|
I Hear Design

Product Talk | What Actually Makes a Product Innovative?

Lauren Brant discusses examples of products that enhance familiar designs, improve material health, and incorporate technology, broadening the definition of innovation in the built environment.
Sept. 30, 2026
Add Us On Google

Key Highlights

  • Innovation extends beyond newness to include improvements in function, performance, and material health.
  • Designers should consider cultural storytelling and human needs when evaluating innovative products.
  • Technology integration and refinement are key aspects of meaningful innovation in architecture and product design.
  • Examples from companies like Kvadrat Acoustics, Foster + Partners, and Cisco illustrate diverse approaches to innovation.
  • A broader view of innovation encourages creative perspectives and sustainable, human-centered solutions.
Courtesy of Shaw Contract
A woman lays on the floor, holding a View-Master, while surrounded by the Cult Classics collection from Shaw Contract.

A woman lays on the floor, holding a View-Master, while surrounded by the Cult Classics collection from Shaw Contract.

Listen on Apple buttonListen on Spotify buttonListen on iHeartRadio buttonListen on Podbean button

New doesn't always mean innovative. This episode of Product Talk explores how designers and specifiers can look beyond the “innovative” label to understand what a product actually changes. Lauren Brant examines examples that expand the function of familiar products, improve performance and material health, respond to human needs, introduce new creative perspectives, and integrate technology into the built environment. The result is a broader view of innovation as something that can happen through technology, refinement, application, design, and cultural storytelling.

Companies mentioned:

  • Kvadrat Acoustics
  • Foster + Partners
  • Designtex
  • Shaw Contract
  • KI
  • HBF Textiles
  • Momentum
  • Cisco

About the Author

Lauren Brant
Email

Lauren Brant

Staff Writer, interiors+sources and BUILDINGS

Lauren Brant is Staff Writer for both interiors+sources and BUILDINGS. She is an award-winning editor and reporter whose work has appeared in daily and weekly newspapers. In 2020, the weekly newspaper won the Rhoades Family Weekly Print Sweepstakes—the division winner across the state's weekly newspapers. Lauren was also awarded the top feature photo across Class A papers. She holds a B.A. in journalism and media communications from Colorado State University-Fort Collins and a M.S. in organizational management from Chadron State College.

Sign up for our eNewsletters
Get the latest news and updates

Related

Sponsored

Voice Your Opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of I+S Design, create an account today!