Practically every store I walk into these days — from Home Depot, to Best Buy, to the Apple Store and more — features a snazzy display of home security/connected-home products for do-it-yourselfers. These attractive displays were moved right to the front of the stores during the holidays; they were so attractive that I found myself spending long amounts of time browsing the products and reading the packaging. The displays alone — never mind that the technology is so much easier to install today — would make even a non-DIYer want to try out some connected home products.
DIY products have been around for decades — centuries, even. As Bill Zalud wrote in story, “The Ikea Effect: Can DIY Work for Home Security & Automation,” published in SDM Online: “Do-it-yourself (DIY) is nothing new. Italian archaeologists unearthed the ruins of a sixth century B.C. Greek structure in southern Italy that came with detailed assembly instructions, a kind of ‘ancient IKEA building.’” (Read the full story at www.SDMmag.com/the-ikea-effect)