From search to prompt: how we will interact with products tomorrow

In the last 20 years, search engines have revolutionized our lives. Whether we need a recipe, are looking for a tool or want to know how to fix a squeaky door: We simply “google” it. This culture of searching has become ingrained in our everyday lives. But a new trend is beginning to replace this type of interaction – prompting.

Prompting means that we no longer search passively, but actively formulate what we need. Instead of scrolling through endless pages of results, we enter a clear need and receive answers tailored directly to it or even ready-made solutions. This approach, which we know primarily from text and image generators such as ChatGPT or Midjourney, is now being extended to the world of physical products – and could fundamentally change the way we buy and use things.

The principle of the classic search is based on the use of existing information. When we google something, we get content that already exists. This works well as long as we are looking for knowledge or have a problem that many people share. But what happens if our problem is so specific that there is no existing solution?

This is where the search reaches its limits. We spend hours comparing, compromising or improvising with unsuitable solutions. This is exactly where prompting comes in: Instead of falling back on existing results, we generate something new.

Imagine you’re standing in your small kitchen and think: “I need a shelf that fits exactly in this niche, swivels and has space for spices and cookbooks.” Instead of looking for hundreds of shelves, you simply prompt: “A shelf for a 30 cm wide niche, swivel-mounted, with a holder for spices and cookbooks.”

Within seconds, a platform like Kabkin can develop a design proposal that you can adapt immediately. The result is not just a sketch, but a functional solution that is precisely tailored to your needs.

Most people are familiar with prompting from texts (e.g. blog articles) or images (e.g. AI-generated art). But with new technologies and kinematic engineering approaches, this idea is being applied to real, functional products for the first time. Prompting is thus becoming a tool for the physical world – a game changer for anyone who wants individualization.

Our world is characterized by mass products. Furniture, appliances, everyday objects – everything is optimized for a broad target group. But everyone has individual spaces, different requirements and their own ideas. With Prompting, these differences can be taken into account for the first time without making individual products prohibitively expensive or difficult to implement.

The advantages are obvious: no more compromises, no more unsuitable solutions, no more hours of comparisons. Instead: an individual product, perfectly tailored, often ready within a few days.

Product development used to be the preserve of engineers, designers or large corporations. Today, anyone with an idea – whether DIY enthusiast, start-up founder or private individual – can create a functional product. This democratization opens up unimagined creative possibilities and accelerates innovation.

Prompting makes product development accessible, fast and affordable. This means: less time to implementation, less risk, less investment.

Customized products are not only more practical, but often also more sustainable. Instead of trying out ten different solutions, we develop exactly what is really needed. Less overproduction, less waste, fewer bad purchases.

Prompting also strengthens the relationship between people and their things. A product that was designed exactly for me is valued, cared for and used for longer. This results in a more conscious use of resources and more sustainable consumer behavior.

Prompting is still in its infancy. Over the next few years, the connection between AI, engineering and on-demand production will become ever closer. Platforms such as Kabkin show that we will soon no longer be searching for products, but will have requirements translated directly into functional solutions.

So the exciting question is no longer: “What can I find?”, but rather: “What do I really need?” and “How can I promote it?”

From search to prompt – this is more than just a technical advance. It is a paradigm shift that will revolutionize our relationship with products, consumption and design. Prompting frees us from compromises and opens up a world in which every product can be unique.

We are only at the beginning of this development, but one thing is certain: the way we interact with products will never be the same again.