The importance of experiential centres for online interior designing firms in India

Hiring an interior designer was considered fancy and often a luxury that only a few could afford, especially those with more money than taste. However, a lot of startups are now entering this space, making interior designing accessible and affordable for everyone. These startups function online and offer integrated customized design solutions through an ingenious design ecosystem featuring curated interior designers, strategic financial access and technology-enabled processes and manufacturing. The new-age interior designing firms are leveraging technology to help customers redo their spaces by offering products that combine design and functionality. Think of an interior design project where you need furniture, decor, and fitted furniture like storage units, false ceiling, and wallpaper. All these products are bulky and expensive and most of these online interior designing firms work with the help of photos, measurements and guidance that the client provides online, or in some cases, by phone. They create designs based on trends and aesthetics and rendering 3D layouts for easy visualization of the space. Today, a lot of these firms are not only offering exceptional customer experiences online but also creating an in-store experience to delight consumers. Gensler, an integrated architecture, design, planning and consulting firm, in its 2017 Experience Index, said that the human experience must be the driving force behind every element of a space––from the design of physical space to the qualities of interaction, expectation, and intention. Experiential centres allow customers to get an actual feel of what their living room or office will look like, in a real-time scenario. They familiarise customers with the materials used in decorating their space and give an added personal dimension to the firm’s technology-driven vision. Customers are able to touch, feel and view the latest materials and products used in redoing their spaces before they are utilized. An experiential centre enables the customers to explore the infinite design possibilities and visualize their space in the right manner. These centres are emerging as a new trend for online interior designing firms in India for driving consumer engagement and helping consumers connect with the brand better. For instance, the concept of feel-before-you-buy will give customers an opportunity to know the product better before finalizing their decision about a furniture or choice of modular kitchen. While advances in 3D imaging and virtual reality are the game changers for online startups, experiential centres are making customers more comfortable to buy online. Through these unique centres, the brand can address a multitude of questions that arise when customer experiences or witnesses the products. The centres will also inspire customers to think better on space-based trends and aesthetics. The idea is to create a positive bond between the users and the online interior designing firms to avoid any confusion and uncertainty regarding the products further. With a lot of online startups emerging in the interior designing space, it has become crucial for firms to build loyalty with their customers to bring about a lasting and engaging relationship. The fact that so many shoppers still want to physically see, feel or try products before finalizing their purchase speaks volumes about the need to build experience centres and a compelling experience for the aesthetic shoppers to interact with products.