Technology has always been a precursor of change. Many industries have benefited from having it penetrate their fabrics. By the same metrics, the interior design industry is just the latest industry to be rocked by the winds of technological change. Like other industries have, this industry stands to benefit immensely from the forays being made by technology.
Here are a few upsides we are already seeing when home designing is married to tech:
Internet of Things
We cannot talk about homes and technology without mentioning the Internet of Things (IoT). Smart homes are becoming the norm and interior design with the aid of technology is contributing to the cause. A design showcasing smart home appliances, lighting, and heating systems have to factor in the different parameters they bring to the table on top of the conventional ones. Designers have to use tools that work with all the required parameters – where technology kicks in.
Design Made Easier For End Users
The past few years have ushered in the new software-driven solutions to common design problems people encountered in the past. For example, until recently, normal people had to hire designers to visualize their ideal interior design ideas. Now, they can simply take a photo of their room, upload it to an app and then try out different color schemes, furniture styles, and floor plans. There are other virtual design tools that come with 3d planner capabilities where a customer is transported to a virtual room that they can customize in whichever way they want. These apps are constantly coming up with increasingly realistic layouts and more color combinations and accessories.
Benefits to Interior designers
By examining the preceding line of thought, you might be tempted to think, “Hang on, are we making interior designers obsolete.” And a quick answer to that is: No. The longer answer is: It’s just that the rules of the game are changing. Designers, irrespective of how talented or experienced they are, are now integrating technology into their work because it makes things easier.
Here is how technology is helping them out:
- Designers can now better visualize their ideas for a project when they use augmented reality. They can run quick, inexpensive simulations and do experiments on the software in order to make informed decisions.
- Designers are expanding the knowledge bases from which they tap their ideas. They are getting exposed to a wider variety of color combinations and floor plans.
- Showcasing design ideas to clients has been made easier by technologies such as Virtual Reality. Designers can walk their customers through a virtual room and better express their design concepts.
- They can share their ideas with other designers (We can also view elements like social media as technological advancements).
Designers can never become obsolete. People still need to leverage their design experience and ideas. It’s only that they have to use technology and make their work easier. Fail to do so and they will be left behind (Darwinism at its finest).
Technology has changed almost every aspect of our lives and home designing hasn’t been spared. Although we haven’t delved into the challenges it presents in this context, they are still there. After all, we cannot expect technology to lead us to a dreamlike utopian paradise because it also has its challenges. In the long run, the benefits outweigh the costs.
