By Matthew Spieler
ADAIRSVILLE, GA.—What happens when you bring approximately two dozen of the industry’s best designers and retailers together for three days? For Shaw Industries the hope is new and exciting ideas that translate into products consumers will gravitate to.
The concept, Visions Retreat, has been working as last year the mill developed its highly successful Visions Inspired Spaces collection from this exclusive event. And the feeling after this year’s three-day affair is another winning line of products will spring forth from the myriad of ideas presented by the attendees.
“It’s a little too soon to project what the outpouring will be from this year’s retreat,” said Emily Morrow, Shaw’s director of color, style and design, “but one thing is certain: We at R&D listen and execute the majority of the meritable feedback the designers provide.”
Billed as a “creative escape,” the fifth annual Visions Retreat is a way for both Shaw and the participants to “learn what’s new and upcoming in the flooring industry.” In addition, the attendees “gain insight on how fashion and design translates into great flooring from Shaw.”
Randy Merritt, Shaw’s president, called Visions “a really important event for us. The challenge is to throw out and destroy what we know and come up with new concepts.” He told the audience while Shaw is able to take away product concepts and insight from what they are thinking, “We surely hope you get something out of it as well because we are a company that is focused on outstanding design.”
He noted despite tough economic times, there is still plenty of opportunity and it is during this period “where we need to be the best ever. You have to be prepared for when things turn around and this event helps in doing just that.”
While you cannot control the number of homes built or sold, Merritt pointed out you can influence the looks in those that are already built as well as those that are being redecorated shortly after they are purchased.
Morrow added the company constantly references the work done at this event in developing products. “We want to make them last, and your input influences us because you are part of our team.”
Prior to arriving, attendees submitted portfolios containing ideas and explanations for new products. These were used by Shaw to develop concepts that were then reviewed and judged by both the participants as well as a select group of members from the trade press, including Floor Covering News.
The top three concepts were then honored as part of the second annual Shaw Visions Design Award Competition. Winning designs came from Foster Owen of Clifton’s Carpets in Dallas, third place; Janette Schoelz of The Hidden Door in San Diego, second place, and first place went to the collaborative effort of Basia Toth, Athens Carpet, and Lois Heimer, ICI Interiors, both of Scottsdale, Ariz.
“This year’s guests were incredibly insightful and as a whole are a great balance of experts in their field,” said Morrow. “Competition continues to grow from the infant stages of last year. Knowing that their ideas actually make it into new programs and collections— and that they are individually credited for their ideas—makes it an ‘honor’ to be the recipient of the award.”
Gathering the best
To ensure the feedback reflects what is taking place throughout the country, she said guests make up a “broad spectrum of professionals so we don’t get feedback from only ‘builder designers’ or ‘product specifiers.’
Some are product specifiers for design firms, some are interior designers for highend design firms doing both residential and commercial interiors, some are designers for retail floor stores, some are design directors for 70 to 80 design centers and also some actual store owners.”
There are many veterans who have participated all five years such as Owen of Clifton’s Carpets, Morrow noted, and then there are some first-time attendees or recently added guests who were “carefully chosen to fill into the areas where we needed a ‘voice’—either by region or by professional background.”
For instance, Morrow noted, “We added some savvy store owners—such as Brandy Marsh of The Carpet Place in Portland, Ore.—into our mix who truly know what their customers want and appreciate the opportunity to be a part of the creative process to ultimately get the type of products they need.”
She added the participants were most interested “in making a contribution to our process and product lineup in order to meet their own customers’ needs and delights.”
It is a simple concept. By helping the mill first-hand develop new styles based on what they feel their customers need, it is a pretty safe bet that when these products are made available, they will want them not just because it came from their input, but knowing their clients will be attracted to them.
Two way street
One of the important keys of the Visions Retreat, Morrow stressed, is that it is not just a vehicle for Shaw to get creative ideas for new products. Rather, it is a venue for both sides to share knowledge and ideas. In other words, it is an opportunity for the mill to impart information gleaned from the vast amount of consumer research it undertakes each year.
