Design | Intuition by Katie Hatch

Just for Fun - Disco Buddha

2013-05-31T12:07:00.001-07:00

Saw this one evening during a walk near my hotel in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam.

Trends for 2013 from Peter Day of BBC

2013-02-19T20:44:00.000-08:00

I'm a big fan of Peter Day's "World of Business" BBC podcast.

His December 29th, 2012 "GlobalBiz: 2013 Look Ahead" podcast features great interviews with a couple of my favorite trend forecasters:

Mark Anderson, Strategic News Service

technological security threats through the hardware and chips, not just software and hacking.
Hacktivists as our friends.
Driverless cars coming sooner than we think

David Mattin, Lead Strategist, TrendWatching.com

Emerging markets targeting other emerging markets with their brands, products, and innovations.
Our smartphones will be interwoven into every aspect of our lives'. It will be a "lifestyle revolution". Our personal assistant. The more we personalize our apps, the better our assistants will know us.
QR codes are the future ... ? Peapod as an example. (Forbes article , Instore Trends, as well)
M-health will make our healthcare providers smarter and safer. Democratizing and empowering healthcare.
3D printing - "Again Made Here", The return of manufacturing to "developed markets". Greater innovation. (my 2012 3D printing report)

Caroline Webb, Seven Shift Leadership

The new normal
VUCA = Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity
Personal endurance is a skill we need to master individually
Planning for an uncertain future in organizations

Shapeways: 3D Printing Direct from Designer to User

2012-11-09T12:00:00.001-08:00

Cool!

Business Lessons from MMA & Sumu Fighters

2012-09-03T10:03:00.001-07:00

Forget David and Goliath, this is the 21st Century! If you are in business, and feeling like this poor little MMA fighter watch this match. Yes he is smaller by more than 400 lbs, but he has strength, perseverance, agility, and focus. Watch, however as he tries to conquer this behemoth using a traditional MMA strategy of taking the opponent down. It's a mistake which he quickly learns and he finds himself in survival mode. However, once he is out he goes back to swift attack mode, and .... through persistence and tenacity, he conquers the giant. So, next time you feel like you are this poor little dude with retail giant Amazon or Wal-Mart coming at you with their full 600lbs, consider your strengths and use them to conquer your market. $AMZN $WMT

SHARK TANK Alum, Kiersten Hathcock, Shares Brand Building Tips At #LVmkt

2012-07-23T09:17:00.005-07:00

Kiersten Hathcock, CEO of Mod Mom Furniture, will share tips on what worked and what didn't work while building a brand with $0 and running a company despite roadblock after roadblock during her session, “Building a Brand From The Beginning.” She'll also discuss how she learned to trust her intuition even when the world was saying she was nuts to try to build and design furniture without start-up capital, design know-how, and carpentry experience. “I’m honored to have been asked to speak by World Market Center to share my experience with my industry peers. Going from a corporate marketing job to carpentry was never my career strategy but lay-offs, the economy, and a crazy idea made it a reality. If what I share helps even one person better their situation, I’m over the moon,” says Kiersten.

BUILDING A BRAND FROM THE BEGINNING takes place on August 1, 2012 from 10:00 am - 11:00 am at Las Vegas World Market World Forum 16^th Floor - Building B. For more information, go to http://www.lasvegasmarket.com/show-highlights/calendar-market-events.html.

Hathcock will also share her experience on ABC’s SHARK TANK as well as working with celebrity clients. Attendees can expect to take away easy-to-apply brand building techniques from a down-to-earth entrepreneur who succeeded at building a respected brand in a tough economy.

