Top 20 trends in 2011 by Trendhunter.com

Trend: "Statusphere"

Like it or not, the need for recognition and status is at the heart of every consumer trend. Status is the ultimate (hidden) motive, a subconscious but ever-present force. Not a single status symbol or story is ever safe from devaluation, as these symbols and stories are mere agreements between groups of people. 

5 Ways for consumers to get their status fix
1. Bigger, better, harder

Traditional consumption is about buying (and enjoying and showing off) more and/or better stuff than fellow consumers. 

Hence STATUS STORIES becoming more attractive and prevalent: as more brands (have to) go niche and therefore tell stories that aren't common knowledge for the masses. 

2. Generosity

Owning is no longer the only way for consumers to get their status fix: the act of giving reflects well (if not better) on individuals, too. 

3. Green credentials and unconsumption

As entire societies have embraced sustainability in everthing as the (only) way forward, and as millions of consumers are now actively trying to greenify their lives, green credentials are an endless source of status.

Consumers' interest in green credentials will lead to even more eco-friendly goods and services sporting bold, iconic markers and design, that help their eco-conscious owners show off their eco-credentials to their peers. 

4. In the know & skills

Growing pockets of consumers find pleasure (and STATUS STORIES) in mastering skills and acquiring knowledge. They attain status from finding an appreciative audience that's impressed with what they know, and can create, instead of what they consume. 

5. Connectivity

The online world, which is truly an endless source of new status fixes. It’s all about who you connect to, and who connects to you, tribal style.

For more info visit : Trendwatching 

Top 3 Redefining Dining winners 2010

Forplay 
Designed by Adva Noach
Raanana, Israel

Behavior that is taboo with most food becomes permissible with chocolate and every chocolate eater has their own process to maximize enjoyment. Forplay turns the enjoyment of one of the world’s most sensual pleasures―chocolate―into creative fun, giving people the freedom to participate in the creation of their own dining experience and liberating them to bring out the richness of the rituals involved. 

Nomadic Gastronomy
Designed by Jennifer Patacchini
Balma, France

Street food is a cosmopolitan phenomenon, but still rare in France because of rigid food behaviors. Bringing value and quality into the commonplace, this design project focused on the gestures (prepare, display, eat, share, move) of meals that today lack ritual. 

SENSE!
Designed by Katrien Ploegmakers
Eindhoven, The Netherlands
SENSE! consists of four tableware objects conceived to tantalize the secondary senses. Fun and magical, they turn an ordinary meal into an extraordinary experience. The materials play a key role in the function of the objects, reflecting their elegance.

+ info 

Watch exhibition - Basel, Switzerland

The yearly Watch and Jewelry exhibition took place in Basel, Switzerland from 18 - 25 March 2010. 

There were some remarkable trends such as:

- premium brands not always using leather straps but instead using high quality rubber 

- black mat is still a popular colour/finishing (fig.2)

- the use of white ceramic for a watch seemed a brand new approach(fig.3)

- simple designs in one colour with an accentuated primary colour. (fig.4)

The exhibition in 2011 will take place from 24 - 30 March.

For more info: http://www.baselworld.com/ 

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This month's trend: "FUNCTIONAL"

Why simple, small & cheap appeals to all?!

Captures the phenomenon of simple, small and/or cheap products and services designed for low(er)-income consumers in emerging markets, with cross-over appeal to consumers in mature consumer societies.

FUNCTIONAL is not only about all consumers, it’s also about all brands. Count on brands from established consumer societies and brands from emerging nations to come up with numerous FUNCTIONAL innovations. From Tata to Nokia.


FOR EXAMPLE::

Footwear:

Adidas has announced plans to produce 1 euro trainers for millions of consumers who would otherwise be unable to afford shoes. Pilot production is planned to begin this year in Bangladesh, with the final design yet to be confirmed.
Gaming:

Zeebo is a low cost games console targeted at consumers in developing markets. Games are downloaded via a 3G wireless connection, and the console uses only 1 watt of power.

Automotive:

- The Logan range, a series of low-cost cars produced by Renault's Dacia subsidiary in Romania, has been outpacing overall car sales in key European markets by appealing to budget-conscious consumers.
- After the much-hyped introduction of the Tata Nano in India, Tata plans to offer the Nano Europa starting in 2011 and it's likely to cost around EUR8,000.
- Meanwhile, Renault-Nissan has claimed that its partnership with Bajaj Auto will result in the ULC model by 2012, at a cost that will be 'lower than any car today made in India' according to CEO Carlos Ghosn.
Real estate:

In April 2009, Tata Housing announced plans to build 1,300 small apartments outside Mumbai, selling them for as little as USD 7,800. The floor area of the miniature apartments will be between 218 and 373 square feet. When the scheme was opened to booking in Mumbai in May 2009, more than 7,000 customers queued to pay the initial booking fee.
Computing:

In December 2009, One Laptop per Child unveiled designs for the XO 3. The computer, which is basically a single sheet of flexible plastic, featuring touch screen technology, is due to be released in 2012. Costs should remain under USD 100, making it affordable for poor and rich consumers alike.

