When was the last time you bought something without seeing it first?
From the first commercial on color TV to the advent of the internet, consumer purchases almost always start with a good looking product. We now live in a visual economy – one where we expect to “see it before we buy it” – whether it’s blue jeans, an Airbnb, or kitchen chair.
Seeing a product first helps answer practical questions (Will the jeans fit? Is the Airbnb big enough? Is the chair durable?). But consumers also want to visualize its impact on their lives (Will the jeans look good? Will the vacation be memorable? Does the chair design elevate my kitchen?). It’s that emotional connection that drives the purchase.
And with every technological advance, consumers have been able to see more – and expect more.
Supercharging the visual economy
It only took 20+ years to upend how consumers shop, starting with Amazon’s first online sales to 2017 when companies like IKEA and Sephora introduced augmented reality (AR). Between virtual make-up sampling to virtual “in-home” furniture placement, consumers could finally preview a product on themselves or in their own environment.
Fast forward to today, and artificial intelligence (AI) is supercharging the shopping and buying experience all over again. Using AI, buyers and sellers can now create personalized, interactive visual experiences, at scale, with real products in real-time. It’s no longer about whether the product works, but whether it works for you. That includes looking at all the options, tweaking colors and patterns, size and materials, to get everything just right.
Bringing it home
Given that most consumers expect to “trial run” a pair of sunglasses or a couch, can we still assume a homeowner will spend thousands on a remodel based on sample boards and a handshake?
It’s time for home construction to fully embrace the visual economy – to create a bridge for homeowners and take them from “buy and hope” to “buy with confidence.”
To get to “yes" faster, construction pros need easy-to-use tools that allow homeowners to see a proposed remodel first – before they sign the contract. We need tools that invite them into the design process and make it easy to explore all the options. Tools to visualize what the colors, materials and renovations will look like on their real home. And we need to offer this all in the first meeting.
Introducing real-time design
Contractors and builders have long tried to shift to the visual economy. However, the existing solutions were either too expensive, time-consuming, limited in capabilities, or required design expertise.
Hover intends to change that.
With Hover Instant Design, we’re giving pros the tools you need to not just design, but to do it in real-time, at the kitchen table during your first customer pitch. Instead of just talking through your proposal, you can show them what you have in mind…and let them make edits at the same time. You’re no longer the pro with sample boards but the pro who can really show and then sell.
