Do-It-Yourself and Design

Einstein defined creativity as intelligence having fun. Although not everyone can be a genius or an inventor, many find it rewarding to design something and, ultimately, bring it to life. Your home becomes a place in which to express your imagination and dexterity. This is even truer today, as the pandemic increased time spent at home and expanded the cultivation of hobbies capable of giving us a lot of satisfaction.

About one fifth of Italians recently declared that they dedicate themselves more to Do-It-Yourself projects, and this has become even more established in countries such as Germany, Belgium and France.

Among the many activities carried out, gardening represents the favorite for 70% of people interviewed. This is followed by small carpentry work (58%). In recent months, increased attention to values such as health and well-being has been accentuated, and so have the spaces dedicated to small urban vegetable gardens, as seen in enhanced balconies, condominium roof spaces, and other residual spaces, which demonstrate a combination of gardening with DIY.

Also, adapting one's residence for professional activities has given further impetus to inventiveness in optimizing workstations.

Do-It-Yourself related phrases, as well as the names of major DIY brands, were among the most popular searches on the web in 2020. Such a thriving market has already exceeded a ceiling of €600 billion in 2019, demonstrating a growth of 4.22% compared to the previous year, and further confirming a constant evolution over the last 10 years.

The differences in terms of consumption worldwide seem to highlight the growth of Do-It-Yourself, especially in the richest countries. In fact, about 81% of the global market (€502.2 billion) is concentrated in just 8 countries: USA, Germany, Canada, Japan, United Kingdom, France, Australia, and Italy. North America and Europe represent about 86.6% of the market, even if their population is made up of only 16% of the world population.

The United States is the undisputed leader with 58% of the market. $1,170 per year is spent by Americans on this activity, representing the highest average per capita spending on DIY in 2019. In Europe, the four main markets of the sector (Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Italy) make up 50% of the total.

The concentration is also evident in stores. The top two brands by volume, American chain stores Home Depot and Lowe's, hold 26% of the market share.

Over the past year, millennials have been the main driver of change. In fact, the group between 25 and 35 years of age has devoted a lot of time to this passion with a declared increase of 31%. On the other hand, the increase for the more mature groups was 14% for those over 55, and 24% for the 35-54 age group.

The question for young people is no longer where to find what they are looking for, but how to make it happen. Consequently, the players in the sector are implementing strategic changes by proposing information, guides and/or video tutorials of the products in order to help customers interact with the products.
Millennials, in need of enhancing experiences, are attracted by DIY, an activity appreciated also by people of different ages.

Digitization is also prevalent in DIY. In fact, social networks, where users spend their time looking for inspiration for objects and furnishings, become places to share their results and experiences. Many innovation-oriented companies conquer the target market with digital content and offers, thanks to the use of applications and augmented reality, making these new generations feel at ease, especially Gen Z, the future customer of the sector.

Designs for these new products which have become part of everyday life focus on the user, while guaranteeing ease of use for beginners, safety, ergonomics and aesthetic appeal for everyone.

Intuitive products, with a simple interface (possibly digital) with which to interact, improve people's lives, once again based on the logic of Human Center Design. Do-It-Yourself is not only a fun and therapeutic activity, but fully responds to ever-changing needs.