The longer days, brighter skies and open windows suddenly makes that tired paintwork more noticeable and the wonky shelf positively annoying! It’s a time when many of us look around and think; Could I improve this space? Could I make it more functional… or just nicer to look at?
My colleague and I are both deep into house renovations -separately, I should add! And as we swap stories (and survival tips), it’s been fascinating to notice just how people are approaching DIY projects in 2025. Whether it’s transforming a garden, planning a kitchen refresh or figuring out how to lay flooring, one thing is apparent: people are turning to design thinking.
Design Thinking for the Everyday Renovator
At ITERATE, we’re immersed in product design daily, creating solutions that are user-centred, well thought through and purposeful. It seems these same principles apply when we have been renovating our own homes, not just to products, but to the places we live.
Because good design isn’t just about what looks nice, it’s about what feels right and works for the individual.
Empathic and emotional pulls; Choosing colours that calm you at the end of a long day, or designing a kitchen that keeps you connected to the wider living space.
Ideation; It’s dreaming up new ways to make the most of your space. Generating Pinterest boards of sun-drenched patios, or capturing the décor of the Greek style bedroom.
Visual prototypes; That might be shifting furniture around on a Sunday afternoon, taping out your future garden deck, or using an app such as ChatGPT to visualise your living room.
It’s all design, only this time, it’s not just about form and function. The emphasis is placed on emotion. Creating spaces that feel personal, along with meeting our individual needs and bring us happiness… even if we’re only stepping out into the garden!
The Digital Toolbox: Where Are People Turning?
While word-of-mouth recommendations and YouTube still apply in the DIY world, we’re seeing a huge shift toward more digitally empowered renovation. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram serve as a kind of fast-track design school.
These platforms have been our go -to! The algorithm has learnt, and my feed is now full of bite-sized hacks and real-life success stories. They have fast become addictive since we’re in the midst of a DIY project.
However, more recently, we’re noticing another powerful tool in the mix: Artificial Intelligence.
ChatGPT has become my colleague’s DIY partner! He has been utilising the assistant app for visual inspiration, along with asking it for ideas and posing questions such as what the best tools might be for a particular job.
Not only are people trusting AI for suggestions, they’re using it to plan, cost, and sequence their DIY efforts. It’s like having a virtual consultant on hand, minus the raised eyebrows and invoice. It provides this valuable information in seconds and there is nothing it cannot offer an answer for!
So, What Does This Mean for Product Design?
As people get more hands-on, they also become more design literate. They understand how materials behave, how systems interact and what compromises are worth making. This rising “DIY intelligence” has a knock-on effect in how consumers evaluate products -wanting things that are functional and elegant, clever but intuitive.
For us in the design world, that means staying ahead. It’s understanding not just how to build great products, but how people are adapting and learning in their own homes.
So, whether you’re building a utility room this summer, painting the shed or just reorganising your bedroom, it’s not just about making things prettier! You’re tapping into your emotions and designing for life. Along with maybe learning a little more about problem-solving along the way!
If this hands-on, emotion-led approach to design has you thinking about a product idea of your own, we’d love to hear about it so do get in touch via iterate-uk.com. Alternatively, if you need DIY advice, myself and Matt can personally recommend ChatGPT!