POSITIONING & TRENDS

This week we learn from four new agencies who answer the question:

How do themes and trend forecasts help ensure a project is planned and positioned effectively to deliver its strategic goals

FELD

Feld expressed that trends can be good as it indicates something has to change — a place for designers to help solve important problems.

Trends research can also be overwhelming. To keep it manageable, Feld’s approach is to ask: “what is interesting here?” as a way to filter. Further, they believe that designers can be the ones to create the trends.

ACCEPT & PROCEED

Accept & Proceed value exploring new technologies as it applies to their work and support of their clients. They look to trends to best support their clients.

STUDIO DUMBAR

Dumbar prefers to review trends and technology with their clients to evaluate and get important feedback directly prior to moving past the research phase of their work. They recognize that new technologies often equate to large, and potentially unmitigated budgets.

EDENSPIEKERMANN

The folks at EdenSpiekermann don’t seem to rely on nor regard trends. They believe they can distort the way you solve the problem, generative design as an example.

They believe that need to be aware of the trends, but that they shouldn’t drive the problem-solving. Trends can also shift by which your design is impacted. This means being able to forecast trends effectively and/or develop creative that can withstand the potential impact of evolving trends. For example, facial recognition could derail a project if the future appetite for facial recognition sours. Your work needs to be flexible in case you need to pivot. Design should be built in a way that can handle the change.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

I found it really interesting to watch the video from Dezeen editor-in-chief Marcus Fairs’ chat with Google Hardware's head of design Ivy Ross, trend forecaster Li Edelkoort, and co-founder of the Future Laboratory Martin Raymond on how technology can better integrate with people's lives in this panel discussion live from Milan design regarding future trends. The most compelling takeaway is that trends forecasting can be really exciting and liberating to wonder a world in which we connect and commune in completely new ways. To be able to dream of worlds that do not exist at present seems to light a path for reaching for the stars. If we didn’t ever dream of landing on the moon - regardless of how absurd of an idea at the time — would we have pursued it so passionately? In this way, I believe trends and trends forecasting to be really important to design.

REFERENCE

Falmouth University (2018). Positioning & Trends | Interviews. Application and Interactions GDE740 19/20 Part-Time Study Block S1 (Falmouth, UK: Falmouth University)

The Future Laboratory (2019), Available from: https://www.thefuturelaboratory.com/

Raymond, M. (2010) The Trend Forecaster’s Handbook London: Laurence King.

Dezeen (2018) Dezeen and Google's Soft Futures talk live from Milan.