HOW HAS THE CORONAVIRUS IMPACTED INTERIOR DESIGNERS? | A NUANCED LOOK Coronavirus or COVID-19 has impacted the lives and lifestyles of millions around the globe. The world has maintained a united front to contain the impact of the virus by observing lockdowns and maintaining social distancing and proper hygiene regimes. This virus has also brought with it a rampant economic crisis, which has impacted business activities, livelihoods, and art forms - and interior designing is no different. Here, we list out some of the concerns raised due to the deadly impact of coronavirus on interior designers: ●
Altered Working Norms
Working from home is the biggest work experiment which the deadly virus brought with it. Entire working communities are practising remote working, which is now considered to be the new normal. This might emerge as a major change for interior designers, as they are often seen working alone, either from their studios or right from the comfort of home. The major concern for established interior designers as well as fresh graduates of bachelor of interior architecture is to keep ongoing projects on track. This includes maintaining connections with clients and ensuring that all the required tools for running the business are readily available. Various apps can be used for conducting virtual meetings in the presence of multiple participants. Also, design documents, 3D models, and other design material can be easily shared through various online platforms, virtual drives, or apps. ●
Fresh Design Perspectives
COVID-19 has impacted the way in which spaces will be designed in the future. Awareness and proactiveness for ensuring personal safety will be reflected in public and commercial spaces alike. Quarantine culture will most definitely revolutionize the way in which interior design has been practised till date, leaving no option for the best colleges for interior design but to make amendments in their subject matter/curriculum. Interior spaces will be designed in such a manner that they create comfortable social barriers without being distracting or non-approachable for individuals. ●
Significance of Mental Health
The importance of physical and mental health and its impact on interior design will become all the more prevalent. Designers need to take the significance of the mental well-being of individuals into account while deciding the interior environments, lighting, materials and acoustics. These elements of design will focus more on public health using materials for maintaining distancing as well as physical proximity of different elements and their interaction with different objects.
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Supply Chain Disruption
Interior designers might have been badly affected by the disruption in the supply chain caused due to the novel coronavirus. There have been reports of delayed shipments or cancellation of shipments from foreign lands, along with longer turn around time due to factories closing down abroad. However, there are few local factories which have started functioning, although not to full capacity, but can be of great help to keep the projects moving. There is bound to be a great impact on furniture exports due to travel bans, but again, the same can be handled by utilizing the services of local suppliers and manufacturers. ●
Pricing Of Work
Much of the top-notch customer base of interior designers will be affluent enough to maintain a high amount of wealth and will spend suitably. Interior designers will see the future as a reservoir of opportunities, as most public and residential spaces will consider a change of interiors, once the virus is mitigated. However, a major issue for interior designers will be justifying the value of their services. Pricing, to a large extent, will depend upon the perceived value of the work and the manner in which it resonates with the end consumer. ●
Sale Of Home Decor Products
The coronavirus has negatively impacted the sale of essential and non-essential items on a global scale. People are compelled to spend on bare essentials rather than spending down on items like home decor. However, as per trends, the recovery of such harsh global events always bring a great boost in the sale of home decor products as the individuals look for ways and means for feeling safe inside the home in order to recover from the harsh past. Consumers thus spend more on high-end furnishings as well as luxurious interiors for their home and thus ride out the storm of the financial insecurity. ●
Marketing Strategies
Each and every individual including interior designers are thinking of cutting down the marketing budget for advertisements and promotions in order to save money. However, the COVID-19 time should be considered as a less crowded time to stand out. So, instead of shying away from planning campaigns, the interior designers may consider showing their visibility in the marketplace. Elements such as social media portals and email campaigns can work even in tight budgets to keep the brand at forefront in the minds of the customers. Original Source: https://www.starsuntold.com/how-has-coronavirus-impacted-interior-designers-a-nuanced-look/
