Each year, the industry counts on the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) for its threefold research reporting: the Trends Outlook, the Economic Outlook, and the State of Interior Design. This week, following a survey of contemporary lifestyles, new technologies, and other societal shifts influencing the design practice, the ASID 2023 Trends Outlook report has been released.
Though it’s as robust and comprehensive as always, the report’s executive summary speaks to how “the preoccupation with health and environmental safety has shifted to a broader concern with wellness and well-being” as we collectively put the most immediate concerns of the pandemic behind us. That common thread is woven throughout many of the report’s findings, but it’s far from the only insight that interior designers can extract. Here are six high-level takeaways summarizing what designers should know about who is seeking out interior design services today, where they live, and what they are after.
Designing for mental health and wellness is reaching mission critical.
Gallup polling data cited within the ASID 2023 Trends Outlook suggests that worldwide happiness is at a record low, and that the workers of the world “are feeling even more stressed than they did in 2020.” That’s not to mention the fact that the US surgeon general has declared a “youth mental health crisis” exacerbated by the pandemic.
Though aesthetic choices remain important, there’s a greater need now more than ever to consider how an environment impacts the people who use a space. In 2023, that will translate to an increased value on spaces designed to alleviate stress and promote an overall sense of wellness. That’s especially true in the workplace, as employers still have to sell their employees on the value of physically showing up to the office. Simultaneously, homeowners are increasingly interested in interiors that make use of colors, lighting, and natural materials that can soothe the mind. Biophilic design, an emphasis on air quality, and the introduction of dedicated areas for wellness activities like yoga or meditation will take on even more value.
A more inclusive mindset is more important than ever.
The report cites one statistic that indicates diversity is on the rise: 2020 marked the first year when a majority (two-thirds) of white Americans lived in mixed-race neighborhoods across urban and suburban areas. Count that as one more sign that the design profession needs greater fluency in a broad set of cultural traditions, modes of living, and aesthetic preferences.
A more inclusive mindset is also foregrounded in workplace design, with companies seeking ways to make their offices more supportive of neurodivergent employees. Through simple touches like dimmer switches to the creation of quiet rooms and reoriented layouts, modifying workspaces can help neurodivergent individuals feel integrated into the team while still enjoying amenities that help them bring their best selves to work.
The millennials are moving in.
Despite past concerns over their costly avocado toast habits, 2021 data shows that millennials now represent 43% of all home buyers, making them the biggest generational cohort. In fact, older millennials now also make up 26% of all home sellers as well. The obsession with millennial pink may be a thing of the past (we’re eyeing brighter, bolder colors this year anyways), but it will certainly pay to keep up with the design desires of the first Instagram generation.
Buyers are going south, west, and into the wilderness.
