• CEPro_logo_blue-new
  • TOPICS
      • News
        • People & Places
        • Product Briefs
      • Projects
      • Events
      • Control
        • Central Vac
        • Energy/Power
        • HVAC/IAQ
        • Interfaces/Devices
        • Lighting
        • Motorized Shades
        • Whole House Systems
      • Audio/Video
        • Audio/Video
        • AV Accessories
        • AV Racks
        • Cabling
        • Displays
        • Furniture
        • Headphones
        • Home Theater
        • Media
        • Mounts/Lifts
        • Multiroom AV
        • Projectors/Screens
        • Speakers/Subwoofers
        • Wireless AV
      • Security
        • Access Control
        • Alarms/Sensors
        • Services/Platforms
        • Surveillance/Cameras
      • Business Support
        • Associations/Buying Groups
        • Cell Phone Boosters
        • Distributors/Reps
        • Operations
        • Recurring Revenue
        • Research
        • Sales/Marketing
        • Software Services
        • Tools/Testers
      • Networking
        • Cellular
        • Devices/Equipment
        • Wireless
        • Wired/Installation
      • Markets
        • Builders
        • Commercial
        • Design
        • Europe
        • Outdoors
        • Resimercial
        • Wellness
      • CE Pro Hub Pages
        • Bose
        • Savant
        • Inside Sound United
  • PRODUCTS
  • RESOURCES
    • Reports/Downloads
    • Buyer’s Guide
    • Webcasts
    • Podcasts
    • Integrator Jobs
    • Digital Edition
    • CE Pro-iQ
  • SUBSCRIBE
    • CEDIA SHOW UPDATES
    • CEPRO PRINT EDITION
    • CEPRO DIGITAL EDITION
    • CEPRO NEWSLETTERS
  • DISCOVER
    • CEDIA Expo
      • September 29 – October 1
        Dallas, TX
      • VISIT SITE
    • KBIS
      • February 8 – 10
        Orlando, FL
      • VISIT SITE
    • Total Tech Summit
      • October 26 – 28
        Orlando, FL
      • VISIT SITE
    • Commercial Integrator
      • VISIT SITE
    • Security Sales
      • VISIT SITE
    • Tech Decisions
      • VISIT SITE
    • Campus Safety
      • VISIT SITE
    • Design Well
      • VISIT SITE
    • KBB Online
      • VISIT SITE
    • AV-iQ
      • VISIT SITE
    • CE Pro-iQ
      • VISIT SITE
  • Search
  • TOPICS
    • News
      • People & Places
      • Product Briefs
    • Projects
    • Events
    • Control
      • Central Vac
      • Energy/Power
      • HVAC/IAQ
      • Interfaces/Devices
      • Lighting
      • Motorized Shades
      • Whole House Systems
    • Audio/Video
      • Audio/Video
      • AV Accessories
      • AV Racks
      • Cabling
      • Displays
      • Furniture
      • Headphones
      • Home Theater
      • Media
      • Mounts/Lifts
      • Multiroom AV
      • Projectors/Screens
      • Speakers/Subwoofers
      • Wireless AV
    • Security
      • Access Control
      • Alarms/Sensors
      • Services/Platforms
      • Surveillance/Cameras
    • Business Support
      • Associations/Buying Groups
      • Cell Phone Boosters
      • Distributors/Reps
      • Operations
      • Recurring Revenue
      • Research
      • Sales/Marketing
      • Software Services
      • Tools/Testers
    • Networking
      • Cellular
      • Devices/Equipment
      • Wireless
      • Wired/Installation
    • Markets
      • Builders
      • Commercial
      • Design
      • Europe
      • Outdoors
      • Resimercial
      • Wellness
    • CE Pro Hub Pages
      • Savant
      • Bose
      • Inside Sound United
  • PRODUCTS
  • RESOURCES
    • Reports/Downloads
    • Buyer’s Guide
    • Webcasts
    • Podcasts
    • Integrator Jobs
    • Digital Edition
    • CE Pro-IQ
  • SUBSCRIBE
    • CEPRO PRINT EDITION
    • CEPRO DIGITAL EDITION
    • CEPRO NEWSLETTERS
    • CEDIA SHOW UPDATES
  • DISCOVER
    • Cedia Expo
      VISIT SITE
    • Commercial Integrator
      VISIT SITE
    • Security Sales
      VISIT SITE
    • Tech Decisions
      VISIT SITE
    • Campus Safety
      VISIT SITE
    • Design Well
      VISIT SITE
    • Total Tech Summit
      VISIT SITE
    • KBB Online
      VISIT SITE
    • AV-iQ
    • CE Pro-iQ
M
POPULAR SEARCHES
News
Projects
Control
Audio Video
Security
Business Support
Markets
SUBSCRIBE CEDIA EXPO CEPro-iQ
Control | Design | Interfaces/Devices | Motorized Shades | Sponsored Content | Videos
July 18, 2022

