As the world outside becomes increasingly unpredictable and uncertain, the home is becoming an ever more important place of retreat where people can freely express themselves according to their own preferences. The needs and requirements placed on the home are closely linked to social trends and changes.
THE CHALLENGE
New staging of the design worlds
Villeroy & Boch wants to restage its design worlds and culturally recharge its storytelling with an international trend study. Trends and phenomena should be relevant for 3-5 years.
APPROACH
Mindsets as a context for international trend analysis
Our trend study comprised three steps, in which we moved from a broad view of megatrends and cultural drivers of change to a detailed examination of current and emerging interior trends.
In line with the Villeroy & Boch product range, we worked with international trend, market, and design experts to develop two separate trend analyses for the categories “Bathroom & Wellness” and “Dining & Lifestyle.”
IMPLEMENTATION
Methods
The two trend analyses were based on six different mindsets of the future, which served as a springboard for identifying and differentiating the individual trends. The mindsets are a categorization concept developed individually for Villeroy & Boch, based on the familiar concept of limbic types. Unlike the definition of demographic target groups or personas, the context of mindsets offers the opportunity to approach trend analysis in a much more open and hybrid way, as people can have multiple mindsets depending on the context.
Mindsets take into account the context to which behavior adapts. They open up the space and understanding for combining and merging different trend directions. They respond to social trends and have a longer validity. For a traditional company like Villeroy & Boch, working with mindsets allows it to draw inspiration beyond its defined core target groups and find answers to what resonates in the market.
“It is important for us to be close to people. That is why we have placed a special focus in the study on the influence of current social developments on new consumer behavior. This ensures that our products remain relevant even in a changing context.”
Detailed trend module boards and profiles
For each of the two product categories, we identified 12 trends, which we documented with detailed profiles and informative mood boards, making them intuitively usable. For the Bathroom & Wellness category, the output was oriented toward interior design, lighting, materials, and surfaces, while for Dining & Lifestyle, the focus was also on possible decoration, relevant food, and photographic stylistic devices.
We also surveyed both categories on the related world of furnishings and products, on inspiring key opinion leaders, and on specific stories and situations in which the trend comes to life. Central to linking the trends to the respective mindset was also the question of beliefs about either health and hygiene or food and nutrition; this reflects attitudes that bridge the gap between mindset and overarching social trends.
OUTCOME
A lasting understanding of trend development
Within the framework of Future Mindsets, 12 relevant trends per product category are identified and illustrated with mood boards and profiles. During deployment, the trend-driven strategic implications for the brand are developed collaboratively.
The central goal of the study was to provide Villeroy & Boch with a comprehensive, context-driven understanding of trend development over a time horizon of up to five years, offering numerous springboards for the independent further development of the brand's existing and future brand and design worlds. Differentiating between trends that have already passed, those that are still current, and emerging trends provides additional guidance for setting priorities.
The results of the trend study were presented in a comprehensive keynote speech and interactive category workshops in the impressive historic premises of the Mettlach-based ceramics manufacturer, and were successfully applied to develop initial ideas.
The Villeroy & Boch Instagram channel provides an initial impression of the trends that have already been implemented: “Soft Serenity,” “Liberated Spirits,” “Nostalgic Opulence,” and “Silent Retreat.”
In addition, our trend researcher Emmelie Althaus presented three of the twelve bathroom and wellness trends in a 20-minute live interview to inspire viewers with implementation tips and interior design suggestions for the perfect bathroom.