Trend Funnel
Forecasting trends is a very complex task depending on time, people, cultures, and technological development.
What is a trend?
“It is not, as some people think, a term exclusively associated with the world of fashion. Nor is it a term that
simply refers to processes which affect physical or aesthetic changes in our culture. A trend can be emotional,
intellectual and even spiritual. At its most basic, a trend can be defined as the direction in which something
(and that something can be anything) tends to move and which has a consequential impact on the culture,
society or business sector through which it moves.” - (Raymond, 2010)
References:
Trendspot (2017). The Diamond-Shaped Trend Model. [image] Available at: http://trendspot.pl/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/diamond-shaped2.jpg [Accessed 29 Nov. 2017].
Kjaer, A. (2014). The trend management toolkit. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Vejlgaard, H. (2008). Anatomy of a trend. New York: Confetti Publishing.
Raymond, M. (2010). The Trend Forecaster's Handbook. London: Laurence King Publishing.
Defining trend forecasters
"By definition and activity, trend forecasters are lifestyle detectives: men and women who spend
their time detecting patterns or shifts in attitudes, mindsets or lifestyle options, that run against
current thinking or how people normally behave, live, dress, communicate and trade."
(Raymond, 2010)
"Trend spotting is possible because the key element In the development of any trend
is observing, either in real life or in the media. What the trendsetters observe we can
also observe" (Vejlgaard, 2008)
"one of our vital tools is the Trend Atlas, a visual sense-making platform that integrates
management of a wide variety of data and information to provide insights for determining
what lies ahead. The Trend Atlas is a structured compilation of macro trends that acts as a
compass, enabling us to decode the socioeconomic and cultural contexts of society to
decide patterns that provide a framework for projection, planning, and ideation"
(Kjaer, 2014)