Remodeling On the Road: Moen

Smart Design at Home

In developing its product line of faucets, showerheads, and accessories, Moen staff start with research. Recent results from studying consumers’ interests and buying habits show that the average family cooks 697 meals per year at home, and 55% of homeowners want a faucet that doesn’t show water spots. Those needs are met with new products such as the MotionSense electronic faucet (debuting in fall 2012), the Reflex pullout faucet with a redesigned ball/swivel joint and bigger range of motion, and a spot-resistant stainless steel finish. “We have a philosophy called Thoughtful Design that we apply to all of our products,” says Maribeth Kwasniewski, senior product manager for kitchen products. “We look at the hierarchy of need and identify consumers’ desires, and then build that into our research and development. This helps us make sure the features we introduce are easy to use and aren’t just there for the sake of having extra features.”

In the bath, thoughtful design and research found that a bathroom faucet will handle upward of 8,700 handwashes per year, and among the “unarticulated needs” the staff noticed was a way to keep hand towels handy to help dry off after all those washes. As such, the accessories team developed a unique retractable towel holder with an 11-inch pull so the towel is always there when users need it. Developments such as more forceful but water-saving showers also resulted from research indicating that most people shower 6.5 times a week. Click through the product slide show at the top of this page for more info about new products from Moen.