Trends 2024
Why we look into future?
- “To be able to make better decisions today.”
HOW THE FUTURE LOOKS LIKE?
Future is a satire of acceptance and the image we want to portrait and project to others. “Social Media Rating system” is the new standard of what is good and decent. This system works as digital police, because it punishes each behavior that is not accepted from the crowd. We compare on social media; Stock exchange are influenced by public opinion; We can buy a house or a car without deposit if we have a high rating.
And you can see even Ali baba already implemented this system (Example: If you are a father and you buy diapers online on Alibaba, they classify you as a responsible parent and reward you with bonuses, benefits and discounts on your next purchase). You can let your kid learn in a better school if you have higher score. So, it`s not just a prediction, it`s already happening.
People live their lives trying to please everyone, lost in this world where they think their value is equivalent to their social media points. We are trying to please everyone, because the consequences are unpleasant. Everyone are a little bit heighten and false, because everyone are terrified of being marked down. It`s basically the world we live in.
Attention is the new currency.
SOCIAL RATING SYSTEM
Social Rating Influence the quality of life we have and companies will use personal data to influence buying decision. Exhausted of political instability, resistant bacteria (Candida) and crazy weather, people find their shelter in their home. They will spend more time with others with same interests (PLUs - People like us). Running become badge for the rich people. Gym clubs becoming the new single bars. Nutrition is the main topic in conversations (we prefer food that is “Sugar Free” and “Additive Free”). Cannabis is becoming increasingly popular. Getting tired of the virtual world, people escape in off-line . In recent years, focus will be on handmade, natural or real material.
SLOW UTOPIA
The new middle class is in anxiety and hopes to run away from compressed life. Demotivation and Buddhism become opium for spiritual relief. Home is a living testament of your life. In future, we will expose souvenirs from our grandpas, frame our children artwork and keep the stains of painting on the floor and stains from meaningful parties. Memories have deep emotional value.
Products should look like it`s “Not out of Catalogue”. Time and space travel mix textures, styles, trends and colours. “Unmaking” semi-finished design is the new normal - reverse process of making, like getting back in stone age. Symmetrical is out, and new product designs are breaking the logic. Micro Homes become most popular trend of the future, because of the high price of the apartments and oversaturated concentration in big cities.
People get tired of constant struggle with hectic life and find their escape in “giving up “when things get tough. We started to appreciate free time more than possessing expensive products. People will be less material. Shared economy will invade with generic same looking products, and we will see “Floating products” lot more often. Country side lifestyle is a “new dream” of urban people.
BIOPHILIA
Biophilia is popular as architecture of life. This design concept follows the shape of nature. solves complex urban problems with new design solutions. Example: Bad quality of air in offices, we solve with interior of oxygen purifying plants. You can see everything is more oval, not that edgy, in amorph shape. We avoid sharp geometrical shapes.
You can see this public toilet placed as in a middle of a jungle, it`s actually a gas station in the center for the city. We strive for breathable, healthy cities. People have inverse process of evolution, we are getting back to our natural place of living. People get back to habitat.
HAPTIC COMMUNICATION
Last developments in “touch” and “haptic” tech, channel new comforting products who simulate a hug (or a sound of heartbeat). Technology is moving away from screens intro the products. “TOUCH ME” surfaces who evokes you to touch them, are becoming increasingly popular. In short, we trigger feelings (blend Oxytocin & Dopamine and you get a social brain cocktail for making decisions without thinking).
Social Engineering is a newfound skill that treats the Human element and involves understanding how human make decisions, what motivates them, and how to provoke making fast buying decisions without thinking. Aldo we are so connected, we have never been more disconnected between each other. Because people are spending more time on their devices and they are not making friends.
Companies should utilize the trend of social isolation, to offer offline product and help people disconnect.
We are getting into Lifestyle Brand Era. Brands prosper if they build massive sub-culture that tech people ”How to behave”. Perfect example is “MUJI species concept” which teach young people how to dress. Biometric identification (fingerprint, voice, face and iris recognition) is a hit. In the same time Historical figures are used as KOL, example: Chinese emperor who sells lipsticks gain annual sales of 1 bilion RNB.
Marketing in future is equivalent to “Sales in real time”. There is a new direction in marketing industry called “Micro moments”, and means to reach the costumer in the moment he needs the product. Example: (1) How to fix this; (2) Time for New one; (3) New Beginnings…
Are you there?
NEW CHINESE
Chinese costumers changed. The massive consumption market in the past, today China is a brand market with 1 billion high-end costumers who prefer personalised service. Trends setters are generally Z and Millennial generation: Educated, tech savvy, having rich parents, open minded, buy international brands, prefer loyalty programs, trust KOLs, expect high quality and healthy products, easy to use.
We have 2 types typical costumers of the future:
Digital influencers are invading all over the social media. Every second young person wants to become a celebrity and he is seriously working on it. Most popular words are They and Toxic (after many scandals, people are seriously concerned with safety of the products and they are obsessed with others because they compare with the ideal lives of social media celebrities.
Tik tok is becoming the new national sport. People get in a black hole of time, loosing 3-5 hours watching videos that doesn`t add any value to their life.
We are entering in Genderless era. In future we will often be confused: Who is the man and who is the woman. Wemen have great careers, earn more, buy apartments and the concept of “Masculinity” is slowly fading.
Fashion models are more androgynous and have a baby face.
EASY LIFE
Easy to use products are the future. We crave for easy life. New costumer like cloths that don`t need ironing, easy to wash and dry fast. You may notice Scandinavian bedding don’t use ironed covers. 360° product concepts has promoted practical work/rest/sleep products for everyday consumption. And products for “On the go” because we are constantly moving, often change living place, we travel a lot, going to business trips…
Everything needs to be small, portable, dissembling and transferable.
New era of “Care Free lifestyle” arrived.
Tablets are becoming the new nanny, and kids can watch hours in the screen without losing focus. Rebellion is everywhere, because we enjoy the freedom to express our own opinion and fight against public injustice.
Life has become less about "me" and more about "we."Living a good life surrounded by inspiration, great people and experiences, empathy and thoughtfulness seems to have more value these days than fame, a gold-leaf baby carriage, a private jet or a real fur bedspread.
People are standing out today with social reputation instead of property, so we appreciate “How valuable you are” by:
? The quality of connections you have
? How popular you are
? Education
? Job title
? How often you travel
? Are you charismatic or
? Do you have a sense of humor?
SUMMARY:
Future of humanity is not robotic, we use robots to help us
(1) Get close to Nature and (2) Live easier life.
“Constant sensationalism makes people sceptical about everything”. We tend to trust things we have a history with. With tech moving as fast as it is, old things are quickly getting replaced by shinier, newer, often more complex things. It`s not that easy to position on the market if you don`t have the right strategy.