Most recently, Kiersten was invited to be a speaker on the “Influential Women in Home Furnishings” panel for World Market in January of this year as well as a keynote presenter for the American Society of Furniture Design annual dinner in High Point, NC in April 2011. Katie Hatch, founder of Design | Intuition and former American Society of Furniture Designer Vice President said, "I've been in the furniture industry for twenty years, and when Kiersten contacted me out of the blue asking for sourcing advice, I was blown away by the amazing brand she had built for herself in such a short time and for quite literally zero dollars. In my experience, the home furnishings industry is strong on product, sourcing, and infrastructure, but we lack brand recognition. Every retailer, manufacturer and designer can and should capitalize on this wonderful session and learn from Kiersten's experience and brand building know how.”

Julia Rosien, CEO of Social North and WithIt President adds, “Kiersten and I met when we sat on a panel together for a WithIt event. To say I was impressed with her sincerity and passion on stage would be a gross understatement. Kiersten connects with her audience because she’s fought a hard battle in the trenches of entrepreneurship and she’s happy to share both the missteps and the successes with her audience. She knows true learning comes when we’re open and honest with each other about how hard (and rewarding) is to be an entrepreneur."

Kiersten Hathcock presenting to the 'sharks' in the tank.
She was offered several deals and accepted
Robert's offer of $80k. But the story does not
end there. Come see Kiersten
at Las Vegas Market to hear the rest of the story.

Mod Mom Furniture was born in a Los Angeles garage in 2007, the product of self-taught designer-turned-carpenter Kiersten Hathcock. Her unique, eco-friendly, child-proven furniture has been sold throughout the United States, Canada and abroad. Hathcock’s storage pieces have been featured in Dwell Magazine, Elle Décor, Los Angeles Times and Better Homes and Gardens as well as in episodes of ABC’s Shark Tank and the Nate Berkus Show. For more information visit modmomfurniture.com.

Trend Update: Yellow

2012-05-10T18:49:00.000-07:00

"Yellow" 2012 #colorTrend slideshare | pinterest | dropbox folder link request

The 12th of 12 Color Trends for 2012 forecast by Design | Intuition is Yellow.

Bright yellow. Pale yellow. Mustard yellow. All appear in fashion, decor, and consumer products en masse beginning in 2012.

In fact, I believed yellow would be one of the top contenders for Pantone's 2012 color of the year.

While "Tangerine Tango" is great and more unique and dare I say strategically more savvy to sell new branded merchandise, I don't see the bold hue being a wardrobe or home decor staple that can be pulled out and updated year after year.

Yellow and gray are hot #colorComboTrend for 2012. Yellow and green are popping up in the 1970s inspired fabrics for 2013. Yellow, black and white are also making a come back in fashion and decor in nods to the 1970s, neo-classicism, comic books, and Andy Warhol pop art. Thoughts?

See all the Design | Intuition colorTrends for 2012 on the blog here, on Slideshare here , on Pinterest with updated images daily here

Trend Update: Yellow & Gray Color Combination Trend for 2012

2012-04-28T22:42:00.000-07:00

slideshare | pinterest | dropbox link request

Trend Update: "Pink & Orange" Color Combination for 2012

2012-04-26T22:39:00.002-07:00

slideshare | pinterest | dropbox link request

Design Motif Trend: British Union Jack

2012-04-19T17:12:00.000-07:00

2012 is a big year for England. In June the city of London will celebrate the Queen's Jubilee and the following month the 2012 London Summer Olympics will captivate the world.

Consumers are gearing up for the events from a deluge of fashion, decor, and consumer goods products featuring the Union Jack motif.

Pinterest
Slideshare
E-mail request for Dropbox links

Trend Update: Pastels

2012-04-18T19:54:00.000-07:00

Pinterest
Slideshare
E-mail request for Dropbox links

Who Will Win the E-Commerce Battle? | the Beijinger Blog | e-commerce

2012-04-17T21:57:00.001-07:00

Who Will Win the E-Commerce Battle? | the Beijinger Blog | e-commerce | Mar 27, 2012 | thebeijinger.com

Trend Update: "Sheer" 4th of 12 #materialTrends for 2012

2012-04-17T19:36:00.001-07:00

Sheer/translucent/clear are popular in a wide range of consumer product categories including furniture, fashion, home decor, technology.Sheer black returns in popularity, but new for 2012 is a rainbow of colorful sheer fabrics. Embellishments include embroidery, silkscreen, faux fur, and crystals.

