Who is SHIFT for?
We know that SHIFT can be useful for everyone, but we also know from user research that smart-home appliances appeal most to young people living in urban areas. This intersection is perfect for our product, which was originally conceived of in order to make small apartments more livable. These are some people we've met who would benefit from SHIFT, along with some observations we've made along the way.
Flashy
A phenomenon we call
The Wow Factor - our product had to not only be useful, but also to seem cool, futuristic,
and exciting
Creativity
Our users value interior design as a form of self-expression. Our product had to enhance and support creative choices, not limit them.
70%
$4.50
700
of the world's population will live in Urban Centers by 2040
cost of rent per square foot in
San Francisco
square footage of average one-bedroom apartment in
San Francisco
The state of the home is changing.
Every year, the populations of big cities rise, and more people live in smaller spaces. Those spaces are rigidly arranged, so people have to choose between having a gym, living room, dining room, etc. This leads to people spending less time at home and more time away for common activities.
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We need to make it easier to maximize the use of the space people have. No more wasting money on activities you could do for free. Many innovative micro-home solutions tackle this problem, but these architectural solutions require furniture that is custom built for the environment. They are cool ideas, but they don't fit the reality of most people's lives.
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We believe SHIFT will define the future of the home because it is an additive solution - our product frees up space, without making major modifications to either the house or furniture. It fits remarkably seamlessly into any household. One day, entire homes and buildings will be automatically reconfigurable with built in technology, but most people today don't even live in buildings that were renovated in the last five years. SHIFT brings all those benefits in a product that works for them where they live now.
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