Get All Access for $5/mo

Challenges of Modern Furniture Designing As the customer expectations rise, contemporary furniture making also needs to find solutions to the various challenges it is facing and important innovations they are bringing

By Hersh Pitroda

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

Shutterstock

Furniture designing is an artistic niche that caters to both the functionality as well as aesthetic appeal of different types of furniture. Basic storage and comfort are no longer the only functions associated with new-age contemporary furniture. There is demand for accessibility to the internet with one touch, charging ports, app-friendly features, etc. There is an increasing interest at workplaces to upgrade their space with smart furniture. This not only helps to boost employee productivity but also provides a more modern outlook to the office ambience. Furniture is part of the interior design but its significance goes beyond just décor.

Contemporary furniture designing is limited only by imaginative and creative capabilities of the designer when it comes to combining function and fashion. Internet of Things (IoT) can now be expanded to modern furniture as well. However, the fast-paced evolution of technology is a challenge when it comes to new-age furniture designing. What was modern last year is no longer a recent feature. As the customer expectations rise, contemporary furniture making also needs to find solutions to the various challenges it is facing in the new environment.

1. Trends- Appeal of modern furniture is invariable but the trends that influence the choices of customers change constantly. Keeping up with which style is "trending' is enough to keep any brand on its toes. Thus, quick adaptability, agility as well as an understanding of the root causes of high volatility in ever-changing trends, is essential to keep up with constant change.

2. App-Ecosystem – The ultimate goal of every app, whether enterprise or social, is to help the users perform any task with comfort, ease and flexibility. So there is constant innovation of products to synchronise their functionality with the "comfort' of apps. One such product is the height adjustable table that comes with its own app which reminds a person to sit/stand at regular intervals. Then there is a sofa that vibrates to let you know when you've been idling far too long.

3. Avoid Plagiarism and "Over-Designing'– In our industry, over-designing is a major problem. Interior designers rely on disciplines such as product design and industrial design but then tend to employee carpenters to bring their vision to life. Many have no choice other than to use the same metal base table with visible welded joints and poor engineering. However, leading manufacturers have sophisticated systems in place which produce the best quality hardware. Good Companies work hard to re-engineer frames to avoid plagiarism. Materials like aluminium that are lightweight, rust-proof, flexible and environment-friendly are preferred above others. As opposed to metal welded frames that have so many restrictions, a good simple design helps a facility manager to rectify the configurations with ease.

4. Avoid On-site Carpentry Work as Much as Possible- Old habits are hard to let go, but it is impossible to get a consistent finish every time with manual woodwork. At the same time, highly monolithic structures limit the agility of the ever-changing dynamics in offices. Now, desking systems, which are truly modular, help to keep the workspace fluid. It helps the offices to change or add on to the layout with very little changes to the framework. Aluminium frames have a consistent finish and quality and are very easy to assemble or dismantle.

5. Budget- Interior designing and décor have a direct impact on the productivity of people, which is why investing in building comfortable office furniture is essential. Today, office furniture that comes with innovative framework engineering is available economically.
Hersh Pitroda

Co-Founder Burosys

"What I lack in academia, I make up in experience", believes Hersh Pitroda. With more than 7 years of experience in the field of furniture, he is known for his tenacity and passion towards his work. Hersh continues to focus on what he wants and how he wants to impact lives, companies and fuel the growth within the organization through design and good products.

He is currently the co-founder of Burosys, a new age contemporary and modern furniture making company. In his earlier days, Hersh has also stint with LVHM PR and Manish Malhotra as a designer.

Branding

You Don't Need Thousands to Turn Your Business Idea Into Reality — Here's How I Did It on a College-Kid Budget

From creating the packaging designs online by myself to learning how to take professional product photos, I found ways to launch a company on a low budget. Here's how you can do it, too.

News and Trends

JetSynthesys Welcomes Nikhil Kamath, Ankit Nagori, and Prashanth Prakash as Franchise Owners for GEPL Bengaluru Team

The second season of the league, which is set to take place in early 2025, will see Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath, Curefoods founder Ankit Nagori, and Accel partner Prashanth Prakash stepping into the role of franchise owners.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

News and Trends

Recur Club Announces Credit Offerings for Startups Beyond Series A and SMEs

In FY 24–25, the platform also plans to deploy an additional INR 2000 crores through its Recur Swift program for startups.

Leadership

The Top 5 Traits of Successful Entrepreneurs

What sets successful entrepreneurs apart from the rest?