Welcome to the real world. People secure jobs because someone liked them better. A police officer may issue a warning rather than a ticket because he likes you. Promotions are awarded because someone is liked and politicians win elections not because of expertise or knowledge but because the electorate likes them better.
Not fair you say? People like others because they make them feel good. Can anyone find something wrong with this? In business, trainers can't just show or tell people how to be nice to others. And that is why business owners get such mediocre results from sales and service training. Millions of dollars each year are literally thrown away.
Your attitude demonstrates to others that you are a sincere and likable person and, therefore, trustworthy. Service people with the right attitude can offer the exact same solution to a problem that someone else does and have a grateful customer while the other service person creates an angry one.
In a nutshell, the attitudes are sincerity, enthusiasm and self esteem. There is not nearly enough room on this blog to adequately describe them, but here is a brief overview. To me, sincerity is everything. Someone once said; 'Without honor a person is but an empty shell." I can demonstrate why the truth will always win out in any business situation.
Sincerity is painted in big letters on every single person. To be liked, you must like others. Actually, it goes much deeper. You must have the ability to give the same love and respect to strangers that lesser people can only reserve for friends and family. You can't fake it. There are many successful fakers, but I can't help thinking how much more successful they would be if they were real people.
If you can't be enthusiastic about a project, your people, your business, your ability to provide real service, your products, yourself or your customer, how can you ever expect employees, family, or customers to be enthusiastic about what you are presenting at the time?
And finally, the "biggie": self esteem. If you don't love yourself, perfectly satisfied and thankful for you, exactly the way the Lord made you, it will be impossible to love others. It is so apparent that most of us, especially our government officials and educators haven't the slightest clue about what self-esteem is and how to build it in others given the incredible failures of our schools and government programs.
- Posted by Jennifer Shirkani on March 30, 2010
Being successful in business requires more than just a good education, years of experience and smarts. It also requires insight, social skill and sensibility. To climb the career ladder, someone also must be able to control impulses, read situations and people, influence others, and manage stressful situations: easier said than done.
The EQ Advantage
Researchers call this emotional know-how Emotional Intelligence, or EQ. Emotional Intelligence is a set of skills that include one's ability to recognize their own impulses and moods and the ability to read situations accurately and respond most appropriately depending on the situation or person they are dealing with.
You've probably heard it called "soft skills", "people smarts", "social savvy", or "street smarts". EQ is all of this and more.
The credit goes to Daniel Goleman for popularizing the concept of EQ in his book Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ (1995). In it, he identified five major characteristics of Emotional Intelligence: Self-Awareness, Self-Regulation, Motivation, Empathy and Social Skill.
Our firm uses these five characteristics along with five additional ones and assists organizations in strategically applying them to leadership initiatives: interviewing and selection, succession planning, performance coaching, and learning & development.
Ten Key EQ Skills
Self-Awareness: is how someone understands their own feelings, behaviors, and motivations. This is demonstrated by being in touch with the perception of others, being aware of strengths and weaknesses, someone who has a candor and sense of humor about themselves and a realistic self-confidence.
Self-Control: is the ability for a person to manage their impulses to not say or do inappropriate things even when the urge is strong. It includes the ability to think before acting, considering the negative consequences of impulsive behavior and managing feelings constructively rather than allowing them to dominate and undermine performance.
Social Skill: is the way someone handles themselves in interpersonal interactions. This is demonstrated through reading non-verbal body language, establishing and maintaining effective relationships, and utilizing “strategic socializing” to build a wide network.
Motivation: refers to how someone applies themselves in life. Those with high Motivation are motivated intrinsically and have the ability to persevere toward goals with enthusiasm and determination, even after failure.
Empathy: is being able to read the emotional needs of another and respond to them in a way that is most appropriate. Someone with high Empathy recognizes that they must frame the same message differently depending on the audience.
Stress Tolerance: is the ability to handle various levels of stress coming from multiple sources. Those with high Stress Tolerance can handle high levels of stress without losing productivity or effectiveness.
Flexibility: is the ability to handle changing circumstances and expectations without disruption. Someone with high Flexibility can handle changing conditions and uncertainty while maintaining their productivity.
