Interior Design Identity
Introduction to interior design identityIn recent years, interior design has become a significant part of the construction identity as it helps improve the appearance of buildings o create a more appealing environment. Every business or company that wants to have an interior design website needs to develop a unique identity that distinguishes it from the rest of the competitors. Interior design websites have a primary goal of displaying content to allow the interested parties to view the images and entire content before selecting a suitable interior design company to work for them. Every website on the internet must have a distinct identity that sets it out form the rest (Wenger, 1999). This may be through themes, the color used, or the type of font applied to them. Therefore, this critique will help to analyze and evaluate some of the interior design websites available.
K.P.D.O. and Alexander & Co. are some of the renowned interior design companies that offer a wide range of content that serves as a reference for people who have an interest in interior design. These two companies have spent resources to create credible websites which have a distinct identity. These two companies are likely to get many clients by displaying unique content, thus leading to the companies’ growth and expansion. These two companies have created an identity that distinguishes them from their competitors. An interior design identity helps a company have a brand identity representing what the company offers by displaying what separates it from the rest. The interior design identity is determined by the themes used, different display styles, and the color.
- Description of the method- A critique of websites
A critique of websites is an in-depth analysis and evaluation of a website’s critical features that give the company an identity. A website critique analyzes and evaluates the themes used, the content on the website, and the objectives behind setting up the website, among others. The content set up on these websites need to be accurate, and the company should offer the same products and services displayed. These websites have to be easy to use and should be user friendly. It is also vital for websites to have their contacts and personal address if a customer wants to offer feedback or purchase the content displayed. The objectives behind setting up the interior design websites should be clear and visible on the home page. Some websites are set up to advertise while others are created to offer information on a specific topic. Therefore, a website should clearly state its purpose to ensure the user accesses the right information.
Websites help companies sell their ideologies, products, and services to online users. This is why interior design companies intending to create websites have to have an identity through this platform. For a website to be deemed practical and useful, it should be up to date and accurate. The company should regularly update the content so that it remains relevant to the target audience. Additionally, the website should exhaustively cover all the products and services that the company deals in. The website should neither offer partial information nor display content that is not provided by them. To maintain its identity, the website should purely display original content, not which has been used by another website.
- Description and comparison of the websites that identifies key components
The K.P.D.O. is a website designed for the Kerry Phelan Design office, an interior design company located in Melbourne. The award-winning company is one of the top-leading interior design studios in Australia, owned by a renowned interior designer Kerry Phelan. On the other hand, Alexander &Co. is based in Sydney, Australia, and deals with both commercial and residential interior designs. The two Australian-based companies have created an identity for themselves as they have won numerous awards for their outstanding designs on constructions and architecture. From the two websites, it is clear that these two websites use different themes and styles to display their content. To have a brand identity, these companies need to carefully select the themes, styles, color, and font to indicate their content on the website. This is referred to as interior design identity that separates one interior design company from the rest.
Despite the K.P.D.O. and Alexander & Company working in the same industry, these two interior design giants have developed an incomparable identity. Each of these companies has created a brand that attracts clients who have diverse interior design needs. The K.P.D.O Company uses subtle yet straightforward designs that are meant for those clients who don’t require complicated designs. Alexander & Co. uses a more sophisticated approach to sell and advertise and display the content. The KPDO uses modern furniture to furnish its spaces. This is contrary to the Alexander &Co. which uses cultural themes and artwork for its identity. Below are images showing the different content that is offered on these websites.
(alexanderand.co, 2020)
(Kpdo, 2020)
The images from Alexander & Co. show that the interior design company has a cultural theme on it by the use of ceiling woods and the furniture. The KPDO identity shows modern designs and furniture for its spaces.
The first photo from Alexander & Co. portrays a more colorful design, unlike the latter from K.P.D.O, which uses neutral colors. From the images on the individual websites, Alexander & Co. displays its content using bright colors, photos of nature, such as the sky and grass. At the same time, K.P.D.O has adopted a neutral theme that uses plain colors, grey and white.
Interior design identity is essential for these two companies as each business will have a segment of clients who prefer one company’s work over the other. The needs and preferences of consumers are different, and one company cannot satisfy every customer’s needs. This is why businesses deal with various products and services to meet every person’s needs in the market. Some customers prefer fancy and colorful designs, while others will opt for subtle and neutral designs. This is where these two companies step in and offer the clients what they need without compromising their identity.
(Kpdo, 2020)
(alexanderand.co, 2020)
The above two pictures represent two different themes that have been used by K.P.D.O and Alexander & Co. to create their interior design identity. The first picture with a green wall id=s from the K.P.D.O website, while the second picture is from Alexander & Co. These two images portray the different styles employed by the two companies. The first image displays a neutral theme that does not have much decoration, like the second image. Alexander & Co. create their designs using colorful artwork, centerpieces, and flowers. K.P.D.O design studio does not use a lot of artwork, and if it does, the artwork has the same color as the wall paintings.
