Christopher Robin, David Schlocker, and Neil Greenwood of DRS soaking up the fun on the Dwell on Design exhibition floor

LAUFEN, a leader in bathroom design for over 100 years, was at the event showing off the Swiss perspective on bathroom culture. The mimo collection caught many eyes with its uniquely retro white and black vanities. Visitors to the booth couldn’t resist reaching out and touching the ILBAGNOALESSI dOt Collection, with its sleek shape and leather-inspired black matte finish. LAUFEN was sure to leave members of the design community with plenty to *dwell* on this year.

LAUFEN exhibition at Dwell on Design

LAUFEN mimo collection at Dwell on Design

Bardelli Wall Tile through Hastings Tile & Bath (Fornasetti ceramic Vase available at Barney's)

If ICFF is the equivalent of contemporary eye-candy, two our clients were the cherries on top of that delicious Sundae.  Hastings Tile & Bath was a part of the Ceramic Tiles of Italy Pavilion – specifically the Bardelli Fornasettiana exhibit.    As the exclusive importer and distributor of this popular line, Hastings made many people happy when they explained that they have the full collection in their showroom in the Architects & Design Building in NYC.

Close-up of Bardelli Wall Tile

The graphic Fornasettiana display was literally stopping people in their tracks as they responded to the iconic Fornasetti designs and the newer designs which were created by Fornasetti’s son.  People asked to be photographed in front of the display, as if they wanted to be a part of the design.  It was fascinating to see, and gratifying to listen as people told us about their personal relationship with, and love of the Fornasetti designs.

Bardelli Tile distributed exclusively by Hastings Tile & Bath

LAUFEN mimo Collection debuts at ICFF

LAUFEN’s booth drew people in for a number of reasons.  Touting their ‘Swissness’, LAUFEN had an eye-catching video explaining their philosophy of design and showcasing both the designers and the crafting of their products.  Their Mimo collection is pop-art reconceived as bathroom furniture. Attendees could not help but come over to look at, and touch the cabinets and the sculptural sink and vanity.  The vivid colors were a lovely contrast to the soothing white ceramic sinks. Many people were also completely taken by The ILBAGNOALESSI dOt Collection, designed by Wiel Arets for Alessi Design Group and created by LAUFEN.  Shown in a matte black finish, the dOt is named for the round, dot-like recess which adorns nearly every piece in the collection. If you didn’t understand ‘Swissness’ when you approached the booth, you certainly had a better understanding when you left!

And that’s me, Jocelyn Hutt appearing in the Mimi mirror!

Can anyone really predict a trend? We can spot them, but predicting them is a bit like catching a snowflake – the moment it lands, it melts away, or lands on an existing pile of snow to which anyone can then safely say, “It’s definitely trending towards snow.” We don’t like to make pronouncements of absolute certainty, but we do pride ourselves on being astute observers of design.

Here’s what we’re talking about:

- Material Maturation and Morphing – Avatar comes to A + D
- After Stainless Steel – A resurgence comes to life
- Slim down and get healthy – Flooring products, that is
- Luxury and Green – and really mean it this time
- New Buzz words to impress your friends with
- Intelligent Design – Not that kind… the useful stuff like Smart Products for your home
- Lighting – not a burn out; just a new efficient way to guide our way
- Color de jour for 2010 – check please
- Something Old is something Good; even hipper meaning to “recycling”
- Look afar but look close to home too – Made in USA is making a comeback and designers love it

Want to read the whole scoop? Check out our newest Research + Trends article posted on our site: DRS and Associates.com

However,  you may be surprised that the number one place reporters go to learn more about your company (aside from your PR firm) is your website! According to this survey, 69 percent of respondents go to company websites to assist in their reporting. (They go to blogs 66 percent of the time, Wikipedia 51 percent of the time, to Online videos 47 percent of the time, and use Twitter or other microblogging services 30 percent of time. Podcasts and instant messaging are used 25 percent of the time.) With this information in hand, it is not hard to deduce that your website counts, BIG TIME! Keeping it updated with the correct information and your new product offerings is actually extremely important for your PR opportunities. Most times, if journalists can’t find what they’re looking for on a website, they might not include that company in their story or they may publish incorrect information about your company. Journalists repeatedly say that poor website usability could reduce or completely eliminate their press coverage of a company. But let’s not blame them, they are on deadline and looking for fact-laden quality information quickly. Keeping your website clean and easy to navigate is essential. Just as essential as having a press page on your website where you can direct reporters to your PR firm where they can get the information and images they are looking for in a timely manner.

According to a new study conducted by Context Marketing titled “Brand Virtue as a Competitive Asset,” three out of four consumers are willing to pay more for brands they believe act responsibly. Of those willing to pay more, 40 percent of respondents said they would pay as much as 10 percent more; another 30 percent said they were willing to pay more than 10 percent. Respondents gave a broad definition of responsible behavior: 80 percent said they don’t differentiate between being good, such as using green packaging on a brand’s products, and doing good, such as supporting an issue or cause. The findings of the survey are in line with others conducted during this recession. The Corporate Citizenship Study, conducted by Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates, branding firm Landor Associates, and Burson-Marsteller found that 75 percent of 1,001 consumers polled were willing to pay more for products from socially responsible companies. I guess it does pay to be green!