You're a designer who wants to stay ahead of the curve. What's the best way to keep up with design trends?

?? Subscribing to design magazines, following industry leaders on social media, and attending design conferences are excellent ways to stay updated. ?? Additionally, conducting regular market research and trend analysis helps me identify emerging patterns and preferences among consumers. By keeping a close eye on competitor products and consumer feedback, I can anticipate future design directions and tailor my work accordingly. ??? Moreover, embracing continuous learning through online courses, workshops, and skill development programs allows me to adapt to evolving design technologies and methodologies. This proactive approach ensures that I remain innovative and competitive in the ever-changing design landscape.

To be a contrarian, I'd say sometimes analog is the best future-proof solution. As long as people don't fully exist in the metaverse, there will be a need for simple useful PHYSICAL products. An aim I shoot for is getting around planned obsolescence. Make things that are repairable and use off-the-shelf parts such as conventional batteries, light bulbs, charging ports, etc.

En el mundo del dise?o, mantenerse al día con las últimas tendencias y tecnologías es esencial. Una de las mejores formas de lograrlo es conectándose con diversos grupos y suscribiéndose a newsletters en varias redes sociales. Sin embargo, entre todas, LinkedIn destaca como una plataforma fundamental. ?Por qué? Porque reúne a una amplia gama de profesionales del nicho específico al que te dedicas. Al unirte a esta red, accedes a un vasto tesoro de conocimientos, conexiones y oportunidades que te mantendrán siempre un paso adelante en tu campo.

We designers thrive on innovation and creativity. It's essential to stay informed and inspired. For me, staying current involves regularly reading top industry blogs like FastCoDesign, Dezeen, and Core77. These platforms offer insights into global design trends and creative thinking.

It is essential to participate in online communities and discussion groups dedicated to design, where you can exchange ideas, share experiences and be in direct contact with other professionals in the area.

I also attend key trade fairs like Salone del Mobile in Milan, Dutch Design Week, and CES in Las Vegas. These events are perfect for witnessing innovations and networking with peers. It’s about engaging with the broader design community and continuously learning.

I would like to think that one way to get ahead of the curve is to learn and practice additional skills such as marketing and business. This helps see the product in its entirety, which is within the business itself.

The street is the closest to the consumer, and that's what they watch, but as a designer, that's no good for us, except to see where the ideas ended up 12 months later than when we thought of them. With that form of projection, you can see the hereditary lines of those ideas, back to where you saw them. It's part of the old adage, "You can only see as far into the future as you can see into the past." Look at what you have seen, and see where it finally became a trend. Tendencies, before Trends.

With my experience I have realised it's also important to look back at old trends to understand the future trends. Since the trend cycle repeats itself and with the change in environment it advances itself.

Observe aka people watch the demographic you design for on the ground floor. What things do you see repeating themselves? What patterns can you spot? Looking to runway and social are great tools as well but seeing how the every day person interprets the trends is the sweet spot in my opinion. It'll help you understand the people your'e designing for better and therefore, help you predict better in the long run.