Kristina Meyer
- Product designer
- Designer and co-owner of byform produktdesign
- Jury member of interzum Award
1. In your opinion, what are the defining trends shaping the furniture production and interior design industry today? How do you see these trends reflected in the nominated products or companies for the interzum guangzhou Award?
One major trend—though "trend" almost seems too fleeting a term—is the growing focus of companies on sustainability, resource-efficient processes, and environmentally friendly innovations. This shift goes beyond product development and material selection; it involves comprehensive optimizations across the entire value chain—from manufacturing and production to sales.
The award submissions clearly reflect this: not a single entry comes without sustainable improvements. The focus is particularly on more eco-friendly, recyclable materials, a higher proportion of recycled components, low-emission binders, and environmentally friendly adhesives. Furniture construction is also evolving— products are increasingly designed for tool-free assembly and disassembly, making it easier to separate materials and reducing transport volume. This, in turn, lowers CO₂ emissions during transportation.
Additionally, digital processes are gaining importance. Data-driven optimizations enable more efficient and targeted product development, leading to significant resource savings. In short, sustainability is no longer just an added feature—it has become a key driver of innovation in the industry.
2. Among all the submissions this year, which prominent features capture your interest the most (e.g., materials, technology, design philosophy)?
Among this year’s submissions, I find the increased use of bio-based binders and the steadily improving quality of recyclable materials particularly noteworthy. Advances in processing and recycling technologies are enabling the development of more durable and high-performance materials. Especially exciting are concepts that follow a consistently circular design philosophy, ensuring that products are designed from the outset to be more easily recycled or reused at the end of their lifecycle. Additionally, innovative bonding techniques are improving assembly processes. The increased integration of modular construction enhances repairability, while the use of mono-materials simplifies recycling and minimizes material waste. Another key trend is the growing implementation of data-driven technologies and AI-powered processes. By automatically capturing and analyzing core data, systems continuously learn and refine their underlying algorithms. Particularly in the area of product safety, AI-driven algorithms open up new possibilities by collecting and processing data during use. This allows furniture and products not only to learn over time but also to independently adapt to different environments and user behaviors. Their ability to make autonomous decisions reduces the need for manual adjustments while enhancing both comfort and efficiency. The prospect of future furniture featuring intelligent seat control that dynamically adapts to users is a particularly exciting innovation in my view.
3. How do you think the winning products or companies in the award can lead industry trends in terms of innovation, sustainability, or design?
The award-winning products definitely set important impulses for the industry, especially in terms of sustainable product development. Sustainability is no longer an option but a fundamental requirement. The awarded products clearly demonstrate that sustainable solutions have already become the standard today. Companies that exclude this aspect will struggle to remain competitive in the future. Design goes far beyond aesthetics – it combines functionality, ergonomics, and sustainability. Particularly exciting is the use of AI- driven learning modules, which increasingly support design processes. Through data-driven analyses, ergonomics and functionality can be optimized, offering advantages in areas such as safety, user-friendliness, efficiency, and control processes. Awarded innovations set new benchmarks, show the direction of future development, and inspire the entire industry to take bold and sustainable paths.
4. What advice would you offer to the future participants of interzum guangzhou Award?
Future participants must recognize the growing consumer demand for eco-friendly materials and sustainable production methods. Topics like recycling, upcycling, and modular design will only increase in importance. Bio- based materials and recycled plastics are not only key to sustainability but are also influencing product aesthetics. Customizable furniture that adapts to different living situations will be in high demand. Additionally, smart home integration and technologies like 3D printing and digital manufacturing are reshaping production, allowing for cost-efficient, customized solutions. AI-driven design and production processes are quickly becoming industry standards. In summary, focusing on sustainable, flexible, and technologically advanced solutions will be crucial for remaining competitive.
5. Looking ahead, what changes do you anticipate in the furniture production and interior design market over the next 3 to 5 years? How can industry stakeholders adapt to these shifts to maintain their influence?
Furniture production is becoming increasingly flexible, and the shift toward batch size 1 manufacturing will continue to gain traction. AI-powered technologies and a fully digitalized industry are driving this transformation.
Furniture manufacturers must offer customers a sense of co-determination and personalized choice. Purchasing decisions are influenced by emotions, personal connections, strong eco-friendly arguments, short delivery times, and an authentic product story. Anonymous brands and mass production are losing relevance.
To meet these expectations, both retail and production must be digitally managed and interconnected. A digital transformation in these areas not only enhances efficiency and delivery speed but also improves product safety, optimizes user experience, and ensures transparent communication. Furniture should provide clear answers to consumers at every stage—from material sourcing to production and sales. Greenwashing is increasingly being rejected, while genuine sustainability is gaining importance.
In summary, the future of the furniture industry lies in more sustainable products, faster delivery, emotional engagement, authentic storytelling, and a shift away from mass production. The trend is moving toward “less but better”—fewer, but better-quality products.