How Hunter Douglas Blends Design with Function

Hunter Douglas PowerView Gen 3 motorized shade control system aims to find the balance between industrial design and technology.
Jason Knott  
Article:
Control | Design | Interfaces/Devices | Motorized Shades | Sponsored Content | Videos
July 18, 2022

How Hunter Douglas Blends Design with Function

Balancing the collision between design and technology is an ongoing battle that Hunter Douglas is aiming to solve. Some clients want to see the technology, others want it hidden. Integrators often have to figure out how to hide the technology without impeding its performance.

When the technology is exposed, the industrial design of the product is vital. According to our recent CE pro Design and Hidden Technology Deep Dive, 56% of integrators deem the design Very Important, and another 40% say product design for exposed technology is “Somewhat Important.” That adds up to 96% of integrators saying product design is vital.

The survey also asked integrators which of their clients was the MOST concerned about hiding technology or product design. By far, interior designers was #1 – 42% of integrators said interior designers are the most concerned. Architects were second with 16% of dealers saying architects were the most concerned. Homeowners were third at 15%.

“It is interesting that there is such a strong delta between the percentage of interior designers who want to hide the technology versus the percentage of homeowners,” remarks Scott Stephenson, director of product, motorization at Hunter Douglas. “It tells me that maybe there are some areas of compromise that can be reached. The designer may be pushing to hide something that honestly the homeowner doesn’t really care that much about.”

Overall, Stephenson believes manufacturers and integrators should be seeking out product solutions with high industrial design to mitigate hesitancy on the aesthetic front.

Cast Your Vote for the 2023 CE Pro Quest for Quality Awards!

CE Pro urges integrators to recognize their suppliers that go above and beyond to deliver premium support and service. Cast your vote today to recognize the services (not the products) from your favorite manufacturers and distributors.

Cast your vote today!

Hunter Douglas did exactly that recently with the release of its new PowerView Gen 3 Automation system that features a sleek gateway device and eye-catching Pebble remote controls.

“Year over year, smart shading continues to serve the custom integration industry as a key growth pillar, with enormous end user benefits: Privacy, security, convenience, energy savings, interoperability, and custom design. Incorporating automated window treatments seems like a no-brainer, but it also has a reputation for a hefty barrier to entry – with a combination of design-centric and technical learning curves alike,” says Stephenson.

Using integrator feedback, the PowerView Gen 3 solution is a complete overhaul of the company’s previous control platform. To complete the upgrade, the company relied on four guiding principles at the foundation:

  • Simplicity: Recognizing that complexity doesn’t help the integrator, nor the end user, the company redesigned the installation and setup process that makes delivering personalized, sophisticated control of shades simpler than ever.
  • Reliability: Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) defines a futureproof foundation for automated window treatments, enabling real-time two-way communication between the shades and the system.
  • Scalability: For any window – and any space – Hunter Douglas defined a clear path to triggering automations and scheduling shading.
  • Control Streamlined. Home automation is becoming more connected than ever before, and to be future-proof and seamless alike, the best smart shades should prioritize integrations with third-party systems and voice solutions.

“PowerView Gen 3 completes the connected home with style and ease, pairing high-quality shade styles and fabric designs with smooth integration into the connected home,” he adds.

According to Stephenson, the system can be set up in a fraction of the time it previously took. He used the example of a 10-shade, three-room system that previously would have taken 45 minutes to set up and can now be done in just 10 to 12 minutes.

“It is much easier for integrators to get in and then get out with constant two-way feedback,” he notes.

