Neil Henson, Fashionbytes, was in New Zealand recently sponsored by Resene to present his recent research on worldwide trends that will drive future design.
A selection of Fashionbytes Colour Palettes for Spring/Summer 2009 presented in Resene colours:
“New season of neutrals, things that are aged or weathered, have raw beauty and a whimsical nature of sand, salt and sun bleached drift wood, organic and peaceful...”
Resene colour palette:
“Of re-engaging with nature, of spring gardens and spring florals and new grass with dew on it, the feeling of renewal… fresh, airy and harmonious...”
Resene colour palette:
“Very fresh, very sheer, very magical, delicate and rosy, dazzling colours of freshness and renewal, an antidote to the coolness of winter…”
Resene colour palette:
“Of gardens and florals. Perennial gardens at the end of summer, wind blown, wind burnt and brown tinged… the beautiful faded end when gardens become magical…”
Resene colour palette:
“The tropical fruits of limes, guavas and melons of hibiscus and orchid flowers… the hot raw colours of Mexico and the Mediterranean of high energy brights and the spirited rhythm of calypso music…”
Resene colour palette:
The future will all be about community, about people. There is an increasing blur, we are bombarded all the time. By the time we reach the workforce we would have been exposed to over 500,000 different pieces of advertising.
To understand the future, first we need to understand the environment of the future – socially, politically, environmentally, technically and economically. The future never happens the way we expect it to.
Forecasting is all about history, research, culture and intuition. Everything that happens works in past patterns.
Today we are at a crossroads between consumerism and sustainability. We are in a weird place at the moment, there doesn’t seem to be much confidence. We are at a crossroads because we live in society based on consumerism. Yet we know that if we continue to consume at the current rate we will be unsustainable. We are moving into a world where things need to have value.
What we produce must have meaning and VALUE and be produced sustainably.
The changes happening at the moment around the world will make us think of things in a different way.
Universal trends
Key drivers for future homes
In every sense an experience a delight, exploring our senses and restoring the balance. Refocus your brand and engage the senses, more and more experience driven marketing… emotional consumerism.
The key is product that offers experience, novelty and excitement … meaning.
Today’s consumer types… emotional, social, spiritual and scientific.
Comes out of engaging the senses, engagement equals a better environment to exist in. People are not just after things, they want experiences. You will never engage them by doing the same things as in the past. Rather than owning more, they seek out personal sensations and satisfaction. Emotional consumption is all about innovative nations, empowerment branding, empathic architecture and sensorial solutions.
Latest designs coming through, certainly not contemporary, almost post modern, extreme, looking at the past for inspiration. Old technology that has been reinvented. Houses are an example of culture, customs, design, materials. Houses are fascinating, each tells a story of its inhabitants, purists and eclectics alike.
There is an Interesting hybrid of what we are pulling together – we are harping back to nostalgia but looking contemporary. Innovation goes hand in hand with design. Art meets craft for inspiration.
The future technology means our world is going to get smaller, cheaper, lighter, and faster with more functionality.
We need to stand out from the BLAND with strong simple messages. There is so much confusion due to so much information we need to keep it simple. Whether we choose to take the route of refined classic elegance or energetic youthful playfulness, the key consideration is about simplicity. Make a simple statement and it will be a strong one.
Finally some hot tips from London
Colour – throw it, spread it, splatter it, dry it, gloss it, wet it, dilute it, care for it and abuse it. Use loads of it and put movement and energy into the process.