Customizable and adaptable furniture: Designing for millennial lifestyles and environmental concerns

Abstract

<p>The assortment of furniture available in the market today does not meet the wants and needs of millennial consumers. The literature review confirms that millennials value customization and higher quality products from brands that implement sustainable practices. This project distributed surveys to millennial consumers to understand their wants and needs in the furniture they purchase. If offered the opportunity, millennial consumers would replace components to adjust the function, aesthetics and quality of a furniture piece to keep it longer. Applying the knowledge gained from the literature review and the survey, a furniture collection with removable and interchangeable components was designed with millennials in mind using a traditional design process. Marketing strategies have been proposed for a new brand concept incorporating the information learned through the literature review, survey and design process.</p>