Kitchen planning meets the Jetsons

Jane Jetson's kitchen is sorely out of date. She wants a new floor plan filled with all the great Twenty-First Century gear she's finding online at blogs like Gold Notes. Since he's a mid-century boomer with a real defined benefits pension and decades of home equity in their Skypad condo conversion, George Jetson says Jane can have whatever she wants.




Jane gets out her iPhone 9 and calls up her favorite design sites. She clicks on the induction range she wants to see in person. A special text message comes her way a moment later.

This text instantly connects her to that appliance. First, it shows her the nearest store that carries the product line, with its address, phone, web site and Facebook page. It also gives her a one-click link to the store's phone number so she can call to see if it's on display there. It is, and she can demo it, too! (Jane wishes the next generation software was out that would link the store's inventory to the text and save her that call, especially since she had to wait until Monday at 10 AM to call them, but no such luck just yet!)

The text also gives her a special manufacturer's coupon if she buys both the range and a range hood from the same brand, and a very special visualizer iPhone application that she quickly downloads. This is the one she's most excited about. Jane's new app activates her iPhone's camera in a unique way and actually see the range in her space. She makes an appointment to visit the store and sends them the coupon code via text message.




Jane still isn't sure what type of cabinets or countertops she wants for the Jetson kitchen. She's leaning toward the "un-kitchen/hideaway" style she's been seeing on various sites. Browsing through the visualizer's options, she comes to the lone cabinet manufacturer that has its offerings digitized and clicks on its link.

To her delight, this forward-thinking brand has all of its styles readily available and easy to navigate. She clicks on "Modern," then "Slab," then "High Gloss," then, hesitating slightly, "Red." (This will take some convincing, as she didn't take George's 'anything you want' to include crimson cabinets!) What the heck!

The visualizer scans her existing walls, windows, cabinets and appliances and overlays the captivating new cabinets and induction range. She sees her dream kitchen materialize right on her iPhone screen. Another few clicks and Jane has a local showroom appointment to see the cabinets in person.

Fast forward a few weeks. Jane has retained Jamie "Jette" Goldberg to design her kitchen... After all, who else but her favorite design blogger, the same pro whose futuristic blog brought her the fabulous mobile technology she just used, would do!

They've incorporated the induction range and companion hood that Jane had picked out earlier. They went with the same cabinets, but in glossy white instead of red. They've finalized her plans. Everything arrives on site, ready for installation.




Jette has Jane download a new app that she has created for her clients. This customized restaurant coupon site will help the Jetsons get through the upcoming weeks without full use of their space. (Some things never change!)

Once their gorgeous new Sensibly Styled kitchen is installed, Jane sends big digital thumbs up to the brands and local pros who helped turn her dream kitchen into her new IRL* kitchen. The brands reward the pros with incentive points they can use on products for their own homes or exciting design trips. The pros reward the brands with even more referrals and specifications for making their jobs so easy!




This is how the design world will look in the next five years, I predict. I'm looking forward to it happening as soon as possible! How about you?


*IRL means In Real Life


Image Credits:
Jane, George and Astro (http://www.fanboy.com/)
Skypad exterior (http://jimsuldog.blogspot.com/)
Jane using videophone (http://girlsinwhitedresses.wordpress.com/)
Jetsons flying (http://controlissblinds.co.uk/)

Inspiration Credit:
A conference call this morning with The Yaffe Group about mobile marketing's potential for the kitchen and bath industry inspired this post. The photo visualizer, geo-based locating and coupon solutions came directly from their insights. Any techno-gaffs are purely mine.