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About Us:

ThinkLab is Researching The Built Environment.

We leverage research on the architecture and interiors industry to help you replace assumptions with facts.

Our passion exists at the intersection of business and design.

The architecture and interiors industry is complex. We know because we’ve worked in firms and manufacturing headquarters. So, we’re uniquely positioned to capture market sentiment, help you track trends, explore emerging markets, validate product concepts, and make your next move well ahead of the competition

Our Story:

ThinkLab is the intelligence division of SANDOW.

Our global reach expands to millions of A&D professionals who directly and indirectly affect the specification of $263B in various product categories annually, including furniture, lighting, kitchen and bath fixtures, and paint. That means we have access to thousands of specifiers who offer hundreds of insights that translate into one big dose of perspective. But we didn’t start here. Originally founded by Amanda Schneider in 2011 as an independent consultancy, Contract Consulting Group (CCG) grew rapidly by 100 percent word of mouth referrals and aided by her role as a blogger for the Huffington Post. As the only market research firm truly focused on the design industry, many discovered that rather than trying to help outside consultants get up to speed on the complexities of our unique industry, CCG could help their businesses through a deeper understanding of the intricacies of the design industry.
Portrait of Amanda Schneider of ThinkLab

In November 2018, CCG was acquired by SANDOW (the parent company of Interior Design Media, Material Bank, Metropolis, and many other design-driven brands in media and beyond) and rebranded as ThinkLab This move coupled SANDOW’s design industry leadership position and broad reach with CCG’s passions, expertise, and research methodologies. Amanda and much of the core CCG team remain on to grow the company and scale to serve a much broader audience: from commercial to residential, and including product categories from lighting to furniture to flooring and everything in between.

Today, we are proud to harness the power of the SANDOW family of brands to gather meaningful insights for the industry and share those broadly through research, editorial, and national speaking engagements.

“One of our passions at ThinkLab is looking at the less sexy underbelly of design—the business side of design. We dive into everything from economics to business to innovation, and explore not just the objects being designed, but the process of design itself.”

Amanda Schneider, President

Meet the Core Team:

We’re designers who think like researchers, and researchers who think like designers.

ThinkLab’s core team is a diverse group of former marketing directors, product designers, sales reps, interior designers, and showroom managers united by our expertise, and love for, the built environment.

And we leverage our extensive network to solve your most pressing business challenges.

Amanda Schneider

President

Olga Odeide

Business Development

Erica Waayenberg

Head of Research & Content Development

Meredith Campbell

Applied Research Strategist

Allison Roon

Data Storyteller

Anna Lu

Chief of Staff

Jessica Jenkins

Digital Content Strategist

Kayla Aimee

Digital Strategy

Tana Gam-Ad

Graphic Design

Brielle Imaña

Content Marketing Specialist

Need to make data-driven decisions?

Let us create the market research solution that’s perfect for your unique challenge. 

Got a Question?

We've got answers.

We think the better question is, why not? Change is happening fast, and the interiors industry is evolving rapidly. If you want to replace assumptions with facts and make decisions with more confidence, research is key to avoiding investment pitfalls.

Our network is extensive, with thousands of participants, and it’s growing every day. As part of the SANDOW family of brands, we leverage their reach to curate expert opinions and advice that help solve your unique challenges most effectively.

Depends on the project, but a good estimate is anywhere from 4-12 weeks from project kickoff. That’s fast enough to let you keep your feet moving, and thorough enough to cover all our bases.

ThinkLab works in all market segments and product categories, from commercial to residential, furniture to flooring, and just about everything in between.

We don’t expect you to know, we’re here to help and can often craft a better solution when we talk first, and plan from there. Contact us to brainstorm!

Join in here, fill out a few simple questions, and we’ll reach out with opportunities specific to your areas of expertise.

Opportunities to get paid for your thoughts and obtain exclusive sneak peek access to the results. We call that influence + information (and a few rewards along the way)!

At this time, they are not. But they’re still packed with insights that are well worth an hour of time. Check out our sister companies, Metropolis and Interior Design, for CEU-approved seminars.