Trendbronnen: An inspirational source by Christopher Riedl

T r e n d b r o n n e n

Part II Christopher Riedl

Contents

Trendbronnen 2: Book by Joshua Ferris, To Rise Again at a Decent Hour P. 8

Trendbronnen 4: Book by Peter H. Diamandis & Steven Kotler Abundance: The Future Is Better Than You Think P. 12

Table

Trendbronnen 1: Creative Talk Amsterdam, Daniel Disselkoen P. 6

Trendbronnen 3: Book by Malcolm Gladwell The Tipping Point P. 10

Trendbronnen 5: Article by Sam Shank Let’s Fix It: Let’s End Human Driving P. 14

About

This

Book

We are not able to predict the future, but we are able to read signs. This is the idea behind this book, the second part of my Trendbronnen. Herewith I present five findings, which helped me to find signals, inspiration and directions which later can be translated into movements or trends. A detection of a direction we tend to. Three books, one article and an open talk have been used to fill me up with thoughts and creative energy. Enjoy the outcome!

Trendbronnen 1

Talk at Creative Mornings Amsterdam, 31.10.2014

Inventor of the app Cucalu

Talk with Daniel Disselkoen

ABOUT Daniel Disselkoen, creative brain behind a new gaming app for iPhone, called Cucalu. This app challenges the user to find shapes, such as circles, squares and triangles, in everyday life. By getting different missions, the user of the app is asked to take photos of found shapes, either in a specific surrounding or in a certain time frame. If you find what you where looking for, you take a photo with your iPhone to then insert it to your challenge. The findings then can be rated by other Cucalu users. The idea of this app is „to rediscover reality with your iPhone“. It is an online and virtual game that connects you to the offline world and let’s you discover your environment. Daniel Disselkoen invited curious gamers, friends and interested people to the Volkshotel Amsterdam for a Creative talk. Under the umbrella of the „Creative Mornings Amsterdam“ on the 31.10.2014, a talk was hold by him to share his thoughts, vision and ideas behind Cucalu. I went to the talk/discussion to see, talk, listen and discover this new app.

VISION/OPINION The vision and idea of Daniel Disselkoen, the inventor of Cucalu, is just fascinating. Why? Because of this simple thought of „how can I bring people back to reality?“. In the talk, Disselkoen explained that he wanted to create something that excites the heavy iPhone user and gamers out there but then connects them back to real experiences. Something, that actually happens offline, in your natural

surrounding. He stated that he himself was longing for a game that thrilled him, but also drags him outside of his comfort zone, in other words, his own home. Cucalu is a perfect example of how the on- and offline world can be connected, but also a helping hand to rediscover everything that is happening around you. It is a fun eye-opener, a game but also a challenge. The app is great in look and feel, but the thought behind it is what makes it so strong. The intertwining of virtuality and reality, that is where so much potential lays and what gives me strong signals in which direction we might tend. We want to be connected 24/7, but we miss out on real life. We are longing for someone/ something that makes us go out there again, and explore nature/city/reality. And if a phone is able to do exactly that, it is the perfect solution: we can stick to our phones and digital lifestyle with the bonus of exploring more than that.

CONNECTION WITH MY MAJOR If you look at any brands, not only fashion brands, everyone is trying stay as upto-date as possible. Using social media, e-commerce, etc - it all started in different somewhere. That is why I think the idea Cucalu, rediscover reality, is what could interest a lot of brands. I can take great inspiration from the idea behind the app, to then translate it into branding. „Re-connecting to real life“ is such a strong sentence, that I can easily reuse it in the sense of story telling. It could be a brands’ slogan, 7

a way of connecting to your target group or simply the underline of a new product. On the other hand, not only the function of the app is a great connection to my major. The whole look and feel and the design, the overall appearance is marvelous and very attracting. An important part of branding is „packaging“. This product, the app, is packed in a wonderful way. This is what a consumer wants: an attractive product, with an outstanding function and a great story behind it.

CONNECTION WITH MY MINOR We do live in a very digital world. We wake up by an alarm set on our phones, first thing we do is checking all messages and social media sites before we even get dressed. We have shifted from ