5 key design trends

5keytrendsissue10/October2008YOURPATHFINDERINTOTHEFUTUREdesignDavidReportForewordWelcometoanewissueofDavidReport.Firstofallwearehappytoannouncethatwefromnowonalsobringourculturallyconnectedtrendresearchlive.Weof-ferone-hourinspiringlectures,halforfull-dayengagingworkshopsandalsotrendtravelswhereyouandyourteamwillbeabletoexperienceouracclaimedcuttingedgethinkingandinteractarounddifferentthemesbasedonbothcurrentandpreviousreports.Thelecturesandworkshopsarecreativedirectedbyoureditor-in-chiefDa-vidCarlsonwhoisalsothefounderofthefurniturebrandDavidDesign,theknowledgecompanyDesignboostandthelifestyleshopCarlsonAhnell.Havingworkedwithde-signasacompetitiveadvantagefortwentyyearsDavidCarlsonisrenownedforhisknowledgeofstrategiesindesign,communicationandbranddevelopment.WithcuriousdesignthinkingbasedonaintuitivetrendinsightDavidCarlsonassistclientslikeAbsolut,SonyEricsson,Audi,Levelvodka,IittalaandIkeaincreatingattractivebrandsreadyforthechallengesofthefuture.InthisissueofDavidReportwearehappytopresent5keydesigntrendsthatinonewayortheotherwillchangethefuture.Herewego!OurkeynoteDesignisastrongandimportantprocessthathasastronginfluenceonsocietyanditcaninmanywaysaffectourwellbeing.Designisaswelloutstandingasacom-petitive’weapon’whenitcomestovisualisingabusinessstrategy.Designislikeabridgebetweenacompanyandaconsumerwhichcanbuildatrustworthyandreliablefriendship(importantinatimewhenadvertisinghastur-nedintoaquestionableefforttobuildbrandrecognition).Evenifdesignisoftenaboutbringingfunctiontooureve-rydaylife,it’salsoaboutcreatingdesire.Designcanforsurealsomakesavvycostumerspayapremiumforanartefactoringredient.Ontheotherhand,weliveinaworldcrowdedbybaddesign.Ofcourse,withincertainlimits,everyoneisfreetoproduceandsellwhatevertheylike,andboy,theycertain-lydo.Baddesigncanbeseenineverythingfromgraphicartworktoconsumerelectronicstobadservicesandur-banarchitecture.Thelistisneverending…Baddesignpollutesourlives,bothwhenit’saroundusandafteritisthrownaway.Howdidthishappen?Howmayitbeavoidedinthefu-ture?Wewillleavethesurfacetoinsteadgoindepthandrelateanumberofdesigntrendstosocial,economicalandecologicalpatternsandphenomena’sovertheentireglobal-localscale.Becausewearefirmbelieversthatadesigntrendisworthlessunlessputinasocialmacroperspective.Whicheffectsdoesdesignhaveonourlives,onourfuturesocietyandculturalmovements?Howmaybetterandmoreculturallyconnecteddesignbecreated?AbitfurtheronPandora’sboxwillbeopenedandfivekeydesigntrends,thatwebelieveinonewayoranotherwillaffectourfuture,willbepresented.Butfirstweintendtotalkaboutwhydesignissoimportantandhowcompaniesoughttoworkwithdesignissues.Soifyouwantapreviewofthefuture,continuereadingandlearnaboutourvisionofa,hopefully,brighttomorrowwheredesignplaysanimportantpart.Designisoutstandingasacompetitive’weapon’whenitcomestovisualisingabusinessstrategy.DavidCarlsonLe66shopatChamps-ElyséesIt’snotaboutthedesignworld,it’sabouthowwedesigntheworld.BruceMauExhibitioninStockholmwithJapanesephographerNobuyoshiArakiCompaniesvsConsumersDesignmay,fromacompanyperspective,bedefinedas“tovisualiseastrategy”.Thismeansthatdesignisboththeprocessitselfaswellasthefinalproductorservice.Fromaconsumerspointofviewhoweveritisquitedif-ferent.ProfessorRobertYoungdescribestheconsumersviewondesignlikethis-“Themanonthestreetseesdesignbeingsynonymouswithfashion,style,moderncul-tureandaspirationallifestyle.”Aratherhumanisticandprosaicdescription.Sodesignisinterestingandrelevantfirstafterit’sbeenputinahumanrelation.TheBritishDesignCouncilhasalsomadeadefinitionthatiscloserelatedtohumannecessities-“Designiseverywhere.It’swhatdrewyoutothelastpieceoffurnitureyouboughtandit’swhatmadeonlinebankingpossible.It’smadeLondontaxicabseasiertogetinandoutofanditmadeStellaMcCartney’sname.It’sdrivingwholebusinesscul-turesandmakingsureenvironmentsfromhospitalstoair-portsareeasiertonavigate.”Designishenceallaboutsatisfyingneeds,solvingpro-blemsandattractingustowardsnewexperiences.Whichisthebestpossiblewayforcompaniestomeetthis,andhowshalltheyworkstrategicallywiththeirdesigndeve-lopment?TheblogCore77hasprovidedsomeinterestingthoughtsaboutthisforBusinessWeek;“Whenyoustartwiththeideaofmakingathing,you’reartificiallylimitingwhatyoucandeliver.Thereasonthatmanyoftheseexemplar’sforward-thinkingproductdesignsucceedisexplicitlybe-causetheydon’tdesignproducts.Productsarerealizedonlyasnecessaryartifactstoaddresscustomerneeds.WhatFlickr,Kodak,Apple,andTargetallrealizeisthattheexperienceistheproductwedeliver,andtheonlythingthatourcustomerscareabout.”Thisimpliesthatgreatdesignoftenisfoundedonaso-cial,aestheticalandculturalperspective.Reallysuccess-fuldesignalwayslooksthroughthelensofhumanity;lifeenrichingproductsthatspeaksbothtoourheartsandourbrains.Asanentrepreneuryoucanneverforgetthatconsumersarepeopleoffleshandbloodwithdreamsandhopesofgoodlives.Dean&DelucatemporarycaféinTokyoBreaktherulesDaretobedifferent,braketherules,zag,findthewhitespacesortheblueocean.NOmatterwhatyoucallit,that’swhereallofusoughttobe.Becauseintheblueoceanconcurrenceisirrelevantsincethegameru