Slideshare Pinterest Request for Dropbox Link

Trend Update: Sapphire Blue

2012-04-14T11:29:00.000-07:00

Slideshare
Pinterest
E-mail to request for Dropbox link

Trend Updates: Plaid, Granny Squares, Black Leather

2012-04-14T07:59:00.000-07:00

New 2012 trends updated to Slideshare, Pinterest, and on the trend pages on this blog:

#print+patternTrend "Plaid"

#print+patternTrend "Granny Squares" in the #designTrend "1970s"

#materialTrend "Black Leather" Satin Finish

#materialTrend "Black Leather " for the Rocker in the #designTrend "London Calling"

Trend Update: Lace

2012-04-13T11:08:00.002-07:00

"Lace" 3rd of 12 Material Trends for 2012

View more documents from Design | Intuition

J.C.Penny's in the Biz News Again

2012-04-06T11:16:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I wrote a post about J.C. Penny's and the albatross around it's neck that is the old guard.

Looks like aside from lowering overhead costs they are also possibly addressing that issue.

Today's J.C. Penny's Headlines:

Press Release via JCP website
J.C. Penney Company, Inc. : jcpenney Simplifies Business Model to Drive Transformation 4-Traders.com
J. C. Penney (JCP) to Reorganize Workforce at Plano, TX HQ, Close Pittsburg, PA Call Center StreetInsider.com
J.C. Penney to Lay Off 900 in Corporate Reorganization Home Furnishings News
J.C. Penney Cuts Management Staff in Broad Revamp The Wall Street Journal
JC Penney Becoming More Like the Apple Store Value Walk Value Walk
J.C. Penney Gains with Overhaul Plans, Brighter Forecast Wall Street Cheat Sheet

YTD J.C.Penny's stock climed in January but has fallen back to pre-January levels

Since a stock price spike (here, here) in January JCP's stock price has declined since the over hyped pricing plan. While the newly introduced strategy may have been inspired by a 'stick to your knitting' historical business model it has resulted in an expected lack luster consumer acceptance.

The problem is, that at that time JCP was one of a small handful of retailers offering mail order service to rural areas. And that, along with the big city New York fashions are what made JCP a retail lynchpin. Today there are dozens of retailers that have adopted the fast fashion, low price, multi-channel business model. Therefore competing against established brands with not so new retail strategy is inane. While JCP does seem to be building a store within store model using strong-ish brands. Perhaps based upon their successful pre-Ron Johnson Sepora and Mango collaborations may prove to be value adders, however based on the already announced licensees I am doubtful.

New York JCP Headquarters

Another hunch I have about J.C. Penny's future is that they might take advantage sometime in the near future of the fact that the Plano Texas office headquarters was designed to work as a shopping mall as a back up plan in case their 1987 move from New York City was unsuccessful. JCP has a history of relocating its headquarters since it's inception in 1907 when James Cash Penny moved the retailer's headquarters to Salt Lake City in order to be closer to banks and railroads. In 1914 JPC's headquarters was moved again, this time to New York City to simplify the buying, financing, and transportation of goods.

In January rumors were circling that JCP would move back to NYC but those were quickly quashed. Although they do have plans to open a recruiting office in NYC which will double as a design office. This is an apparel industry norm for retailers to position their fashion staff in the hub of fresh fashion design. It is also a throwback to the original JCP model of delivering NYC fashion to all of America. In addition, NYC is where the best talent pool lives. At the same time JCP announced that they would open a San Francisco recruiting office. Purely conjecture on my part, but like the NYC apparel design move, San Francisco would be an ideal location for a home goods and accessory headquarter. Like NYC, the talent pool is deep in San Fran because William Sonoma has an established and well trained workforce ripe for the taking. In addition, like William Sonoma, it would make sense for JCP to locate it's technology headquarters in the Bay Area to capitalize on the local talent pool.