From the above images, we can tell that K.P.D.O designs have more space than Alexander &Co. The latter. adopts an elaborate way to design their spaces. They fill up the room with furniture, flower pieces, floor décor, and artwork, making it an intricate design. On the other hand, the former ensures there is enough space in a room and only fills it up with necessary furniture and centerpieces. The images show that Alexander & co. puts more effort into artwork than their peer K.P.D.O. From a designer’s perspective, the two companies have developed their unique identity and will only attract clients who resonate with their work. Alexander & Co. will use a wide range of colors when it comes to color, while the other websites use a few neutral colors. This is an essential aspect of interior design as it helps distinguish an organization from the other. This is because there are different types of customers who have different tastes in designs. Some of the market customers are reserved and will prefer the K.P.D.O designs while others will go with Alexander & co. themes and styles.
- Critical analysis that addresses key themes using supporting literature
Themes are what make an interior design website have an identity of its own and stand out from the rest. A business needs to analyze the elements of an excellent website to come up with its own identity. Clients expect that websites will have different themes and designs to distinguish them from their products and services. Themes are what differentiate one interior design website from the other (Agustina, 2013). The K.P.D.O and Alexander & Co. are some of the interior design companies that have created their identity using themes on their websites.
Color plays a key role in interior design as it helps an interior design website have an identity. Generally, the K.P.D.O website uses a toned and a monochromatic theme, unlike the Alexander & Co. website which has a sophisticated and outgoing theme. The K.P.D.O website has derived its identity by having a simple look that uses one or a few colors. From the images above, the website mostly uses grey color with simple flower pieces or none. Bright colors such as orange and yellow are sparingly used. This interior design website is suitable for people who are into neutral and straightforward designs. This is contrary to the Alexander & Co. theme which is colorful and represents more which uses a wide range of colors and is not shy to explore the color wheel.
Artwork is an important aspect of interior designs. The use of artwork is also a key theme that is used by interior design companies to give them an identity. Some companies use artwork, floor decors, wall paintings and hangings sparingly while others fully go out on the use of these pieces. This all depends on the identity the company has decided to use on their respective website. According to Freisner, the use of artwork helps a viewer create an image or illusion about a space (Freisner, 2006). Experts in interior design argue that artwork helps relieve stress and makes a place peaceful and calm. The Alexander & Co. identity has uses more artwork than the K.P.D.O website. The K.P.D.O has adopted the theme that ‘less is more’. K.P.D.O believes that using less artwork is simple and classy while Alexander &Co. believes that using more artwork makes the spaces more beautiful. Therefore, the use of artwork is an important aspect in creating an interior design identity.
The use of a cultural or a modern identity gives an interior design company, the ability to identify themselves with a certain class of customers. To have an interior design identity, some companies use cultural furnishings while others use modern furnishings. The choice of the type of furnishings used depends on what identity the company has adopted (Yu,Lin & Lwang,2007). Despite being in a modern world, some companies have still maintained the traditional and
cultural identity (Franz, Lindquist &Bitner, 2011). For example, from the images on the respective websites, it is evident that Alexander &Co. adopts cultural furnishings while K.P.D.O uses modern furnishings for its spaces. Alexander &Co. uses more carved ornaments and traditional patterns on their furniture. There are customers who will be more inclined to using the cultural theme, while others will prefer the modern themes.
(alexanderand.co, 2020)
( Kpdo, 2020)
The other key element of these interior design websites is the integration with social media. Social media has become an integral part of businesses, as most people use this medium daily. Social media is often used to connect with people, get updates about trending news or used by companies to advertise their products and services. Most businesses have created social media pages that promote and enlighten the public about their dealing. A distinct feature of a successful business in the 21st century is one that incorporates the medium to market itself. The Alexander & Co and the K.P.D.O have created these pages on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, which display their content online. This element seeks to reach those clients who may not visit the website but are regular users of social media platforms. The other key component of interior design is including contact addresses for their clients. For an interior design website to have an identity, it needs to have a contact address to act as a communication channel between them and the customers. The Alexander & Co. and the K.P.D.O have these contact address features.
The other key element that gives an interior design website identity is the ease of navigation and access by interested parties. A website should be user friendly, cleared labeled, and allow easy navigation from one page to another. The websites should not be complicated as some clients may give up in the process if they feel that they cannot access the information fast enough. This element has been cleared displayed in the two selected websites whereby the K.P.D.O website is not user friendly. At the same time, Alexander & Co. is suitable for beginners using the website for the first time. There is the ease of navigation from one page to the other with the Alexander & Co. website, as it is clearly labeled guiding a beginner on where to access the content displayed.
