Design Thinking: Dahl House

(Logo courtesy of The Dahl House)

In Graduate School, one of the buzzwords professors love to discuss is "Design Thinking." Design Thinking is an iterative process in which we seek to understand the user, challenge assumptions, and redefine problems to identify alternative strategies and solutions that might not be instantly apparent with our initial level of understanding (Dam and Siang). Design Thinking enables a company to understand consumer needs to serve their audience better. For this project, I contacted different companies to learn how the organizations apply Design Thinking into their market offerings. I had the opportunity to talk with Hannah Dahl, owner and founder of Dahl House, to learn more about how she created her brand.

(Image courtesy of Hannah Dahl)

1. What makes The Dahl House different from other brands?

Branding has become so diverse in recent years. Previously, a brand name was less about the conceptual or image development, and more about fitting a class or category for retailers. The Dahl House is where my passion for interiors, art, design, and the happy childhood elements of playing dress-up, hosting tea parties, and believing in fairytales can all merge into a single concept.

(Image courtesy of The Dahl House)

2. How does The Dahl House stay ahead of upcoming trends?

Trends will always come and go, but evolving with the trend is key. I'm inspired by many things; designers, fashions of today and yesterday, discovering new brands, and surveying nostalgic designs. Vintage is timeless when it's done right. I know my customer's taste, her interests. and she's not looking for a fad, but a style of her own. I inspire her, I teach her, I share things I love with her. She loves evolving with a new trend, while staying true to her values and taste of style, and always adding her own personalized bit of flare.

(Image courtesy of The Dahl House)

3. How does The Dahl House incorporate its mission and vision into its product offerings?

While sustainably sourcing & curating home decor items chosen for their uniqueness, I can enter that daydream world; being a "little Dahl" ... dressing up, hosting mini tea parties & playing with my chic "toys" in my pink Dahl House. The Dahl House invites my customers to join me in a fantasy world, where we all get to reminisce of those days when we were collecting all the Barbie Dream House furniture pieces & decor from her Barbie Dream World collections. TDH sources items that remind you of things you would also play pretend with as a child, yet still fit into your adult lifestyle, high-end and alluring. Vintage objects that are extremely unique & representative of a dollhouse.

(Image courtesy of The Dahl House)

4. What is the future of the company?

Over the past year, I have silently been dreaming up & working on specialty-designed products behind the scenes. I've created a real Dahl House, and from that stage, The Dahl House will grow and expand to include unique product lines, items that are inspired by the unique items my customers loved; all vintage inspired & re-imagined. I have a lot of new and exciting dreams to share; as we humans continue to evolve, so does The Dahl House. Stay tuned, because great things are coming soon!

(Image courtesy of The Dahl House)