A kitchen must do its primary job well but it must also have the aspirational qualities associated with owning a sports car. With more people spending a larger proportion of their disposable income on their dream kitchen it is fair to say that the kitchen can be a functional expression of wealth. A kitchen designed by a particular person or manufactured by a particular company can be seen as an investment and for some it can mean acceptance in social circles.
In starting any design consideration must be given to who the end user will be and how the space will be used. This may involve meal preparation analysis as some people like to eat on the run while others like to prepare gastronomic master pieces for multiple guests. The demographics of the family unit also play a key part in the formation of a design as there may be multiple users of all ages using the kitchen at different times of the day to do all sorts of things.