To achieve an interior design identity, a website needs to brand itself in a way that a person who visits the website can immediately identify themselves with the brand. This element helps clients save time as they will only spend time on websites with contents they are interested in. If a client opens a website and does not display content that resonates with them, they will shut down the page and look for other websites. This is the case with the two interior design websites, which have created a unique identity for the respective brands. For example, interior design customers looking for flashy and colorful designs will seek the services of Alexander & Co. In contrast, clients seeking simple designs will contract the K.P.D.O Company to make over their spaces. This is what it means to have a brand identity where the website will attract customers effortlessly.
Interior design mainly displays visual content because that is what it entails. This is why all interior design websites compete on who shows the most captivating content. The images displayed are carefully selected, captured by cameras with a strong lens, colorful, and great. These visual designs are what give the business an identity and sets it apart from the rest.
The use of unique font also helps a website provide the business identity. The two websites have displayed this feature. The K.P.D.O website uses larger font than its counterpart Alexander &Co. The former seems to use a larger font on a white background to make a statement that it offers simple designs. The latter uses smaller font but mostly capitalizes its identity with the use of colorful images. Below are photos showing the same:
(kpdo,2020)
(alexanderandco, 2020)
To have a distinct identity, a website needs to have a segment of customers who relate with the content displayed. Before a business creates a website, it requires to research consumer behavior, the type of available clients in the market. After conducting this crucial exercise, the company identifies itself with a market segment and develops products and services that apply to the selected customers. Businesses offer a wide range of products and services with a specified target market in mind. This is the case with Alexander & Co. and its peer K.P.D.O which have identified themselves with specific segments of the market. Despite offering the same products and services, these two interior design companies have made identity and custom- made their content to suit specific clients. These websites are both professional, but each uses different styles to sell their ideologies. A client who finds the content on Alexander & Co. website appealing might regard the K.P.D.O website as boring. This is the same case with clients who prefer simple designs that may view the Alexander & Co. website as exaggerated and may not spend much time considering the content.
- Conclusion and relevance to research questions
Most, if not all, interior design companies have websites that they use to display their interested parties’ content. These websites play a crucial role in expanding businesses and getting new customers. The companies carefully select images, videos, and products to create and maintain a unique identity that relates to the target customers. This is why these companies spend many resources in creating and maintaining these websites because they are what identifies them to online customers. K.P.D.O and Alexander &Co. are Australian-based interior designs that have won numerous awards by offering exemplary interior designs locally and internationally. These award-winning interior design companies have managed to remain at the top of their game by having websites that speak about their identity. Interior design identity is essential as it helps these businesses have a specific clientele related to the products and services displayed.
A brief overview of the K.P.D.O website shows that this company has created a simple yet classy website. This can be seen from the wide range of images of the company’s work on its website, which shows that this company mainly focuses on neutral designs. The website contains several vital elements which show that K.P.D.O prefers a toned-down appearance. The website has no bright colors, unlike the Alexander & Co. website, which displays colorful content. Alexander & Co., on the other hand, creates a more exciting mood for anyone viewing it. The website’s homepage is filled with slideshow images of nature, such as the sky, forests, and flowers. The pictures of the website’s interior design content show that this company adopts a sophisticated theme to create its content.
The above paper is relevant as it highlights the key elements of an interior design website. It helps an aspiring interior designer develop websites that will give the company identity. The critique also helps the reader know the best interior design websites which can act as a reference when they need interior design ideas. The critiques help the reader understand how to create an interior design identity and know what factors to consider to start a business that sells for itself. For aspiring interior designers, they can follow the steps that K.P.D.O and Alexander & Co. have used to create their own identity. The critique also helps students learning interior design get ideas of seeking employment and internship programs on some of the best interior design companies. The interior design industry is one that has not been researched exhaustively; therefore, only scanty information is available to the public. The above critique will serve as a reference or a critical analysis that will help interested parties better understand the topic. It helps a learner understand that brands can offer similar products and services and still have an identity by choosing different themes and styles to display their content.
References
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Alexanderandco. (2020). alexanderand.co. Retrieved 26 August 2020, from https://alexanderand.co/
Feisner, E. A. (2006). Colour: How to use colour in art and design. Laurence King Publishing.
kpdo. (2020). Kpdo.com. Retrieved 26 August 2020, from https://www.kpdo.com/.
Franz, J. M., Lindquist, M., & Bitner, G. (2011). Educating for change: a case for a pedagogy of desire in design eduation. In Proceedings of the DesignEd Asia Conference 2011 (pp. 1-6). Hong Kong Polytechnic University
YU, X. H., LIN, X. Z., & WANG, L. (2007). Relationship of carved ornaments’ themes and positions on Ming and Qing furniture [J]. Journal of Zhejiang Forestry College, 5.
Wenger, E. (1999). Communities of practice: Learning, meaning, and identity. Cambridge university press.