In today’s business environment mass production, costs and manufacturability are drivers for companies everywhere. But now with the increasing emphasis on design to create or enhance user experiences, the focus is on people and the environment rather than the products themselves. This brings new challenges in the search for cutting-edge materials and finishes.
If we take the domestic environment as an example, a clear evolution in the design language of products can be seen. More than 15 years ago the main focus in product design was on functionality. In 1995, after the launch of the Philips Alessi range, there was a shift in this industry towards a focus on form and color. This was then followed by a focus on the materials used (such as the Philips Aluminum range). Now, however, there is a clear move towards the user experience focus, as we see in the new Philips Robust Collection. This premium range of kitchen tools, couples the user’s desire for premium quality with professional results that fit easily within the domestic kitchen environment and are made from durable materials.
Sources for identifying emerging trends as inspiration for new materials and finishes can be found all around us. Architecture, fashion, the car industry, etc, are all areas for inspiration. But now, with an increased societal interest in sustainability and eco-design we have a lot to learn from the natural world. We will have to become more like scientists that examine nature on a molecular level to draw inspiration for new combinations and exciting materials. Take, for example, a butterfly wing. Examine its multilayered structures, its colors caused by selective reflection and how they play with light. How can we capture these effects in a material or finish? How can we mimic the strength and delicacy of a spider web? How does a gecko walk up the wall? The answers to these kinds of questions may be the beginnings of new materials that we see in the products of tomorrow.
Today, companies have an increasing responsibility to address sustainability issues in any materials or finishes that they apply to new products. One example is the Philips Green Performance vacuum cleaner with its bio-based and recycled materials. Launched earlier this year, it is produced from more than 72% of recycled & bio based plastics.
Just like the Green Performer, we will see that using materials that are durable, degradable, long lasting, light weight will become important to customers, as well as using fewer, locally sourced materials. This will accelerate the drive to develop responsible solutions in materials and finishes that address the sustainability issues of today. As too will the pressure increase for companies to make the processing and lifecycle of the materials transparent to customers. New and exciting no longer equals cutting-edge material solutions. The real innovation is in developing and sourcing new and exciting material solutions responsibly.
