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In an era where consumers are flooded with choices and noise, the most enduring brands aren’t just the ones with the best features, they’re the ones that make people feel seen. That philosophy guides us at Michael Graves Design, as we believe that great design begins with listening. Our products, from the iconic Alessi teakettle to our Quick Fold cane, are never created in isolation. They emerge from stories: personal, emotional, and deeply human. This commitment to storytelling isnt just a marketing strategy; its a design principle, one that bridges purposeful delight to create pioneering products. We rely on our “Design With” process that embodies collaboration. Instead of designing for users, we design with them. This approach involves ethnographic research, empathy-based brainstorming sessions, and consumer preference testing, which provides us direct engagement with our community. By involving a diverse pool of users, we ensure that our products resonate on a personal level with a broad audience. This collaborative storytelling helps us uncover product opportunity gaps and ensures that our designs reflect real experiences and needs. Designs rooted in story Take our Whistling Bird Teakettle for Alessi. Beyond its functional design, with a shape that makes water boil faster, the kettle uses color to tell a purposeful story of hot and cold, and a story of morning rituals of waking up to the sound of birds chirping. This narrative transforms a simple kitchen appliance into an experience, making daily routines delightful. Likewise, our canes are designed not just for support, but to empower. Typical canes seem institutional, carry stigma, and remind users of their limitations. Our designs incorporate vibrant colors and ergonomic features, turning them into symbols of independence and style. Design transforms them from needed medical devices into desired consumer products. Its the straightforward difference between focusing on the negative and focusing on the positive. 3 lessons for entrepreneurs and brands At Michael Graves Design, we live these lessons daily, not just as best practices, but as core beliefs. These three underlying principles are adaptable across industries and team sizes. Whether youre launching a new product or building a brand from scratch, these are three powerful ways to bring people into your process and create meaningful offerings. 1. Engage your community Involving your customers early in the product development process opens a feedback loop that strengthens both the product and the relationship. At MGD, we regularly incorporate community voices through ethnographic visits and ideation sessions. Other companies can do this too by building small advisory panels, running beta programs, or simply inviting feedback and listening actively. Cocreation not only improves the end result, but it also turns customers into brand advocates. 2. Design with empathy Real empathy fuels innovation. Understand how people live, struggle, and express themselves, then design from that insight. Its the best way to increase the chances that new products will resonate with consumers and sell really well. Conduct consumer preference testing sessions where consumers can interact with works-like prototypes. This invaluable feedback informed all final design refinements and assortment selection for our recent Pottery Barn collection. 3. Lead with story, not specs At MGD, every product is anchored in a storynot invented after the fact, but woven into the design process from the beginning. Specs matter, but emotional connection drives decisions. Other companies can tap into this by asking: What does this product represent to the people who use it? How do we know? Build your marketing around those stories, and youll move from selling features to creating emotional resonance. Community storytelling with real impact This storytelling approach extends from the product design process into marketing. Our email newsletter, Monthly Delights, captures the essence of how storytelling becomes a powerful marketing force, not through sales language, but through the lived experiences of our consumers and influences. A few examples: Lanes: Personal style meets mobility support Delaney (Lanes), a vibrant college senior navigating life in New York City, began using a cane during a chronic illness flare-up. Tired of dull, clinical designs, she discovered the C-Grip cane in sage green and finally found a mobility aid that matched her personality. This is the most comfortable cane handle Ive ever used, she shared. It was nice to pick a cane that felt like me. Her story reinforces how design that honors individuality can turn a necessity into a point of pride. Greg: Design that elevates communities Greg, founder of Little Deeds, helps make homes safer for older adults and people with disabilities. He discovered our products at a CVS and was struck by how they elevated both form and function. As someone who advocates for universal design, Greg appreciated how thoughtful details, like intuitive touch points and sophisticated styling, help dissolve stigma and spark joy. Design like this causes us to pause for a second and think about what exactly brought that sudden sense of joy, he said. Lindsey: Turning diagnosis into artistic empowerment Lindsey, a mixed-media artist living with multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, channels her journey into creativity. She paints vibrant abstractions of brain MRI scans, including hundreds for others living with chronic illness. When she found our red sunbaked-clay C-Grip cane, it wasnt just a mobility tool, it became a part of her expressive identity. Its stylish, supportive, and makes even a rough day feel a bit more put together, she explained. At MGD, storytelling isnt a tool we add later, its embedded from the very beginning. Listening to and telling stories helps us stay curious, unleashes our creativity, and most importantly, keeps us connected with our consumers. For brands looking to stand out, the lesson is simple: Build with people, not for them, and the story telling opportunities will follow. Ben Wintner is CEO of Michael Graves Design.