To that end, seminars on color and design, marketing and even the environment were given. In each case, Shaw officials not only talked about the findings of their research, they explained the hows and whys of various actions and initiatives undertaken by the company.
For example, Morrow and her design team discussed more than just their color forecast for the year but how and why they came to these conclusions. While there are no ‘new’ colors, she asked the audience to “imagine a world without color—it would be lifeless and no fun.” So the idea is to find out how colors are working together today and how they are evolving in order to create products that meet these trends.
Utilizing a whole network of tools—from traveling around the world and visiting different trade shows to hosting special events such as Visions and tracking national and regional color trends on a regular basis— “we can create something for the consumer to get excited about. It’s really about bringing the room together so the family will be excited to come home.”
In another session, Rick Ramirez, Shaw’s first vice president of sustainability and environmental affairs, enlightened attendees on sustainability in terms of what in means in the grand scheme of things as well as at Shaw. “You can’t pick up a story without hearing or seeing the word. We’re past the tipping point. At one time there was hesitation at the corporate level, but no more.”
Though there is a great deal of confusion in the marketplace due to all the claims of ecofriendliness, “it’s not all just marketing,” Ramirez explained. With 51 of the world’s top 100 economies being corporations, not countries, a large part of solving problems will come from the business world.
“There are companies making real investments to change how they act and treat both people and resources,” he said. This holds true for Shaw, which changed its business model across the entire value chain. “It’s not just about product, but rather touches everything we do as a company.”
ADAIRSVILLE, GA.—What happens when you bring approximately two dozen of the industry’s best designers and retailers together for three days? For Shaw Industries the hope is new and exciting ideas that translate into products consumers will gravitate to.
The concept, Visions Retreat, has been working as last year the mill developed its highly successful Visions Inspired Spaces collection from this exclusive event. And the feeling after this year’s three-day affair is another winning line of products will spring forth from the myriad of ideas presented by the attendees.
“It’s a little too soon to project what the outpouring will be from this year’s retreat,” said Emily Morrow, Shaw’s director of color, style and design, “but one thing is certain: We at R&D listen and execute the majority of the meritable feedback the designers provide.”
Billed as a “creative escape,” the fifth annual Visions Retreat is a way for both Shaw and the participants to “learn what’s new and upcoming in the flooring industry.” In addition, the attendees “gain insight on how fashion and design translates into great flooring from Shaw.”
Randy Merritt, Shaw’s president, called Visions “a really important event for us. The challenge is to throw out and destroy what we know and come up with new concepts.” He told the audience while Shaw is able to take away product concepts and insight from what they are thinking, “We surely hope you get something out of it as well because we are a company that is focused on outstanding design.”
He noted despite tough economic times, there is still plenty of opportunity and it is during this period “where we need to be the best ever. You have to be prepared for when things turn around and this event helps in doing just that.”
While you cannot control the number of homes built or sold, Merritt pointed out you can influence the looks in those that are already built as well as those that are being redecorated shortly after they are purchased.
Morrow added the company constantly references the work done at this event in developing products. “We want to make them last, and your input influences us because you are part of our team.”
Prior to arriving, attendees submitted portfolios containing ideas and explanations for new products. These were used by Shaw to develop concepts that were then reviewed and judged by both the participants as well as a select group of members from the trade press, including Floor Covering News.
The top three concepts were then honored as part of the second annual Shaw Visions Design Award Competition. Winning designs came from Foster Owen of Clifton’s Carpets in Dallas, third place; Janette Schoelz of The Hidden Door in San Diego, second place, and first place went to the collaborative effort of Basia Toth, Athens Carpet, and Lois Heimer, ICI Interiors, both of Scottsdale, Ariz.
“This year’s guests were incredibly insightful and as a whole are a great balance of experts in their field,” said Morrow. “Competition continues to grow from the infant stages of last year. Knowing that their ideas actually make it into new programs and collections— and that they are individually credited for their ideas—makes it an ‘honor’ to be the recipient of the award.”
Gathering the best
To ensure the feedback reflects what is taking place throughout the country, she said guests make up a “broad spectrum of professionals so we don’t get feedback from only ‘builder designers’ or ‘product specifiers.’
