Trends Identified
Design outside the lines
Designers need to evolve — how they work, learn, and differentiate themselves — if they are to continue having an impact across organizations.
2018
Fjord trends 2018
Fjord
Silence is gold
"We’re seeing a dramatic escalation in the rate at which people disconnect, unsubscribe and opt out to stem the barrage of content and messages that clutter daily life. As consumers, we’ve come to realize that it’s no longer simply a lifestyle choice, but a serious mental health issue. As we put up more barriers between ourselves and digital technologies, organizations must learn how to offer value to users who crave quiet in a noisy world."
2019
Fjord trends 2019
Fjord
The last straw?
Our climate is changing and so is the way we’re thinking about it. Our concerns about global warming, pollution and sustainability have experienced a cultural shift. Where once it was “too big to do anything about,” now it’s personal. In 2019, it won’t be enough for companies to simply acknowledge environmental concerns; consumers will expect commitment to be proven through action. Organizations will need to redesign their systems and business models to fit the “circular economy,” where consumers are active participants, and sustainability is built into their products and services.
2019
Fjord trends 2019
Fjord
Data minimalism
"Data’s headline appearances throughout 2018 distorted people’s understanding of the value exchange between data owner (you) and data user (organizations). Expectations around how much people’s personal data is worth became falsely inflated, and the mystery surrounding how it’s used became a cause for concern. Moving forward, organizations must design for transparency, so that consumers can trust that they’re pursuing only the data they need to build new products and services, and that they’re using and storing that data responsibly. "
2019
Fjord trends 2019
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Ahead of the curb
Our cities are changing. Around the globe, lines are blurring between public and private transport, passenger transit and item delivery. The problem is that cities aren’t keeping up, so insufficient regulation and lack of central planning has resulted in a free-for-all that’s leading to urban mobile service clutter and a fragmented user experience. In 2019, organizations must start to consolidate mobility services within a single, coherent ecosystem built on real-time needs.
2019
Fjord trends 2019
Fjord
The inclusivity paradox
People expect organizations to see and engage with them as individuals. But there is a risk that by trying to be more inclusive, organizations inadvertently exclude others. And by trying to speak to the individual, organizations risk saying something not quite right. Eventually, artificial intelligence will help overcome this paradox of inclusivity. Until then, organizations must evolve their approach beyond stale segmentation to meaningful mindsets if they’re to meet developing expectations.
2019
Fjord trends 2019
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Space odyssey
First, digital drove us to our screens. Then, physical fought back. Both dramatically changed our expectations of the physical world – first in retail, then in the workplace and soon in public spaces. Now, as digital and physical intertwine, organizations must find ways to seamlessly interconnect digital and physical experiences. This will require a fundamental rethink of the approaches and tools for designing spaces in order to meet users’ expectations of greater flexibility and personalization.
2019
Fjord trends 2019
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Synthetic realities
There’s a new kind of reality on the block. Generated and mixed realities are blurring the boundaries of “truth” and challenging how we value it. As synthetic realities become more normalized in 2019, organizations should look past the drama and fear associated with them. Instead, they should hone new strategies to capitalize on their creative potential and manage the risk of unwittingly being featured in a synthetic reality created by someone else.
2019
Fjord trends 2019
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Power
As Harvard University political scientist Joseph Nye has pointed out, power in geopolitics will shift from West to East. And in business and society, power will shift from the centre to the margins, in both the West and East. While shifts in power occurred in the past, we need to watch the particulars of the upcoming shifts: the return of the East as leaders in science and technology, not just as major economies; and the empowerment of marginal actors, such as social minorities and new platform businesses, who may grow into influential actors and even take on lead roles one day.
2017
Foresigth
Singapore, The Centre for Strategic Futures
People
There is an implicit narrative about how the future will look: the big advances will be in “hard” disciplines like digital technology or material science. After all, some of our most spectacular successes in recent history, from space travel to the internet to smartphones, have been founded on work in these hard disciplines. This, it is said, is why education in the STEM fields is of utmost importance, because those will be the jobs of the future. The common vision of the future is of gleaming computers and sterile glass and steel constructions. But perhaps we are at an inflexion point, and rumblings of this change are already starting to become visible.
2017
Foresigth
Singapore, The Centre for Strategic Futures