Mass employee pilfering from Target also contributed to the rumors that a move from its valuable Plano Texas headquarters. Because key members of the merchandising team and executive team will need to relocate from Minnesota anyway, a move to the left or right coast could be in the works. Although doing business in NYC and the Bay Area would be much more expensive. But, we must remember that Ron Johnson was located in Silicon Valley for quite a while and may have a penchant for the region and its progressive culture.

JCPenny's is listed on the New York Stock exchange as JCP (NYSE: JCP) $JCP

Sell Your Employees in Order to Sell Your Customers

2012-03-17T16:49:00.001-07:00

Refresh, Reboot, Reinvent

There is a great article/column in Forbes this week "JCPenny's New Stragegy A Tough Sell on the Sales Floor". It is a first person account of a family's quest in search of the perfect and perfectly priced sofa. The experiences the author describes ring true, especially for the home furnishings industry because we are very entrenched in discount pricing models and almost used car salesman techniques with artificial mark ups, crazy sales discounts, and spiffs.

However, beyond the initial shopping trip for a sofa is a much bigger lesson that applies to all industries and businesses. When making a strategic change to the business model it is imperative to remember that your team, whether they are in direct consumer sales, b to b service, or just in house administrative--they are your most important customer. If you do not take the time to win over your employees about the strategic shift of the company, then the shift will falter.

When Howard Schultz returned to Starbucks as CEO in 2007 he recognized that first and foremost he needed to focus on the core brand, its values, and its ethos. In order to do that he needed to retrain, reinvigorate, and refresh the workforce. He took the unprecedented move of closing down all the stores, flying managers into a central location and focusing on the details that, when combined are the Starbuck's brand.

Link to Book

"On February 23, 2008, “I closed every store to retrain 115,000 people – I said we were going back to the roots of the company.” Of course, the media frenzy that ensued from this decision brought many to believe that the end of Starbucks was near – that they were no longer relevant. Schultz admits it was a bold decision to retrain every single employee. His explanation? “It was honest, it was authentic, and it was necessary.” The company lost $6 million that day. And as he said, Starbucks still had a long, long way to go in solving their mounting problems – but this was a start.
Starting over, he said, involved metaphorically asking the question of employees,What does it mean not to be a bystander? “From this point, we had to create, attract and create new customers.” Gone, he says, was the time that Starbucks could do no wrong — that the company was on a “magic carpet ride” – and that profitability and like-ability would happen automatically with every move the company made. Gone was the time that Starbucks was leading the conversation — now, they had to find a way to take part in the larger conversations that were happening." (source)

In the case of JCPenny's where they are trying to basically start an entirely new brand but based on a foundation of an old brand, retail stores, and employees, it is not enough to roll out a new ad campaign, pricing structure, and updated merchandise.

If the railroad cars are not connected to the engine, the engine will still arrive at its destination, but with what to show for it?
JCP needs to take the time to establish and secure the connections between each boxcar before the engine leaves the station. Its too late now of course, but they still have time to catch up. As Schultz proved, an existing brand can be put back together if you take the time to stop the engine. Regroup, reconnect, and redefine together the action plan and shared goals. Hopefully JCP does this.

For all those with businesses that need a refresh, remember that (1) it's not too late and (2) take the time in the beginning and continue to maintain the brand because that is always easier than a mid-journey stop and restart.

Why is Kathy Ireland the Biggest Name in Home Furnishings?

2012-03-15T08:29:00.000-07:00

Tony Hsieh, Co-Founder and CEO of I am a big fan of Tony Heish and his book "Delivering Happiness". I never questioned his decision to combine his IT genius with an idea man, and then to seek out someone who is an expert in Shoes to get that idea to market. I have, however been very skeptical (and that is a nice way of saying it) of Kathy Ireland's success in the Furniture Industry. I'm sure it is just sour grapes, I mean, heck she's a stunning woman, a pioneer in the 'supermodel' world, and has a self made $350 million empire. As Melanie Griffith Said in the movie "Working Girl" Kathy Ireland has "a head for business and a body for sin."