Some are product specifiers for design firms, some are interior designers for highend design firms doing both residential and commercial interiors, some are designers for retail floor stores, some are design directors for 70 to 80 design centers and also some actual store owners.”
There are many veterans who have participated all five years such as Owen of Clifton’s Carpets, Morrow noted, and then there are some first-time attendees or recently added guests who were “carefully chosen to fill into the areas where we needed a ‘voice’—either by region or by professional background.”
For instance, Morrow noted, “We added some savvy store owners—such as Brandy Marsh of The Carpet Place in Portland, Ore.—into our mix who truly know what their customers want and appreciate the opportunity to be a part of the creative process to ultimately get the type of products they need.”
She added the participants were most interested “in making a contribution to our process and product lineup in order to meet their own customers’ needs and delights.”
It is a simple concept. By helping the mill first-hand develop new styles based on what they feel their customers need, it is a pretty safe bet that when these products are made available, they will want them not just because it came from their input, but knowing their clients will be attracted to them.
Two way street
One of the important keys of the Visions Retreat, Morrow stressed, is that it is not just a vehicle for Shaw to get creative ideas for new products. Rather, it is a venue for both sides to share knowledge and ideas. In other words, it is an opportunity for the mill to impart information gleaned from the vast amount of consumer research it undertakes each year.
To that end, seminars on color and design, marketing and even the environment were given. In each case, Shaw officials not only talked about the findings of their research, they explained the hows and whys of various actions and initiatives undertaken by the company.
For example, Morrow and her design team discussed more than just their color forecast for the year but how and why they came to these conclusions. While there are no ‘new’ colors, she asked the audience to “imagine a world without color—it would be lifeless and no fun.” So the idea is to find out how colors are working together today and how they are evolving in order to create products that meet these trends.
Utilizing a whole network of tools—from traveling around the world and visiting different trade shows to hosting special events such as Visions and tracking national and regional color trends on a regular basis— “we can create something for the consumer to get excited about. It’s really about bringing the room together so the family will be excited to come home.”
In another session, Rick Ramirez, Shaw’s first vice president of sustainability and environmental affairs, enlightened attendees on sustainability in terms of what in means in the grand scheme of things as well as at Shaw. “You can’t pick up a story without hearing or seeing the word. We’re past the tipping point. At one time there was hesitation at the corporate level, but no more.”
Though there is a great deal of confusion in the marketplace due to all the claims of ecofriendliness, “it’s not all just marketing,” Ramirez explained. With 51 of the world’s top 100 economies being corporations, not countries, a large part of solving problems will come from the business world.
“There are companies making real investments to change how they act and treat both people and resources,” he said. This holds true for Shaw, which changed its business model across the entire value chain. “It’s not just about product, but rather touches everything we do as a company.”
 |
Related News
Monday, May 6, 2024
By Emily Hooper Though the resilient category isn’t in the clear just yet, conditions are improving— as much as the flooring industry can improve in this economy. In this case, improving means 2010 may be the end to a consistent drop in category sales since 2006...read more
Over the last nine months, the flooring operations at Invista have undergone a number of major internal changes, from being separated into its own operating division to having a new president for the business unit that oversees it. Invista’s flooring business, now known as Surfaces, integrates its...read more
PHOENIX—The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has introduced its latest green building rating system, LEED for Healthcare. The rating system guides the design and construction of new buildings and major renovations of existing ones, and can be applied to...read more
DALLAS—Quick•Step flooring and interior designer/style expert Erinn Valencich will host a national “Room Refresh” contest on the mill’s Facebook page through July 31...read more
LYNNWOOD, WASH.—The 2nd annual Northwest Market & Trade Show, an event hosted by the Washington State Floor Covering Association (WSFCA) and held recently at the Lynnwood Convention Center, was a “huge success,” according to Debbie Tott, the organization’s executive director...read more
By Steven Feldman SAN DIEGO—Against the backdrop of the first positive sales trajectory since the beginning of the Great Recession, the National Wood Flooring Association’s 26th annual convention focused on just that: How to take advantage of...read more