More examples can be found on the website from TRENDWATCHING .

Super Mario takes up global trend spotting

A group of five students at Politecnico di Milano, Italy have selected and studied 5 of the biggest global trends, communicating them through this video by french team member Octave de Gaulle.

Source: Core77 

Turquoise, colour of the year 2010!

Pantone is pleased to announce PANTONE 15-5519 Turquoise, an inviting, luminous hue, as the Color of the Year for 2010. Combining the serene qualities of blue and the invigorating aspects of green, Turquoise inspires thoughts of soothing, tropical waters and a comforting escape from the everyday troubles of the world, while at the same time restoring our sense of wellbeing.

Source: Full press article - Pantone

Crucial consumer trends for 2010

2010 is going to be an interesting year. The dilemma if the crisis is over or not? How the businesses should pick in on the current situations and evolve towards a better future...
See here are some of the trends we need to look out for according to trendwatching.com .

Business as unusual : In 2010, prepare for ‘business as unusual’. For the first time, there’s a global understanding, if not a feeling of urgency that sustainability, in every possible meaning of the word, is the only way forward. 


Urbany: "Less than 5% of the world’s population lived in cities a century ago. In 2008, for the first time in humanity, that figure exceeded 50%. In the last 2 decades alone, the urban population of the developing world has grown by an average of 3 million people per week.” “By 2050, it will have reached 70%, representing 6.4 billion people." And thanks to near-total online transparency of the latest and greatest, those consumers opting to remain in rural areas will be tempted to act (and shop) online like urban consumers, too.


F(Luxury): ‘traditional’ luxury is going to disappear but at the same time 'the new luxury will be whatever you want it to be'. After all, what constitutes luxury is closely related to what constitutes scarcity. And, beyond the basic needs, scarcity is in the eye of the beholder, especially those beholders who are desperately trying to be unique. 


Real time reviews: Because of the self-selecting nature of Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, direct conversations will actually be welcomed by the reviewer. By posting reviews for his peers, he or she is almost angling for a follow-up. This will lead to real conversations between like-minded customers and potential buyers, without the brand even being able to monitor what's being said about its products, let alone being able to respond. 


For the full list of trends and their explanation please visit trendwatching.com 

B&N's most advanced e-Book Reader - NOOK

You do no longer have to buy books when going on holiday. The e-Book Reader will let you read whatever you want, whenever you want.
Barnes and Noble launched its Nook eBook reader yesterday. It will feature two screens: a small LCD touchscreen at the bottom of the device and a standard 6-inch eInk display above the smaller screen.

+ info... 

Consumer trend :: "NOWISM"

Dubbed 'NOWISM', this mega trend has, and will continue to have, a big impact on everything from your corporate culture to customer relationships to product innovation to tactical campaigns.
KEY trend drivers:

• focus on experiences, living in the now, instead of in the future, this lust to collect as many experiences and stories as soon as possible, is addictive. Take travel: these days, it's more of a basic consumer need than a luxury.
  
• In the still rapidly expanding online world, 'digital' has become synonymous with 'instant'. This is indirectly setting consumers' expectations for the 'real' world, too.
• lusting after (and contributing to) up-to-date info on other people, products, events, news and so on, they are thus obsessed with real-time publishing, real-time search, real-time reviews and price-comparison, real-time news, real-time conversations and more. Twitter is the current, deserved poster child for this phenomenon.
  
• Until recently, 'mobile' was NOWISM's missing link: everyone is now online when at home, in the office, or near a hotspot, it's hard to check or contribute to real-time information if individuals are offline while truly on-the-go.
  
• Alerting is the new searching. No wonder that real-time alerts aimed at stimulating impulse buys.
  
• SEE/HEAR/BUY thrives on (mobile) NOWISM technologies that allow consumers to quickly find out more about an item, a song, or anything else they hear/see, and then buy it.
  
• Due to the recession, an increased availability of affordable retail space has made it easier and more attractive to set up pop-up stores and manifestations in some of the most prestigious (and high-traffic) shopping areas around the world.
  

NOWISM enthusiasts will also point out that traditional, much praised preparing-for-the-future attitudes are often obsessed with avoiding any risk in (bourgeois) life. In many cases, the virtue of waiting is nothing but an effective way to kill any kind of creativity, joy, daringness and spontaneity. Which is not to say that NOWISTS don't care about the future, but future priorities may differ.

+  info...