Category:
E-Commerce
When I became a first-time mom, my perspective on the products my family used changed completely. As a data scientist, I naturally dive deep into the details; now I was suddenly applying this rigor to ingredient and product information, turning every label into an obsessive data research project. This journey opened my eyes to a startling reality: Not all products are created equal, and there’s a profound gap between the trust we place in brands and the reality of whats inside their products. My personal experience mirrors a crisis facing the entire retail industry. Widespread misleading claims have eroded consumer trust, with skepticism reaching an all-time high. According to Novis data, up to 50% of products feature a false claim; and a staggering number of consumers would stop buying from a brand completely if they discovered one. This crisis of confidence, however, presents an opportunity to build a new infrastructure for commerce itself. One where the burden of proof shifts from the consumer to the retailer, and verifiable truth becomes a brand’s most valuable asset. By addressing the key ways they are breaking trust, retailers can fix the cracks in the system, rebuild consumer confidence, and unlock substantial avenues for growth. Here are five of the most common ways I see brands and retailers breaking consumer trust, and how to rebuild it. 1. They allow misleading and unsubstantiated claims The proliferation of false or unsubstantiated claims by brands has become a significant issue. Terms like “net zero,” “vegan,” or “nontoxic” are often used inaccurately. In the U.S., a comparative lack of stringent regulation has allowed this to become rampant. By allowing these products on their shelves, retailers effectively endorse these unverified claims, damaging their own credibility and forcing consumers to become skeptics to protect their families. Retailers can remedy this by implementing robust, automated verification systems. Since regulation is lacking, the burden of proof is now on the retailer. Technology can transform this challenge into a competitive advantage by efficiently identifying and promoting products with verified attributes. My company Novi provides a platform that enables retailers like Sephora, Ulta, and Target to credibly verify claims, in some cases leading to sales increases of up to 15% in their values-based programs. 2. They rely on brand storytelling instead of proof Pioneering brands like Patagonia and Seventh Generation built trust through compelling narratives and a direct connection with consumers. But as values-based shopping has gone mainstream, consumers are no longer satisfied with a good story; they demand third-party validation. Brands that fail to adapt to this shift from storytelling to verification risk being left behind. Data analytics can clearly illustrate the tangible business benefits of robust values-based programs, incentivizing brands to invest in verification. For instance, Amazon reported a 10% increase in page views and a 12% rise in sales for products featuring values-based badges. Products with multiple verified claims grew almost three times more quickly than other products. Presenting this data-backed ROI is vital for encouraging brand participation. 3. They present inconsistent information across channels Brands sometimes present conflicting information across different retailers. A product might qualify for Ulta’s Conscious Beauty program but fail to meet the standards for Sephora Clean, for example. Since modern consumers research and shop across multiple platforms, these inconsistencies undermine brand authenticity and consumer trust. Values-based initiatives are, at their core, data projects. Retailers must integrate technology from the outset to manage and disseminate this data across all consumer touchpoints. This requires IT teams to adeptly use data to inform every stage of the customer journey, from initial product search to final validation, ensuring a consistent and trustworthy omnichannel experience. 4. They guess which values matter to their customers Without data, retailers often take a generic approach to their values-based programs, failing to connect with what truly motivates their specific customers, who often have a diverse set of needs. This leads to underperforming programs that don’t resonate. Retailers must go the extra mile to understand their audience deeply. Analyzing consumer search patterns and filter usage can reveal which values are most important and use these insights to shape your strategy. Data also reveals that different values matter in different categories; ingredient transparency is often most important in beauty, while sustainable packaging may be more critical in household goods. 5. They fail to make information accessible At the heart of the trust issue is a lack of transparency. When information about how a product was made is hard to find or difficult to understand, shoppers become more skeptical of all claims. This information asymmetry puts the consumer at a disadvantage and breeds distrust. The fundamental solution lies in making information about how a product was made transparent and easily accessible for shoppers. This democratization of data empowers both consumers and brands to make more informed and better decisions, ultimately building trust. When retailers consistently deliver products with verified claims, they foster deeper customer engagement, see improved sales conversion rates, and cultivate stronger brand loyalty. By shifting from ambiguous claims to a foundation of verifiable data, retailers will not only rebuild consumer trust, but also unlock new, sustainable streams of revenue. The retailers and brands that thrive will be those who recognize that their greatest product is not what they sell, but the trust they can prove. Kimberly Shenk is cofounder and CEO of Novi.