Influence: is the ability to understand the spoken and unspoken dynamics of a situation and mediate differences of opinion to negotiate desired outcomes. Someone with high Influence is able to read situations and people in order to positively influence others.
Problem Solving: refers to how someone recognizes a problem and can think of several viable solutions that can be implemented to create win-win results. Someone with problem solving can evaluate alternatives and solutions thoughtfully and objectively before making decisions and has multiple contingency plans.
Optimism: is the ability to look at the brighter side of life and to maintain a positive attitude. Optimism is demonstrated by persistence in seeking goals despite obstacles and setbacks, a belief that positive change is possible in themselves and others, someone who sees each problem as an individual occurrence rather than a grand plan against them and who operates from the hope of success rather than the fear of failure.
The qualities of EQ are easily recognized as “street smarts” but what most people don’t realize is that it is a bona-fide characteristic, one that can be recognized, measured and increased.
There is a correlation between high EQ and success in life. EQ is not the measurement of one’s personality, it is not a way to predict one’s career and it is not static. EQ can change over time and it is correlated to maturity: there is typically an increase in one’s EQ over the course of his or her lifetime.
Goleman (Ph.D. and professor at Harvard) when conducting validity and reliability studies found that EQ proved to be twice as important as IQ and technical skills for jobs at all levels. Moreover, EQ can account for the entire advantage in positions of higher responsibility. The best news about EQ is that it can be learned. Unlike IQ, which stays constant after the late teens, EQ is a set of competencies one can develop, much like a technical skill.
Being strong in technical skills creates value for the organization, but at some point, those who lack Emotional Intelligence fail to achieve the results they need to within their departments, from their peers or in themselves. Some will hit a plateau in their career, some will change jobs frequently and some are forced to step down from management responsibility.
Having EQ is contagious, acting as a catalyst to enhance the work experience for everyone. Therefore, developing Emotional Intelligence in one often benefits a whole team. And because EQ is a collection of skills that can be learned, real results can be seen from increased awareness, practice and coaching.
In the past, training on topics like “stress management” and “assertiveness skills” were relegated to a soft skills training program, treated as a luxury and only offered after the training budget paid for technical training or hard skills. In reality, these are critical success factors that should not be dismissed as mere ‘nice-to-haves’. For example, the Hay Group states one study of 44 Fortune-500 companies found that salespeople with high EQ produced twice the revenue of those with average scores. In another study, technical programmers demonstrating the top 10% of Emotional Intelligence competency were developing software three times faster than those with lower competency. What these studies point out, is that Emotional Intelligence is directly related to the bottom line, and is anything but “soft”.
The best way to increase organizational EQ is to include the critical success factors as part of the core competencies that employees need to have. Individuals responsible for interviewing and hiring need to be educated on how to discover EQ skills, and how to measure the competency levels of current employees in order to target training to identify and provide training in opportunities for growth. You may just see your old soft skills training in a whole new light.
To learn more about Penumbra's menu of services for assessing and developing Emotional Intelligence, please visit www.penumbra.com.
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- Posted by Victoria Redshaw on March 25, 2010
Grey has a terrible reputation for being dull and boring. It is associated with cloudy days and a drained appearance. But Grey has another side to its character that is revealed when it is teamed with other colours:
• Alongside black, purples and metallics it is dramatic and luxurious:
• Used in combination with bright or soft pastels it appears cheerful and feminine:
• With Aerosol Brights it has a funky, retro appearance:
• With this year’s hot colours (Turquoise & Indigo) it has vibrant optimism:
In fact, Grey is the chameleon of the colour world because of its ability to soak up and reflect the colours it is surrounded by. There is a Grey that will work well in relationship with other colours for every décor scheme imaginable. A huge range of warm, cold, muted and crisp Greys can be achieved and they encompass much more than simply the shades between Black and White (Achromatic Greys). By adding a small tint of colour to the mix, the creation of Chromatic Greys results in lilac greys, blue greys, green greys and on and on.
