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Kate Hopwood shares design and retail industry insights and tips with personal stories and perspectives.

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EXCEPTIONAL DESIGN

How Kmart Proved Good Design Doesn't Have to be Expensive

When they said, “Kmart’s daggy”—Cool! I said!

When I first heard about a role going in Kmart’s design team, I’d lived in Australia for 2 years and I’ll be honest—I’d never set foot in the store. Not once.

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This Space Blog
How Kmart Proved Good Design Doesn't Have to be Expensive
How Kmart Proved Good Design Doesn't Have to be Expensive

Kate shares why she took the job everyone told her not to and how Kmart’s creative evolution unfolded. Read on…

From Generic to Iconic: The Story Behind Redesigning Freedom’s Mattress Range
From Generic to Iconic: The Story Behind Redesigning Freedom’s Mattress Range

Kate shares how Australian design principles, brand-aligned thinking and great teamwork at every stage transformed Freedom’s mattress range. Read on…

Building Strong Brand DNA: Lessons from Kmart and Freedom
Building Strong Brand DNA: Lessons from Kmart and Freedom

Kate shares why alignment across every touchpoint is the secret to standout retail— and how her work with Kmart and Freedom shaped this foundation. Read More…

Annual Trend Event Calendar for Homewares and Furniture.
Annual Trend Event Calendar for Homewares and Furniture.

Kate shares her recommended watch list for key global fairs and trend events that occur throughout the year and shape each design season. Read on…

Designing for the Australian Market and Sun-Drenched Spaces.
Designing for the Australian Market and Sun-Drenched Spaces.

Kate shares what makes Australian design so unique and the key influences designers need to consider. Read on…

Surrounding People with Beautiful Things
Surrounding People with Beautiful Things

Kate shares her personal thoughts on beauty that resonates despite our diverse preferences. Read on…

Latest Posts

FAN FAVOURITE

Surrounding People with Beautiful Things

The word ‘beautiful’ is one of the most ambiguous in the modern language. Its meaning shifts from culture to culture, from one individual to the next—even within our own families or relationships, we encounter contrasting ideas of what is ‘beautiful’? Read on...

View fullsize The Enduring Appeal of White & Neutrals White is anything but simple. Dulux offers over 150 shades of white, from cool to warm, with undertones like pink, yellow, soft grey, green, and blue. For designers, there’s no such thing as 'just
View fullsize When I was in Year Seven, my form tutor—Mrs. Duncan—made us start every sentence with “I feel.” I never quite knew why, but to this day, I thank her. That small habit planted a seed: feelings are an incredibly powerful way to
View fullsize Never underestimate the power of the ‘C’ word – connection. In design, nothing should exist in isolation. Research, feedback, factory conversations—everything is connected. At Kmart, I learned a core truth: connection drives
View fullsize When I first heard about a role in the Kmart design team, I mentioned it to some friends, and they told me not to bother. “Kmart’s daggy,” they said. I visited. I agreed. I loved it! The possibilities were endless. Why go somewher
View fullsize Moodboards can make or break a project. Here’s why → Moodboards are essential in design because they translate vision into something tangible, bridging the gap between concept and execution. I create multiple moodboards every season based
View fullsize Usually, when I work with companies, they need help and fast!  Sales aren't where they need them to be, morale is low, brand integrity has practically gone, and teams are exhausted from trying various pathways to achieve great product consistent
View fullsize Three brands / designers I love right now—each one so different in approach, but deeply aligned through great design. Designer Spotlight: Tom Fereday The kind of designer who makes you slow down and look. Like, really look. His work is stripp
View fullsize “Kate, we need you to redesign Freedom’s mattresses. The range feels generic, dated—and it’s showing in the sales. Oh, and avoid blue. Customers associate it with water... not ideal for a mattress!” And just like that,
View fullsize This is the design process I use with teams every day → Just to make things easier, you might notice that I like to break things into 3’s where possible. I remember one of the great leaders at Kmart saying “people only really remem