"In the late 1990s, my company, Michael Graves Design changed the conversation around design with a teakettle that was joyful, affordable, and elegant. It didn't just sit on a stove, it stood for a new idea: Good design was not a luxury, but a right. Target's Design for All programs went on to define America's expectation that great design should be available to everyone."
"Today, democratic design ethos feels more urgent than ever. As consumers increasingly expect thoughtfulness, beauty, and accessibility from the products they buy, heritage brands have a chance to reclaim center stage. To do that, they need to go beyond nostalgia, and beyond quips like "design thinking." They need to lean into design as disruption, using proven frameworks like participatory design, value-sensitive development, and service ecosystems to create meaningful, mass-market innovation."
"The notion of democratic product design is simple: Give consumers a genuine voice in the design process. Many brands have shown that when you allow customers to vote on product features, brands send the powerful signal, "we're building this with you," which can shift loyalty to your brand and deter competitors from catching up. But the magic only works when the vote is real, shaping what comes next."
Design democratization began when mainstream retail made thoughtful products affordable and accessible, transforming design from stylistic afterthought to strategic priority. A teakettle designed for Target exemplified that good design can be joyful, elegant, and a right for all consumers. Rising consumer expectations for beauty, accessibility, and thoughtfulness give heritage brands an opportunity to lead by opening genuine design conversations rather than relying on nostalgia. Brands should let consumers influence features through real voting and participatory processes to build loyalty and create competitive barriers. Proven methods—participatory design, value-sensitive development, and service ecosystems—enable meaningful, mass-market innovation driven by user needs.
Read at Fast Company
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