Week 7

This week the creative practitioners answer the following question:

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

Lecture Notes

Torsten Posselt FELD

Trends that influence a series of changes for good are important aspects of the design world. However, there are many “trends” that are happening all at once and it is for you to edit and curate these into ones you feel work.

Predicting your own ideas and playing with concepts around your own future will allow you to see what direction you are heading in and whether it is a direction you are happy in following.

‘Googling’ limits your creative freedom as you are directed by an algorithm.

“You can essentially create the trend if you just have enough people that do the same.”

Michelle Dona Accept & Proceed

For Michelle, it’s important to give time to research trends and technologies which may help the client and their brief:

“allowing time to explore technologies and current technologies”

Wouter Dirks Studio Dumbar

Wouter fully incorporates trend research as part of his process and uses them in conversation with the client to understand their importance and why they have become a trend. This also gives him an opportunity to manage expectations, as many trends rely on expensive technologies or techniques which are time-consuming and do not warrant the return on investment (ROI).

Stijn van de Ven Eden Spiekermann

The briefs that Eden Spiekernann take on can often take years to complete. For that reason, they always have to be looking to the future, so that the final design does not seem outdated before it is even released.

I suppose this really means that on longer projects, the trend research should be a live element to the process in which it is monitored as the project develops.

Workshop Challenge

The Challenge

This week you will evaluate emerging trends that are relevant to your project and develop a positioning statement.

  1. Research emerging trends and innovations that are relevant to your selected project and target audience. Add your research to the Ideas Wall and elaborate on your blog.
  2. Create one clear positioning (mission) statement to outline your project goal and how you will address the strategy already outlined in your project plan. Your positioning (mission) statement should show evidence of how trends (and other emergent fields of practice) can be evaluated, to ensure the direction of your strategy is effectively aligned to your project requirements. Please ensure your approach is innovative, original and brings new insights to the given subject area. Upload your positioning (mission) statement to your blog.
  3. Develop three different mood boards (with written captions) to contextualise your research into emerging trends and how they are appropriate to your positioning (mission) statement and target audience. Upload your mood boards to your blog.
  4. Select one mood board and upload it to the Ideas Wall to gain feedback and record the feedback on your blog.

The Research

For this part of the workshop challenge, I have created a Padlet Ideas Wall to display all the research I have undertaken.

Made with Padlet

Webinar Notes

Reflections

The Moodboards

The Final Moodboard

My Mission Statement

Change is coming. Young adults are spearheading this revolution by rebelling against things that ‘were’ to make a better tomorrow. But, “To understand where we’re going, we need to understand how we got here.” This project will encourage collaboration, influence and discussion through a technological outcome that engages the young in a meaningful and insightful way. What lies ahead is theirs for the taking and an awareness of the past can inform a better future.

The Ideas Wall

Made with Padlet

Additional References

Barnhart, B., 2021. Social media demographics to inform your brand’s strategy in 2021. [online] Sprout Social. Available at: <https://sproutsocial.com/insights/new-social-media-demographics/> [Accessed 10 December 2021].

Bbc.co.uk. 2021. Why are Pop Its so popular? – CBBC Newsround. [online] Available at: <https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/56979264> [Accessed 10 December 2021].

Nast, C., 2015. Google Cardboard’s New York Times Experiment Gave a Bunch of Kids Their First Glimpse of the Future. [online] Wired. Available at: <https://www.wired.com/2015/11/google-cardboards-new-york-times-experiment-just-hooked-a-generation-on-vr/> [Accessed 10 December 2021].

Romano, C., 2020. How are Museums Experimenting with Immersive Technology?. [online] Medium. Available at: <https://immerse.news/how-are-museums-experimenting-with-immersive-technology-f52612504e2> [Accessed 10 December 2021].

Smart Insights. 2020. 7 ways to reach and influence millennials using social media marketing | Smart Insights. [online] Available at: <https://www.smartinsights.com/social-media-marketing/social-media-strategy/7-ways-to-reach-millennials-through-social-media-marketing/> [Accessed 10 December 2021].

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

Raymond, M. (2010) The Trend Forecaster’s Handbook (Links to an external site.). London: Laurence King. ​​​​​​​

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