On Wednesday, a new company, RLS Creative Services, announced that it was relaunching Connected Design, a business-to-business, trade media property previously owned and ultimately shut down by former publisher CT Labs’ owner, Messe Berlin (owners of the IFA, an international technology show in Germany). In a formal announcement, the new owner pledged a “renewed commitment to serving the design-forward build environment.”
See more on the relaunch of Connected Design…
RLS Creative Services was founded by Rob Stott, a former writer/editor at Connected Design back in the days when it was owned by CT Labs (which was owned by NAPCO). After Messe Berlin shut down Connected Design (as well as sister publication Dealerscope), Stott moved on, making a career change by joining Nationwide Marketing Group in corporate communications and marketing.
After five years with Nationwide, Rob got back to his editorial roots, joining a relatively new trade print and media publication, Residential Tech Today, where he had followed previous editor Jeremy Glowacki, who had actually been the founding editor of ResTechToday, (now with Projector Central).
Acquired the Rights to Connected Design
After a short stint of just under a year with ResTechToday, Rob was able to acquire the rights to Connected Design from Messe Berlin and immediately set sights on reintroducing the brand to the industry. As a former employee of the old Connected Design, Stott was clear that a change in approach was clearly in order.
According to the formal announcement of the launch of Connected Design, it is now “the industry publication dedicated to the intersection of technology, architecture, design, and construction… The relaunch introduces a refined editorial vision, expanded content formats, and a renewed commitment to serving the design-forward build environment.”
How Will Today’s Connected Design Differ from the Original Version?
So how will the new Connected Design differ from the original? Stott says that, originally, the magazine was founded with the goal of highlighting “the role of technology in high-end residential projects.”
Now, the new Connected Design will “better reflect the evolving realities of today’s spaces – where architects, designers, builders, developers, integrators, manufacturers, and the associations that represent them must work together to create thoughtful, integrated environments across residential, commercial, and multi-dwelling projects, and beyond.”
His Work Will Be Cut Out For Him
Stott will definitely have his work cut out for him, as the general media industry is, for the most part, struggling. Overall, the media industry is dominated by a handful of massive media conglomerates, with all other entities basically fighting over scraps. How media is consumed in this country has changed dramatically as well, with speed to stories critical, while depth, accuracy, and authority have become less meaningful.
Technology has become a foundational layer of the built environment, but the conversation around it has often been fragmented. This new iteration of Connected Design will focus less on individual products and more on outcomes — how technology supports design intent, enables collaboration, and enhances the experience of the spaces we inhabit. Our goal is to bring the entire ecosystem into a more cohesive, meaningful dialogue in ways that reflect the new media landscape.
Rob Stott, Connected Design Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief; CEO of RLS Creative Services
Maryellen Oswald is a Co-Founder
Joining Stott in this initiative is another ex-CT Labs employee, Maryellen Oswald. Oswald, who works for Somfy, is listed as a Connected Design “…co-founder and contributor.” It is not entirely clear if, as co-founder, Oswald is also a co-owner, but in the formal announcement, she is quoted as saying that seeing Connected Design “re-emerge…is both meaningful and exciting.”
Stott notes that for now, Connected Design has a refreshed visual identity and a website experience designed to better showcase high-quality projects and storytelling.
Welcome back, Connected Design!
Learn more about Connected Design by visiting: www.connecteddesign.tech.
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