This ability to compliment any other colour is the main reason why Greys have been important throughout design history and recently Grey has been embraced by the world of Fashion once again and moving forward its place in interior product designer’s collections is guaranteed. Forward-thinking Home products manufacturers are already experimenting with the many shades of Grey in order to bring exciting new home products to market. Wallcovering and upholstery companies are discovering that as a ‘new neutral’, Grey can be used in the same way as creams, white and beiges to provide a quiet base colour for a room that will help to create a balanced scheme. Grey is timeless and sophisticated.
The true potential of Grey is yet to be fully realised in interior design.
Now is the time to get to grips with Grey and explore its true potential!
- Posted by Lew Migliore on March 23, 2010
Based on the number of complaints we get and their causes, moisture issues are the number one factor affecting wood flooring materials and installations. For example, we just finished evaluating and determining a complaint in a number of brand new condos (not yet occupied) for the ends of the boards lifting. The builder was claiming the installation was faulty. The condos were built and finished and then remained empty; another casualty of the economy. The HVAC system was not operating within the range of heat and humidity necessary to keep the wood stable. As a result, the wood distorted, not only lifting on the ends but also at the edges as well (cupping). Most of the damage was on the first floor which was on a concrete slab.
In this case, there are a number of factors affecting the floor – none of them having to do with the installation. The concrete, with the change in environmental conditions, will undergo moisture movement from high to low pressure areas. That is, moisture in the concrete, which is always present, will move from the concrete to the airspace and back. In the process, wood will be caught in the middle of all of this and react. Wood flooring, which you must remember was once a tree, will gain and lose moisture, whether it’s hardwood or engineered wood. When it does, it reacts in many different ways: it can cup, curl, lift, delaminate, expand, contract or stain. None of this would be the fault of installation unless the installation firm – be it retail dealer or commercial flooring contractor – didn’t make sure the environment was conditioned and the wood flooring properly acclimated, before the installation.
If on a concrete slab, moisture has to be checked and tests conducted for Relative Humidity and Moisture Vapor Emission Rate. If on a wood substrate over a dirt crawl space, a polyethylene barrier must be installed below the house to prevent moisture vapor from migrating up to the floor. Most importantly, you have to comply completely with the National Wood Flooring Association guidelines and use common sense (which is often the part that gets skipped). Moisture, in any form, is the enemy of wood floors.
Performance of the wood is also an issue. As mentioned earlier, wood floors are still wood and traffic will affect them. High heel shoes will cause indentations. Dragging heavy furnishings over them can and will scratch them. Dogs’ nails will damage them – especially if it’s a large dog. The properties of wood species vary; some are as hard as a rock and others soft as a sponge. Know what type of wood to use where.
Caring for wood has to be done without damaging it. Wood should never be cleaned with a wet mop. If mopped at all, a lightly damp mop could be used but always make sure maintenance of the wood complies with the manufacturers instructions. Better yet, there are products on the market specifically designed for use on wood floors and only premium products should be used that are recommended by the manufacturer. Another concern raised of late is the little steam mops seen on the shopping channels. These devices should not be used on wood floors as they can damage the finish, affect the surface, swell the wood and create physical changes. The consumer who uses these devices will be responsible for the damage caused. There’s no reason to use steam on a wood floor – but get ready for the calls and complaints from consumers using them. The industry has not taken a stance on this yet but dealers have contacted us with concerns.
If you have specific questions on wood flooring issues, let us know. We don’t want you to wonder about answers if they’re easy to get. Wood flooring is not as complex as you may think and there is plenty of information available to help you. You just have to know wood’s limitations and not oversell it.
- Posted by Paul Friederichsen on March 11, 2010
Thoughts on the Surfaces Educational Advisory Council for 2011
In just over ten months, thousands of floor covering dealer owners, sales managers, sales associates, and installers, will be investing a considerable amount of hard-earned money and precious time away from their businesses to travel hundreds or thousands of miles away from home to learn something they didn’t know and to improve in areas that will improve their bottom line.
