Tag Archives: HD Expo

A week after HD Expo 2010, Cindi Oakey, Marketing & Trend Analyst, David Oakey Designs; Trend Consultant, Aware Studios, talks about what she gained from the show, and her view of sustainability in design.

HD Expo was a huge success for InterfaceFLOR this year. What were the most rewarding moments for you?

Rather rewarding I will say. As a Trend Analyst, the most surprising, and a bit disappointing, was the lack of excitement from the show exhibits. InterfaceFLOR and American Leather had the most colorful and unexpected displays for products. Many of the carpet, textile, wallcovering and furniture vendors blended together in a blah way. Another stand out: Skypad out of Toronto, who primarily develops custom designs for many of the W Hotels. His pieces stood out as unique; perhaps that’s why W is still a leader in the boutique hotel market.

We hear you attended the session Generation G: Lifestyle Intersects Design, and walked away with a new perspective. Can you share your thoughts with us?

Jody Turner offered a brilliant explanation of how X & Y Generations, often seen as slackers, are more interested in the Generosity or Gift economy vs. the former Greed economy. This new generation evolution is equally interested in materialism & saving the environment, as well as partying & giving back to the community; a more feminine culture emerges. They design for resilience, are more collaborative, both individually and for the collective good. Over all, it was very uplifting and positive as these are the people forming the trends and changing our future.

How can designers apply this approach to their practices?

Following the Generation G seminar, I attended Best Ugly, a presentation on design by the team Avroko out of NYC. Although a smidge older than Gen X, this team of designers depicts the collaborative, hot group that may have inspired Generation G. Their presentation not only consisted of unique hospitality design projects, but their humorous relay of the collaborative process was inspiring and engaging. The easiest way to see their work is the restaurant Public in NYC. Unbeknownst to me prior to the presentation, I’ve been to Public, loved it, and love it more now that I know the story behind the scene.

Does sustainability fit into the picture?

More vendors displayed eco-driven products. Progress: Designers are coming to expect eco-ingenuity behind the materials they select. In many cases, sustainability is not a differentiator. It is still important to understand the level of sustainability in each industry. There is good, better and best practices throughout, and I imagine there is some greenwashing going on.

Speaking of Sustainability, did you see any unexpected sustainable trends or products at the Expo this year?

For some unknown reason, sustainably finished leather caught my attention. Again, it is what level you choose to define sustainability. The process might be greener than traditional manufacturing, and they might be a local manufacturer. All these and many more components layer the definitions of sustainable products.

Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience. As a sign off, do you have any final words of wisdom for us to keep with us until HD Expo 2011?

Continue to be a leader.

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