Working with a professional video editor allowed me to turn my research and findings into 3 minute videos that were used as a reference to inform product design and marketing teams throughout the year. The videos are a result of 3 months of research, data collection and analysis. Along with the video, I also created trend boards that had image reference and articles that were updated through out the year. In addition to my role as researcher I also wrote and narrarated the scripts for each video.
The videos below cover the following Macro trends: Premium & Crafted, Open Source and Rethinking Designing for a Better Future*.
*videos were created in 2009 based on emerging trends in the marketplace
Premium & Crafted:
Consumers, have developed a greater appreciation of the knowledge & skill involved with creating such pieces, as well as the often lifelong commitment these designers & makers have given, which is so essential in order to create.
Consumers seek the hand-crafted, whether that be a one off piece or a limited run, wanting tangible personal associations with objects, through the way they look and feel, and through knowing who made them and how much it took to make. Craft speaks to the compelling stories behind the object, and emphasizes how it was
made; the man hours spent deliberating on it’s design, the attention to detail and quality of materials used to create it.
made; the man hours spent deliberating on it’s design, the attention to detail and quality of materials used to create it.
New technologies have facilitated the manufacturing of the ‘hand made’ crafted object, enabling new forms to made and mass produced without compromising detail, materials, design or importantly, the ‘human-touch’ feel. The handcrafted / premium object is no longer exclusive, but accessible to the masses.
Craft has always been the material manifestation of the ideal of premium. The value of the product increased through the understanding that this object has been touched by another human hand, and that it is a labour of love.
The human story behind crafted object creates a platform of experience valued more than the product itself, it speaks to the heart as well as the aesthetic, creating that important emotional connection with the consumer.
Open Source:
has since developed into an online culture that is driving a powerful shift in how consumers interact with the people, experiences and the knowledge they bring into their lives.
Non-technical examples of open source are varied and growing fast. The rapid growth of online tools have made it easier for people with no tech interest or knowledge to chat, publish, promote, discuss and interact online. Blogs are the star of the show. Social networking is a phenomena defined by the linking of one person
or group to another through shared interest, experience and knowledge. Sites such as Facebook and My Space allow users with the same interest to find each other. Smaller niche sites allow for more selectivity and privacy, changing how users choose their communities through exact interest.
or group to another through shared interest, experience and knowledge. Sites such as Facebook and My Space allow users with the same interest to find each other. Smaller niche sites allow for more selectivity and privacy, changing how users choose their communities through exact interest.
Gen Y are key players and drivers in the open source culture; not only because they are the most familiar with the language, having grown up in a tech savvy world, but also because of their desire and need to express themselves and have their voices heard. Consumers are now taking the communities they found or made
in the virtual world into their physical world.
Open source programs allow brands to take advantage of opportunities to reach their consumer, and potential consumers, by using guerilla and viral marketing tactics. Companies use open source forums to gain insight on who their customers are, what they buy and how they respond to new product. The new evolution of this is sparking new innovations and ideas from their consumers to create new products and enhancements.
The spirit of open source encourages the spontaneous and promotes new connections, giving us a new way to socialize, gather, create and share a story or experience. It enhances, rather then distracts from the ancient art of human interaction.
Rethinking Design for a Better Future:
Companies are rethinking the way they design, taking the lead from trailblazers, and looking at up-cycling as a heavy driver in a new approach to design. They are now looking at their impact on the environment and becoming more pro-active and efficient in the manufacturing processes. Products must have the ability to reclaim, reprocess and reuse. Brands are now taking an initiative and looking at the life cycle of each product and taking steps to reduce their carbon footprint.
In order for the green movement to make its mark and make people aware, it needs, and is becoming, cool, trendy and most of all premium. Green product today has broken the limits that was once associated with eco-friendly product. What was once dubbed “crunchy” or “tree-hugger” is now seen as a luxury and quality
product.
product.
Innovative design and creative retail marketing need to be applied by brands in order to encourage a holistic approach to living, purchasing and throwing away. Retailers are listening to the demands of the consumer and providing more accessible and easier ways for them to do their part. Companies from the globally corporate to your local store are providing information allowing consumers to make informed choices based on a product’s footprint on the planet.
Consumers see the environmental problem and they are making it clear that they not only want to do something about it on a personal level, but that they expect the brands that they buy from to take the same approach.
