One of the greatest impediments faced by trend spotters is that laypeople tend to assume they are one and the same.
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Trend Photography – My new book!
Author Archives: Simone
Trend Photography Guide Part VIII: Historical Research
History repeats itself, and trend researchers can gain a great deal of insight from looking at historical artifacts, practices, architecture, art, and landmarks. Though reading history books and visiting museums yields valuable insights, photography can aid research and trend reports by providing powerful visual impact.
Posted in TREND SPOTTING / COOLHUNTING Tagged research methods, travel, travel photography, Trend Photography Leave a comment
Vintage Magazine Images Offer a Peek into the Past (and Future)
I’ve come across the most amazing site recently – MagazineArt.org is a treasure trove of magazine images from the 1850s to 1950s.
Posted in Publications Tagged design, history, illustration, magazine art, Magazines, Publications, publishing, vintage art Leave a comment
Trend Spotting Industry Analysis: Desired Education
As is made clear in the preceding sections, trend spotting is by no means a formalized profession and manifests itself in many different forms and industries. It can therefore be fair to say that nearly any sort of education can contribute to one’s success as a trend spotter.
Trend Photography Guide Part VII: Fashion Photography
Arguably the most prominent and mainstream form of trend photography, the enjoyment of fashion photography is by no means limited to forecasting firms, designers, and marketers. Rather, fashion photography has become a beloved art form enjoyed by mass markets the world over.
Posted in TREND SPOTTING / COOLHUNTING Tagged fashion, fashion photography, Trend Photography Leave a comment
Trend Spotting Industry Analysis: Methods Used
Trend spotting consultancies use a variety of methods and produce many different products and services. That said, there are some methods and offerings that repeat across trend spotter type and industry of focus. These are discussed below.
Trend Photography Guide Part VI: Product-Based Research
Product-based photography is an excellent means by which trend researchers can discover and disseminate new and interesting products. CScout Japan (a subset of CScout, an international trend forecasting consultancy) regularly shares photographs of new Japanese products in its blog posts and trend reports. As these particular product features indicate, certain geographic areas see new products long before they are internationally released. Photographing these products as they first make their way into a cutting-edge market makes it easier for trend consultants to share information on product innovation with interested clients in foreign markets.
Posted in Products, TREND SPOTTING / COOLHUNTING Tagged product photography, products, trend photogography Leave a comment
Trend Spotting Industry Analysis: Industry Globalization
The trend spotting industry is clearly international in nature. For the most part, it would be impractical to address trends from a purely regional or national viewpoint as the world has become so interconnected. Even when investigating regional trends, trend analysts must consider international influences more than ever as what is worn on the streets of Beijing will eventually find itself to suburban middle America, designs generated by South American graphic artists will make their way to billboards in Germany, and new technologies developed in small-town New England garages may someday change the way people communicate across the entire planet.
Trend Photography Guide Part V: Ethnography (Interviews)
Interviews comprise yet another subset of ethnography that can uncover invaluable information on new trends and significant developments. While most interviews are documented in written, audio, or video form, photographs can add significant depth and palatability to a written transcript, which is the most likely form of an interview as it would be included in a trend report.
Posted in TREND SPOTTING / COOLHUNTING Tagged interviews, research methods, Trend Photography Leave a comment
Venture Altruism and Trend Spotting
As trend spotting is such an elusive and constantly evolving form, it is difficult to pin under a single definition. In the twentieth century, it was first positioned as a strategic tool to be used in time of war, and then, by governments. Trend spotting subsequently entered a more flowery period of fashion forecasting during [...]
