Kitchen & Bath Business - February/March 2021 - 18

TRENDS

Technology
to the Rescue
Software for business,
design and communication
steps into the limelight

DAPTING TO CHANGE IS AN INTEGRAL PART

of growth. Interior designers accustomed
to the mix of hands-on design, in-person
meetings and software to streamline everything have learned to pivot to include
technology in more than one facet of their
job. Homeowners, contractors and tradespeople have also had to figure out how to continue
renovations in a time of social distancing. Fortunately, modern software and the manufacturers
behind it have stepped up to the challenge like
never before.

EVOLVING TO CHANGES IN COMMUNICATION

In December 2019, Zoom had 10 million daily
meeting participants. Only four months later in
April 2020, more than 300 million daily meeting
participants used Zoom - an increase of nearly
3,000%.The kitchen and bath industry has been a
part of this substantial surge, having been forced to
make normally in-person meetings, consultations
and even site visits virtual. Most are not lamenting
this change, however.
" One of the best things to come out of COVID
are the client meetings, " said Robin Fisher of Portland, Ore.-based Robin Rigby Fisher Design. " I
really believe that since I have 'perfected'my Zoom
client meetings, I am more productive and am
wasting less time driving. "
Zoom, FaceTime and Teams are some of the
top choices to replace the integral face-to-face
interactions designers need with their clients and
their team, but communication during a renovation involves much more exchanging of information. Additional software is needed to send mood
boards and collaborate on designs when in-person
contact is not the best option.
" I feel that the apps are more noticeably helpful when I am working to minimize my contact with the public, " said Michael Kaestner
of Philadelphia-based Kaestner Designs. " A
certain level of acceptance has been established
with lack of contact for business dealings. I just
hope one day we can revert to meeting in person
again, safely. "

18
18-20_KBB_0221_Trends.indd 18

ABOVE SKETCHUP recently
introduced improvements to
its model structure organization, making it easier to navigate and control visibility within models. The company also
introduced Live Components
to 3D Warehouse - the world's
largest 3D model library - for
quick and easy customization
of components in real time.
Pricing ranges from $199 for
a web-based subscription to
$299 for SketchUp Pro and
$1,199 for SketchUp Studio.
www.sketchup.com
RIGHT PODIUM is a customermessaging platform that
enables companies with a
local presence to conveniently
connect with their customers
at critical touch points to help
them strengthen their businesses. By facilitating millions
of customer interactions, such
as driving customer-generated
online reviews and providing
improved customer messaging tools, Podium serves more
than 60,000 local businesses
in the U.S., Canada and
Australia. The app ranges from
a free version to a full suite.
www.podium.com

Until then - and likely still in the future when practical - the industry is working on finding the best digital tools to communicate with each other and, most
importantly,their clients.A recent Houzz survey found that among homeowners
using digital tools when working with home professionals, 65% report it made
them feel more comfortable moving their project forward during the pandemic.
" We asked homeowners what would have improved their home remodeling experience, as well as what they'd like to see in their next one, " said Liza
Hausman, vice president of industry marketing at Houzz. " A majority of
respondents said that having greater project visibility - in terms of progress,
cost, timing and changes - would have made the biggest impact. "
ENHANCING DESIGN TOOLS

By ERINN LOUCKS

Giving clients the ability to truly visualize their renovations is an ongoing
challenge for designers.The many options available - from hand drawings to
3D floor plans and augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) features
- make it possible to appeal to most client needs.The challenge is finding the
right program and rendering type for a particular business and/or project.
" When designers have access to the best technology, homeowners can
be confident that their dream spaces will become a reality, " said the 2020
Design team, explaining that in particular AR and VR have expanded the
consumer experience.

/ FEB.-MAR. 2021 / KBBONLINE.COM / The official publication of NKBA (NKBA.org) and KBIS (KBIS.com)

1/23/21 2:27 PM

http://www.sketchup.com http://www.podium.com http://www.KBBONLINE.COM http://www.NKBA.org http://www.KBIS.com

Kitchen & Bath Business - February/March 2021

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