American Standard VP of Design shares how American Standard is Raising The Standard
Since 1872, American Standard has blazed the trails of innovation in bathrooms, pioneering numerous breakthroughs that have inspired today’s bathroom wares. The iconic brand has been creating dependable sanitary wares and fittings for residential, commercial and hospitality projects, and its legacy continues today in numerous landmark projects, such as the iconic Burj Al Arab in Dubai and Beijing’s National Aquatic Centre (Water Cube), just to name a few.
Such successes boil down to one unwavering philosophy that has been held steadfast by the brand: Raising The Standard.
‘Raising The Standard’ is a belief that is embraced by American Standard on every level, from product design to performance to raising the standard of living healthily, responsibly and beautifully around the world.
Within the company, Design as a human-centered and problem solving approach is increasingly being utilized to address bathroom evolutions, and is used as a strategic tool across different touch points to provide beautiful products which function well, and also unique experiences which resonate with customers’ needs and aspirations.
Meet Antoine Besseyre Des Horts, Vice President of Design at American Standard, a firm believer that the goal of a designer is to create meaningful and relevant solutions to enhance people’s daily lives, both emotionally and physically. And the first step is to identify consumers’ needs and aspirations while keeping up to date with the latest social, environmental and cultural trends.
Intuitive design plays an integral role in the company. Every conceivable angle of bathroom products, from the architecture to safety features to environmental friendliness, is studied right down to the smallest details. Space is also becoming a luxury due to global urbanization, so people are increasingly looking for solutions which allow them to optimize space to the maximum.
The keen attention to detail is evident in innovations like the toilet seats with Comfort Curve, eco-friendly fittings, ergonomically angled faucet handles and the convenient ‘push & turn’ EasySET. Instinctive and forward thinking, the simple push button feature of the EasySET replaces the traditional shower lever to give users an efficient and enjoyable experience each time. Details like these are the building blocks to the perfect bathroom experience.
“By putting together the best design talents, and by going through a thoughtful design process, we are able to deliver exceptional bathroom solutions to consumers,” Antoine said. “At the same time, we believe in safe and comfortable solutions that provide peace of mind beyond performance. Bathrooms must be easy to use and clean, ergonomic, safe, provide a sense of well-being, and express one’s personal style.”
