Consumer-centric trend approach to create GROHE products that matter

An appealing design – particularly one that is beautiful and sophisticated – can be eye-catching. But behind the pleasing exterior of, for example, a product, are a broader process and development that are worth looking at.

What needs do consumers have? How do they live? What is important to them? What do they expect from their living spaces? With the goal of designing better homes for the future, the LIXIL Design Team in its work for the GROHE brand starts with those very questions to first gain an understanding of consumer behavior. Every product development and design process at LIXIL starts with consumer-centric thinking and a deep understanding of consumers.

Deriving from these insights, the Düsseldorf-based team led by Patrick Speck, Leader LIXIL Global Design EMENA, evolves its analysis of trends to guide the development of new products. Based on the three current macro trends, ‘urbanization’, ‘sustainability’, and ‘health and wellbeing’, the designers aim to invent meaningful solutions that truly matter to people and strive to ensure that every GROHE product meets this goal.

What lies behind the ‘urbanization’ trend? Patrick Speck, Leader, LIXIL Global Design, EMENA, explains:

Minimalism meets modern design

GROHE Baulines is the perfect line for consumers who are searching for simplicity and minimalism. It is an all-inclusive package: Modern design, high-quality performance, eco-conscious thanks to an integrated water-saving feature, combined with an affordable price. In addition, Baulines bathroom faucets are perfectly matched to the Bau Ceramic and Accessories lines in form and function. And even better, there are GROHE Baulines kitchen faucets and stainless-steel sinks to round off a coordinated design concept throughout the living spaces.

“Urbanization also leads to new living spaces: The borders between bathroom and bedroom as well as kitchen and living room are dissolving. The kitchen for instance has become the heart of the home where the family and social life takes place. The once functional room becomes a living space, which also increases the expectations on the products – consumers are looking for smart, intuitive helpers that simplify everyday routines. At the same time, consumers want to be actively involved in the design process and products should reflect their individual style as well as the design of the other rooms.”

Functional helpers for the kitchen – the heart of our homes

The kitchen in particular has been transformed from a mere place to prepare food to a multi-purpose room. Recent years have brought additional demands that social life take place there. With working and even home schooling happening at the dining table, the kitchen has become the center of our everyday life. This also fundamentally changes the expectations that we have for this space. With the comprehensive GROHE kitchen portfolio, the brand offers innovative solutions for one of the most frequently used touchpoints in a busy kitchen – the 60cm around the sink. New functionalities and state-of-the-art technology leave no user requirements unfulfilled.

GROHE SmartControl faucets enable precise control with an intuitive push-turn button on top of the faucet. This also works easily using the elbow or wrist and is ideal for moments when both hands are full or not clean. To ensure that the design does justice to the new centerpiece of the living area, the long-lasting GROHE Colors Collection offers a wide range of available color options. GROHE sinks that match in form and function round off the range of comprehensive solutions.

“We see that consumers are more aware than ever of the consequences their actions are having on our planet. They demand brands and products which enable them to live better lives. Water is one of the most precious resources and is core to our business. Therefore, we constantly need to ask ourselves: How can we do more with less?”

Resource-saving products and technologies

Resource-saving technologies ensure your daily routine includes fewer worries but full comfort: EcoJoy limits water consumption by up to 50 percent while maintaining a voluminous water experience. Did you know that water-heating is the second biggest source of energy use in the home?* GROHE SilkMove ES encourages more responsible use by providing only cold water when the faucet lever is in the middle position.

Wash hands the smart way: With GROHE’s touchless faucets water only flows when truly needed, so water consumption is reduced by up to 70%. The mixer switches off whenever you retract your hands from underneath the faucet, for example during soaping. Also, GROHE thermostats offer a great way to save water: The EcoButton allows you to reduce water consumption by up to 50 percent, without compromising on your showering experience.

Plastic pollution is one of the biggest issues of our time. The GROHE Blue water system transforms your kitchen into a direct source of fresh drinking water. The water system makes your life more convenient and helps a family of four to avoid using 800 single-use plastic bottles every year**. At the touch of a button, the GROHE Blue water system provides chilled, filtered and, if desired, carbonated water straight from the kitchen tap.

GROHE wants to make sure you can enjoy products with a good conscience that extends far beyond the use phase. This has been implemented by the elimination of all unnecessary plastic from our product packaging. In addition, GROHE’s range of Cradle to Cradle Certified® bathroom and kitchen products are designed and manufactured in such a way that at the end of their life the components can be used to create new products, thus reducing waste and saving resources.

“Consumers take better care of their health and wellbeing which is having some profound implications for the role of the bathroom. It is no longer a space purely dedicated to the everyday function of hygiene. The idea of the bathroom as a spa or wellness area has really accelerated. The bathroom has become a private retreat from the stress of the outside world – an oasis of wellbeing to enjoy me-time. Water can trigger feelings of happiness and weightlessness that we call ‘moments of bliss’."

Experiencing health through water

The idea of harnessing the positive effects of water is what inspired GROHE SPA . Using the power of water to sooth body, mind and soul, GROHE SPA is literally fulfilling the meaning of the word ‘SPA’: ‘Salus Per Aquam’ which means ‘health through water’.It curates the most exclusive products and aims to transform any bathroom into an individual home spa. Elaborate faucet collections, customizable showers and artistic ceramics encourage users to enjoy blissful personal water rituals. Combining progressive design, cutting-edge technology and the highest quality, this portfolio of masterpieces leaves nothing to be desired in the creation of personal places of retreat.

Thanks to a broad range of different colors, materials, finishes and handle options to choose from, the GROHE Atrio and Allure Brilliant Private Collections allow the design of one-of-a-kind bathroom pieces. Sophisticated features like the haptic feedback on the GROHE Allure three-hole basin mixer offer a unique tactile experience. GROHE SPA Ceiling Shower modules can be specifically adapted to tailor shower and bath experiences to one’s personal preferences. GROHE SPA provides everything that might be needed for the perfect home spa experience.

The bathroom, however, is not only a place to enjoy a relaxing shower but also the place where we wash our hands and focus on our personal hygiene – something which has gained great visibility during recent years.

“The importance of HEALTH & WELLBEING has been visible everywhere during recent years: The global pandemic has forced the world to rethink, especially with regard to daily routines like hand washing. Today, more than ever, having to touch a conventional faucet – especially in a public bathroom – is something that we would prefer to avoid. New trends will emerge when it comes to the architecture of public and private spaces. We need to support architects and consumers to meet the increased hygiene demands with intelligent products.”

GROHE is offering an advanced portfolio for all bathroom touchpoints from washbasin to toilet and shower. Touchless products are controlled by an infrared sensor: The water flow can be started and stopped by simply holding your hands under the spout. This minimizes the risk of spreading germs and cross-contamination. GROHE also offers an intelligent portfolio for the kitchen that meets advanced hygiene demands. The user activates the water flow using their forearm, elbow, wrist, or foot– perfect solutions for the most sensitive living areas.

These three macro trends of urbanization, sustainability and health & wellness will remain relevant in the future. GROHE continues to develop new and innovative solutions that meet the changing needs of consumers to make everyday life easier and more convenient.

* Federal Statistical Office 2018, www.destatis.de 
** DHU 2019, www.duh.de/mehrweg-klimaschutz0/einweg-plastikflaschen