New Trends in Trendwatching in Industrial and Graphic Design

Analysis of the Influence of Sociocultural Factors on the Formation of Design Directions

Abstract

Currently, the world is rapidly changing, and new trends and directions are emerging, which is particularly noticeable in modern consumer society. Originally, the term “trendwatching” was aimed at monitoring fashion trends in Europe and the USA. This phenomenon was adopted by internet users and became established as an identifier of the activities of marketing agency professionals, whose task was to study new trends and forecast them for use in the production of goods and services. Trendwatchers operate in areas such as fashion, cinema, computer games, music design, television, and mobile technologies. This phenomenon is characterized by a symbiosis of design and business. In addition to sociocultural research, marketing encompasses design research. A comprehensive approach helps to understand consumers’ visual preferences and emotional inclinations, allowing for more precise identification of short-term, medium-term, and long-term trends. This system of dynamic changes shapes “fashion,” to some extent defining a specific era or time period. In this context, it is particularly important to pay attention to phenomena such as trends. In the broadest sense, a trend is the prevailing tendency of change, the general direction of development of something.