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Artificial intelligence "will empower designers" say Clippings co-founders
Technology will allow architects and designers to spend more time designing and less time doing admin, according to Adel Zakout and Tom Mallory of furniture-sourcing platform Clippings.
The duo, who this week announced the sale of their business to US samples service Material Bank, said that architecture and design is "is one of the few remaining sectors that really has not been touched significantly by technology."
But this is finally changing, they added.
"I believe that in 10 years, interior designers and architects will be doing more designing," said Zakout (above, left), who co-founded the London-based platform with Mallory (right) in 2014.
"Today, interior designers and architects are spending 60 to 80 per cent of their time just doing admin like emails, Excel sheets, putting quotes together and just managing stuff," he added.
"Unfortunately, that's part of the job today because technology hasn't caught up," he said. "Technology has not enabled them to save time and focus on where they can add value. But in 10 years time, designers will be able to design more" thanks to technology.
Pandemic "accelerated" way of thinking about technology
Mallory added that the coronavirus pandemic has "drastically shifted" attitudes to technology in the sector.
"The pandemic certainly has accelerated the way people are thinking about distribution channels and how technology can be a part of it," he said.
Clippings handles the selection, purchase and delivery of furniture, lighting and other products for architecture and interior projects, while the brand's new parent Material Bank offers North American architects overnight delivery of a wide range of material samples.
Services like these will allow architects and interior designers to focus on their design work, the duo believes.
AI "is incredibly powerful"
They disagreed with claims that artificial intelligence will make designers redundant.
Two years ago, New York designer Sebastian Errazuriz warned that AI would eliminate the majority of creative jobs in architecture.
"I think it's important that architects are warned as soon as possible that 90 per cent of their jobs are at risk," he said.
But Zakout said: "I actually think it'll be the opposite. I think artificial intelligence will empower designers. I think that AI, especially for repetitive work, is incredibly powerful. But fundamentally, the creative process that designers go through will be quite difficult to replace with AI."
"I do believe that AI will have a huge impact on the process," he added. "It'll make things like discovery, the procurement process, matching the products in the general workflow much easier and quicker."
"I think technology will do a lot to enhance the process but I don't believe that I will replace the designer."
Covid-19 forced brands to adopt tech
Zakout agreed that the coronavirus pandemic forced furniture and lighting brands to come to terms with technology.
"A lot of brands woke up last March and realised that their whole distribution channels had been shut down," he said. "Their whole method of distributing their products, marketing, selling their products, was no longer available."
This led them to embrace digital solutions for the first time, he added.
"There has been a drastic mentality shift," he said. "Businesses like Herman Miller [now MillerKnoll] are starting to sell directly to customers," via the Herman Miller Professional portal that it built in conjunction with Clippings.
"So I think things are accelerating. Covid has definitely been a bit of a trigger. It's been a kick for some brands to really move on with their plans."
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Material Bank buys Clippings to speed digitisation of "one of the few remaining sectors" to be transformed by technology
US architecture and design materials marketplace Material Bank has acquired UK interior design procurement firm Clippings.
The American firm has bought 100 per cent of the London-based company for an undisclosed sum in a move that it claims will help transform the design sector via technology.
"This sector is one of the few remaining sectors that really has not been touched significantly by technology," Clippings executive chairman and co-founder Adel Zakout told Dezeen.
"If you kind of zoom out and look at the way business is done in the design, real estate and construction sector, it's still a very low single-digit percentage that goes through some kind of online presence."
"So I think there's this huge, huge opportunity in this industry."
Acquisition comes after Material Bank funding round raises $100 million
Material Bank, which currently only operates in the USA, provides architects and designers with a one-stop shop for material samples.
Founded in 2014, the service is free to designers and promises next-day delivery for samples of fabrics, finishes, tiles and other materials ordered via the Material Bank website.
Samples are picked and packed by robots at Material Bank's vast distribution warehouse at Olive Branch, Mississippi. The company raised $100 million in a funding round in May this year, valuing it at almost $1 billion.
Above: Clippings founders Adel Zakout and Tom Mallory. Top image: Adam Sandow in Material Bank's robot-controlled warehouse
Material Bank was founded by Adam Sandow, an entrepreneur who also owns Sandow Media, which acquired Metropolis magazine in 2019 and took over the management of New York's NYCxDesign festival in 2020.
"Both businesses historically have tried to really leverage technology to create a better experience in this industry, especially in the purchasing process, by enabling all the different stakeholders to connect online through technology," Zakout said.
"So we're incredibly excited about the fact that we're able to join forces and really do more together."
Clippings acquisition "key driver" for overseas expansion
Clippings, founded by former Architecture Association students Zakout and Tom Mallory in 2014, allows architects and interior designers to specify products including furniture and lighting.
It also provides design brands with e-commerce solutions, allowing them to build their own online marketplaces. In April this year, it worked with Herman Miller (now MillerKnoll following its acquisition of Knoll) to launch Herman Miller Professional.
The service allows small and medium-sized customers to build project boards online and order Herman Miller products at preferential rates.
“Clippings has made significant advances in the way architects and designers specify in Europe," said Sandow, who is CEO of Material Bank.
"With 70 per cent of revenue coming from the UK, and offices in London and Bulgaria, this acquisition will be a key driver as Material Bank expands its footprint overseas."
"The complex multi-billion-dollar design industry is one of the last to be digitally transformed," said Material Bank.
"Material Bank and Clippings are driving advancements through a powerful blend of innovation and technology, delivering modern solutions for streamlining the entire design process."
Images courtesy of Clippings and Material Bank.
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