The design of the Pebble remote was actually based upon the industrial designer seeing colorful pebble stones flowing in a small stream. The company offers an array of colors for the sleek remotes, but Stephenson says black and white are the most common choices.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jason Knott
Follow
Jason Knott:
Jason Knott is Chief Content Officer for Emerald's Connected Brands. Jason has covered low-voltage electronics as an editor since 1990, serving as editor and publisher of Security Sales & Integration. He joined CE Pro in 2000 and serves as Editor-in-Chief of that brand. He served as chairman of the Security Industry Association’s Education Committee from 2000-2004 and sat on the board of that association from 1998-2002. He is also a former board member of the Alarm Industry Research and Educational Foundation. He has been a member of the CEDIA Business Working Group since 2010. Jason graduated from the University of Southern California.
View Jason Knott's complete profile

ARTICLE TOPICS

Control • Design • Interfaces/Devices • Motorized Shades • Sponsored Content • Videos

ARTICLE TAGS

Hunter Douglas • Motorized Shades • shades

SHARE

Share On Facebook
Share On Twitter
Share On Linkedin
Share On Whatsapp
Share Via Email
Copy URL
← Previous Article Next Article →
Article Amplifiers/ReceiversAV AccessoriesCablingControlDevices/EquipmentDisplaysEnergy/PowerEventsHome TheaterHVAC/IAQInterfaces/DevicesISELightingMotorized ShadesMultiroom AVNetworkingNewsProductsProjectors/ScreensResimercialSlideshowSpeakers/SubwoofersWhole-House SystemsWireless

2023 Top New Technology (TNT) Awards Announced at ISE

This year’s batch of Top New Technologies (TNT) Awards@ISE honored winners in the Residential segment, unveiled in conjunction with ISE 2023.
Article ControlInterfaces/DevicesNetworkingWhole-House SystemsWireless

Beyond Matter: The Past, Present and Future of Home Standards

Dave Kaufman reflects on the potential standards have to benefit consumers, professionals and the smart home industry at large.
Article Amplifiers/ReceiversAV AccessoriesCablingControlDevices/EquipmentDisplaysEnergy/PowerEventsHome TheaterHVAC/IAQInterfaces/DevicesISELightingMotorized ShadesMultiroom AVNetworkingNewsProductsProjectors/ScreensResimercialSlideshowSpeakers/SubwoofersWhole-House SystemsWireless

2023 Top New Technology (TNT) Awards Announced at ISE

This year’s batch of Top New Technologies (TNT) Awards@ISE honored winners in the Residential segment, unveiled in conjunction with ISE 2023.
Article Amplifiers/ReceiversAudio/VideoDistributors/RepsHome TheaterMediaMultiroom AVProductsSpeakers/SubwoofersWhole-House SystemsWireless AV

I Previewed the New 8K Sony ES Receiver Lineup (and Was Blown Away)

The latest models of Sony's professional grade receiver line offer range, versatility, and most importantly to installers, simplicity.

SHOW NEWSLETTER

Sign Up

CE Pro

Subscribe Sign Up

Content Types

News
Products
Projects
Companies
Downloads
Webcasts
Podcasts
Events

Specials

IntegratorJobs
CEDIA EXPO
CE Pro 100
CE Pro Summit
Awards Programs

Company Info

About
Contact Us
Customer Service
Media Solutions & Advertising

Subscribe

Magazine
Newsletters
Digital Edition

Connect

Twitter
Facebook
LinkedIn
YouTube
RSS Feed

Categories

AUDIO/VIDEO
AV Accessories
AV Racks
Amplifiers/Receivers
Cabling
Displays
Furniture
Mounts/Lifts
Multiroom AV
Projector Screens
Speakers/Subwoofers
Wireless AV
CONTROL
Central Vac
Energy/Power
Interfaces/Devices
HVAC/IAQ
Lighting
Motorized Shades
Whole-House Systems
NETWORKING
Cellular
Devices/Equipment
Wireless
Wiring/Installation
SECURITY
Access Control
Alarms/Sensors
Services/Platforms
Surveillance Cameras
BUSINESS SUPPORT
Associations/Buying Groups
Distributors/Reps
Operations
Recurring Revenue
Research
Sales/Marketing
Software/Services
Tools/Testers
MARKETS
Builders
Commercial
Design
Europe
Outdoors
Wellness
FOLLOW US ON
  • Follow
  • Follow
  • Follow
  • Follow
  • Follow

© 2023 Emerald X, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

  • ABOUT
  • CAREERS
  • TERMS OF USE
  • PRIVACY POLICY

McIntosh Labs

McIntosh Labs