This weekend, I read the Forbes cover article about Kathy Ireland "How Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Model Kathy Ireland Became a $350 Million Mogul" this weekend. It had been sitting on my kitchen counter for a month and I had been avoiding it. Growing in in Santa Barbara it was enough to know that a stunning supermodel lives her, let alone is now the biggest name in the furniture industry---my industry--- OUR industry.But as I read the article a few things about her story struck me as being similar to that of Tony Hsieh.

Entrepreneurs out of the Womb
In his book "Delivery Happiness" Hseih recounts the numerous entrepreneurial jobs he had starting at a young age. He was even flipping businesses for profit before the age of 16. Hsieh learned young to fail fast and fail often in order to succeed. Surprisingly, Kathy Ireland reveals in this Forbes article that she also started in business young. She had a paper route at 11, demanding a job as a "paper-girl" when the ad called for a "paper-boy". She painted rocks and sold them door to door. Ireland even hired a contractor to price a remodel on her family home so that she could have her own bedroom at the age of 11. And. like Hsieh, Ireland is an author of a business/self help book "Real Solutions for Busy Moms".

And, like Tony Heish who knew nothing about the shoe business, Ireland does not profess to be a home furnishings expert. Heish attributes the success of Zappos.com to their business model of 'Wowing' the customer. He beleives they can sell anything from toasters to timeshares as long as they focus on exceeding customer expectations. Similarly, Ireland, has built her brand on the value of “Finding solutions for families, especially busy moms.” Where a traditional 'designer' sketches a product based on form and function, Ireland takes aesthetic inspiration from around the world. "Her design ideas are then boiled into the company’s eight style guides, which are created by the professional designers within the company." Those guides are then passed along to licencees who develop product for the Kathy Ireland Worldwide team to review. So, while most likely is not the actual "designer" of the individual furniture or home decor items, she does influence the final product by making sure the style is within their style guidelines, and more importantly the products live up to their tag line of making like easier for busy moms.

Is she a busy mom? Well yes, in fact she is very busy as the head of a multi-million dollar corporation, a mother, a wife, a daughter, and a sister. In addition she is active in several charities in Los Angeles and locally. So sure, she may be rich, but that is because she has worked hard, her whole life. So she does in fact understand the life of a busy mom in as the article says "fly over country." In fact, her home is a relaxed and comfortable environment where the dogs are allowed on the sofas and coasters aren't required on the tables. Rather than live their lives to protect their furnishings, Ireland ensures that that the products she buys for her own home are safe for her kids, protected from stain, and aesthetically beautiful. Similarly, all the products licensed under the Kathy Ireland brand to include features that make her furniture and decor family friendly and durable. Examples included rounded corners on furniture to protect kids from injury and Scotch-guard or other protective coating on textiles.

This summer Kathy Ireland will deliver the Keynote Address at Licensing International Expo 2012 in Las Vegas. And, I am signed up to attend and very much looking forward to it.

In Conclusion
Great job local girl Kathy Ireland. And I'm sorry for all those nasty, jealousy induced thoughts I had about you. Clearly you are a kick-ass business woman.

2012-03-14T08:20:00.000-07:00

I'm a huge fan of the publications and research done by Interbrand. You can find their "knowledge" center is filled with wonderful insight into global retail, branding, marketing, product development, and much more and most are free to read and download.

And, I've just listened to this podcast here. It's a fascinating discussion on the topic of Retail Innovation and the revolution/renaissance after the GFC.
Podcast Topics:

Brand
Design
Packaging
Promotions
Sensory perception
How People Shop
How to get your product on the shelf
How to get your product to sell off the shelf.