Category:
E-Commerce
Over 110 million people are displaced due to violence, persecution, and climate change, and access to financial services is often the key to rebuilding lives. Refugees and displaced populations face systemic barriers to financial inclusion, with traditional financial institutions often perceiving them as high-risk clients. But what if refugees are not only creditworthy but also vital contributors to economic stability? Over the past several years, innovative financial solutions have begun challenging this perception, proving that refugees can be a powerful force for local economic development. By overcoming biases and demonstrating the business case for refugee lending, organizations have shown that financial inclusion not only benefits refugees, but also host communities and broader economies. Prove the viability of refugee lending It is a widespread misconception that refugees are too risky to serve. Historically, refugees have been viewed as liabilities due to their lack of credit history, residency uncertainty, and perceived flight risk. Yet, research and pilot programs consistently show that refugees can, and do, repay loans at rates comparable to nonrefugee populations. For example, a 2016 Kiva.org pilot initiative provided risk-tolerant, crowdfunding-based loans to refugees, with a 96.39% repayment rate. This pilot demonstrated that refugees are viable candidates for financial services and set the stage for scaling such efforts with institutional support to meet the these demands in refugee populations. Impact-first capital: A new model for financial inclusion Building on early successes, institutional capital has proven effective in scaling refugee lending globally. By channeling impact-first institutional capital to financial service providers (FSPs) in refugee-hosting countries, these organizations can offer loans to refugees who would otherwise be excluded from formal financial systems. One such initiative, Kivas Refugee Investment Fund (KRIF), invests in FSPs serving refugees, internally displaced people, impacted host communities, and populations at high risk of forced displacement. This model encourages a shift in perception; refugees are no longer liabilities, but valuable contributors to the local economy. Earlier this year, KRIF concluded a four-year investment period, reaching over $60 million in total investments to and for refugees and displaced populations around the world. KRIF deployed impact-first capital across 14 countries in the Middle East, East Africa, the Caucasus, and Latin America and has thus far directly supported 76,000 refugees (of which, 70% identify as women) with the funding they needed to rebuild their lives. Lessons learned: What works in refugee financial inclusion The success of refugee lending initiatives has provided valuable lessons. First, it is crucial to recognize refugees adaptability. Contrary to assumptions, refugees are often highly resourceful and resilient. With the right financial tools, they can rebuild their lives and contribute significantly to local economies. Another key takeaway is the importance of flexible financial products and a supportive regulatory environment. Refugees may not have traditional credit histories, but they often have strong social networks, market knowledge, and a willingness to repay loans. Many of Kivas partners have found that adjusting existing products offered by FSPs, rather than creating entirely new ones, can make a significant difference in serving refugees. Flexible repayment terms or microloans for small businesses are particularly effective. Hiring local staff from refugee communities has also been cited as integral to the success of FSPs refugee lending programs. One partner in Chile noted that they quickly saw that the level of empathy, as a result of knowing exactly the situation our potential [refugee] clients found themselves in, was crucial to being successful. This approach helps navigate cultural barriers, ranging from language to mindset, and strengthens relationships with clients. Finally, institutional investors play a crucial role in driving systemic change. Traditionally, private investors have overlooked refugees as a viable market. However, impact-first capital is proving that there is both social and financial value in serving these populations. By demonstrating refugees creditworthiness, these funds are helping to build a new market for refugee lending and inspiring other investors to consider the potential of displaced populations. The importance of capacity building in refugee lending While institutional capital is essential, its not the only ingredient needed for successful refugee lending. For FSPs to effectively serve refugees, they must have the right tools, training, and infrastructure in place. Capacity-building efforts, such as support for developing tailored loan products and improving outreach and services, are crucial for the success of refugee lending programs. A notable example comes from Uganda, where refugees in the Kyangwali settlement faced significant challenges accessing financial services due to the distance to the nearest branch office. With the support of an impact-first investment, UGAFODE Microfinance established a local sales center within the settlement, drastically improving accessibility. This investment also enabled UGAFODE to scale its operations and serve a growing refugee population. This partnership illustrates how building the capacity of local financial institutions creates long-term solutions to financial exclusion. A vision for the future The journey toward financial inclusion for refugees is not just about providing loans, its about transforming the narrative around displaced populations. By proving that refugees are economically viable and valuable contributors to their local economies, innovative financial models are challenging long-held biases and opening new opportunities for both refugees and the communities that host them. If initiatives like KRIF become more widespread, refugee lending could help redefine global lending practices and create a more inclusive global financial system. Refugees would gain access to the services they need to rebuild their lives with dignity, and host communities would benefit from the economic growth driven by refugee entrepreneurship. As the world faces unprecedented levels of displacement due to conflict, persecution, and climate change, the need for innovative financial solutions is urgent. The lessons learned from early refugee lending programs provide a roadmap for creating lasting, meaningful change and a future where financial inclusion is a right for all. Vishal Ghotge is CEO of Kiva.
Category:
E-Commerce
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