The past couple of days, individuals from different sectors of the floor covering industry also traveled hundreds or thousands of miles, not to Las Vegas where Surfaces is held each year, but to Dallas – home of Hanley Wood’s trade show division. There, representatives from manufacturing, retail, publishing, marketing, communications and design, together with top execs from Hanley Wood’s staff, pondered the future. Together, over many hours of discussion, analysis and collegial debate, we prepared for the arrival of dealers seeking a better way of doing their profession – long before they’ve even considered looking.
The process is amazingly efficient, well orchestrated and exceedingly hospitable, thanks to the preparation of the Hanley Wood staff. Their attention to detail, attentiveness and responsiveness to hundreds of comments and suggestions voiced by council members is truly a labor of love. Those chosen and invited by them to participate in the process are likewise committed, knowing the importance of their contribution to the quality of the educational experience is as paramount as honoring the responsibility to give back to the industry they love.
Weeks beforehand, consultants, trainers and industry experts submit proposals to speak at Surfaces on a variety of topics – the vast majority of which have a direct bearing on the success of the retailer. Surfaces is a coveted platform to address the industry, so consideration is a serious business. Does the speaker’s topic relate to the most important needs of the retailer? Is the speaker the most qualified person to deliver that information? How was the speaker or the topic judged by attendees previously? Is there anything missing that needs to be added to the curriculum? And so on. We probe, we challenge, we look at speaker’s websites. Then we look at the educational component of the show as a whole … do we have enough courses on business? Do we have too many in marketing? What should we add to installation?
By the time we head for the airport, we’re confident that we’ve once again framed-out the best, most comprehensive educational experience in the industry. Then the hard work begins for Hanley Wood to nail it all down by following up with the speakers, fine-tuning, adjusting and scheduling.
So often through the act of serving, you actually get back more than you give. Such is the case with participating on the advisory council. The friendships and mutual respect forged during our time together is golden. And ten months from now, we hope that it is just as rewarding for the attendee.
- Posted by Victoria Redshaw on February 25, 2010
When I tell people that I’m a Trend Forecaster they often nod knowingly and then ask me where I get my ideas from, which tells me their nod was actually not very ‘knowing’ after all. This is why when I am asked to present a seminar of future design trends, I always take time at the start to explain how I do what I do. By lifting the veil of mystery that surrounds the forecasting industry, I aim to provide seminar audiences with an in-depth understanding and appreciation that it is a logical process. In my experience, this then allows people to take-in the information in a more accepting way and to apply the information with complete confidence.
When I presented my 90 minute seminar at SURFACES earlier this month, I used the first half of the session to explain exactly what Trend Forecasting is, how it works, and why it works. For those of you who were not able to attend the seminar, I would like to share with you in this posting the process we use at Scarlet Opus to predict design trends.
Trend Forecasting is a powerful tool that provides a reliable view of future design trends and allows you to lead with confidence knowing your creative decisions are informed decisions.
There are some common misconceptions about how Trend Forecasters actually forecast design trends for the Interiors market. Allow me to dispel a couple of myths right now; I don’t have a crystal ball! Neither do I wait to see what appears on the catwalks of European fashion houses and simply translate the major themes into Interiors themes. Trend Forecasting is actually much more scientific in its methodology than most people imagine. It is a discipline that involves skills from the worlds of both Design and Social Science.
Basically, we follow a five stage process of research gathering, analysis and translation that results in groupings of information that share common factors and these groupings form the foundation of a season’s trend forecast.
To get to this point, we must first review our last season’s forecast. This is because, in the Interiors sector, trends tend to evolve gradually over time, connecting one season to the next. Because of this, all trends can be tracked over time and this ‘reviewing stage’ gives us our starting point for the new season’s forecast.
Next, we research future events planned to take place over the next 2-3 years. This is the bit that causes people to mention crystal balls but it is really simply a matter of intense, thorough research from reliable sources. It is possible to get access to a huge amount of information regarding all sorts of major future events that are scheduled to take place and it’s also partly about asking the right person the right questions. We research sectors including Environment issues, Politics, Science & Technology, Sport, TV & Film, Architectural Projects, Transport, Major World Events & Anniversaries and global Gallery & Museum Exhibitions. Issues and events planned to take place around the world such as these have an affect on the mood in society, our changing values, priorities and finally they have an eventual influence on the products and styles people will want to have in their homes and expect from hotels and retail environments in the future. These global events and issues may also inspire influential and niche designers whose work will in turn influence other designers, creating further desire and driving demand. All of this information builds up like layers of cake enabling us to forecast what will be to peoples taste at a specific point in the future.