Print + Pattern Trend: Modern Patchwork

2012-03-13T11:29:00.000-07:00

Pinterest Moodboards for Print+Pattern | Polka Dots
Downloadable PDF file available from Slideshare or please send or comment your e-mail address an request the link/invite for the Trend Folders on Dropbox Link

Color Trend: Simply White

2012-03-12T13:25:00.005-07:00

Pinterest Moodboards for Color | Simply White
Downloadable PDF file available from Slideshare or please send or comment your e-mail address an request the link/invite for the Trend Folders on Dropbox Link

Trends: Print + Pattern

2012-03-08T22:23:00.000-08:00

Following are the first 6 of 12 Print and Pattern Trends ( #print+patternTrend) from our Design | Intuition Trend Guide for 2012.

Gingham
download pdf here

Polka Dots
download pdf here

Stripes
download pdf here

Chevron
download pdf here

Zebra
download pdf here

Ikat
download pdf here

Color Trend: Peacock Blue

2012-03-08T14:39:00.000-08:00

Call it Teal, Dark Turquoise, Peacock Blue, Aquamarine they are all in the same family and all are trending for 2012-2014 for home decor, lighting, paint, apparel, fashion accessories, decor accessories, and consumer products including smart phone cases, and funky retro telephones. New #peacock Blue colored beauty products include nail polish, eye shadow, and peacock feather hair accessories.

For more inspiration for #peacockBlue on my Pinterest moodboard here.

PDF file available for free download from Dropbox.

Please leave your e-mail address in comment section and I will send you the invite and Link or e-mail me privately.

Old Age Is No Place for Sissies

2012-02-29T12:08:00.001-08:00

Newly uploaded business trend document.

#2 of 12 Business Trends for 2012
"Old Age is No Place for Sissies"

I've uploaded #2 of my series of 12 business trends { #bizTrend } for 2012 entitled "Old Age is No Place for Sissies".

Synopsis:
Baby Boomers account for 40% of consumer demand in the U.S., and control 70% of the total net worth of American households ($7trillion). While the rest of us are saving for a retirement, the Boomers are spending their hard earned pensions, social security, IRAs, and 401Ks. While recent financial and housing market crashes have resulted in devastating losses to many, the amount of money set aside for the Golden Years of this ever increasing retired set is astronomical.

This paper is a brief look at the enormous opportunity that Baby Boomers offer to :
1. Durable and non-durable product retailers, manufactures and suppliers. (Automobile, travel, airline, furniture, home builder, hardware manufacturers, and more)

2. Service providers including the airline industry and home builders.

3. Municipalities and governments with respect to urban planning and infrastructure spending.

Download from Slideshare or Dropbox

In response to several comments from iDevice people that they could not view the Slideshare documents on their iPhones / iPads, I have set up Dropbox folders for easy downloading of the 2012 Trend PDF documents that I have shared publicly. Please see this blog post on the topic.

New! Dropbox Folder for 2012 Trends

2012-02-29T12:04:00.000-08:00

It is my understanding that I need to send the link to the individual Dropbox folders by e-mail to grant access, so please just drop me a line via e-mail, Pinterest Comment , or Linked-In if you want me to send out the link. Please indicate to which categories you would like Dropbox folder access and I will send out the e-mail link from Dropbox. (Don't worry, I won't spam you with e-mails. Once I've sent out the link, I will delete your e-mail from my records. If you want to share your info with me, please connect via Linked-In)

The e-mail from Dropbox will look like this

Folders by Category are:

#bizTrend
#retailTrend
#designTrend
#colorTrend
#print+patternTrend
#materialTrend

Pinterest

There are also Pinterest moodboards for each #designTrend #colorTrend #materialTrend by individual trend (eg: color | mint , textiles | velvet ). Please let me know if you want me to send a Pinterest invite. I'm not sure how if they are enforcing the invite only policy, but anyway...the offer is there.