Using an image enriched Internet environment that integrates photo realistic renderings, traditional photography, line drawings, video, computer animations and CAD images for the sales, selection, ordering and fulfillment will provide an unparalleled sales medium for the office furniture market. The Intelligent Picture Manufacturers are currently building the digital content for their Internet furniture environment. While this process usually is the same information that was traditionally delivered in a printed format, the internet implementation provides additional functionality that makes the material much more useful. In many cases, pictures can be used to transcend the industry terminology that frequently is a barrier to customer comfort in making an informed buying decision. Use of pictures with the ability to link to associated descriptive information is an efficient methodology that can be used to make the customer feel knowledgeable and quickly attain a basic understanding of products.
Pictures are visual glossaries that provide information at the click of a mouse.
The business customer may be an occasional buyer or a seasoned veteran in the business of buying furniture and the furniture industry needs to address this wide disparity of user knowledge with information that can be readily filtered to meet each customer's expectations. Many large facilities have traditionally used corporate standards programs composed of office furniture groupings to assist building users in the space planning and furniture selection process. Pictures can also reduce the need for a high level of skills. Employees typically do not have the CAD knowledge necessary to interact with the CAD-dependent interior design and space planning processes that is vital to influencing the ultimate success in the selection of furniture that is used to supports their work process. New image oriented visualization tools provide workers with customer friendly capabilities that they can intuitively use to customize their office furniture.