Into the mix, we add information on major current issues that we judge will affect either the season we are trying to forecast or potentially the season following that. We also assess whether the news event will reinforce a current trend or could cause a current trend to change direction.
Then, we add in anything significant and influential that has occurred that we could not have foreseen e.g. an environmental disaster – again assessing if the unexpected event could reinforce or change current trends.
Finally, we analyse all of this information to identify common themes and these groupings form the foundation of our trends. Then we can begin the creative process of translating this information into a forecast of the future Wants, Needs and Desires of consumers and produce a design forecast that identifies the interior schemes, products, colors, patterns, shapes and materials that will match and satisfy consumers future desires.
My job continues to fascinate me and I am privileged that our forecasts help to inform and inspire the creative work of Interior Designs and Product Designers, Manufacturers and Retailers around the world.
If you have any questions or comments regarding how design trends are forecast, please share them here.
www.scarletopus.com
www.trendsblog.co.uk
- Posted by Lew Migliore on February 23, 2010
With all the talk about new carpet fibers, improvements to existing fibers, recyclability and sustainability what are you to believe? How much of this is marketing hype, how much is truth and most importantly what exactly is the difference?
There are four primary fibers used to make carpet they are Nylon, Polypropylene, Polyester and Wool. Let’s look at each one briefly.
Nylon is first since it is the most widely used fiber by about 65%. There are two types of nylon; nylon 6 and nylon 6,6. Most of the nylon used to manufacture carpet, especially if it is the mills brand, is type 6 nylon. Invista (bought DuPont fiber) and Ascend (bought Solutia) make nylon 6,6. Nylon 6,6 has a denser molecular structure. Nylon 6 dyes easily and will release color more easily. Topical treatments of different types of dye stuffs or solution dyeing will strengthen the colorfastness of type 6 nylon. More and more of the nylon used is BCF – Bulked Continuous Filament – think fishing line. Less and less is being spun – think wool.
Olefin or polypropylene has been the second most widely used fiber. It is less expensive, inherently stain resistant and less affected by moisture, in fact it is hydrophobic – it pushes water away. It is the least resilient fiber and it is oleophilic, which means it has an affinity for oil. This stuff is used to absorb oil when there’s a spill. All polypropylene is continuous filament and solution dyed. Most of it is used in loop pile construction such as Berber and lower grade commercial carpet and as outdoor carpet.
Polyester is being used more and more in two forms. PET most of which comes from recycled beverage bottles and PTT which is a new product. Triexta is PTT. Polyester is also inherently stain resistant. Any fiber that challenges dye systems will also challenge staining agents. Polyester back in the late 70’s and early 80’s and even more recently, had a bad reputation for “uglying out” quickly. The new polyesters which are processed better, more twist and heat set, perform extremely well. In fact PTT will actually outperform nylon as it has all of the characteristics of nylon and polyester rolled into one. The largest producer of polyester carpet is Mohawk both of recycled PET and Triexta PTT.
Wool is the oldest fiber used to make textile floor coverings. There’s a saying about wool that, “it’s like a beautiful woman, it grows old gracefully.” All the other fibers used for carpet are synthetic which means they are basically plastic. They can dull, scratch, abrade, melt, mat, crush and lose their crisp appearance. This doesn’t happen to wool. In fact much of the carpet in all the largest casinos in Las Vegas and high end hotels all over the world use wool for this reason. Actually the carpets for these locations are an 80% wool 20% nylon blend. The nylon bolsters the performance of the wool. Wool will also not melt when burned. It chars and the char can be scraped off simply by using your finger nail. Another reason it is the standard for casinos in Las Vegas as cigarette and cigar burns have no effect on it.
I’ve included a Quick Chart of fiber information which you can use as a simple reference for all the fibers used in carpet and rugs.
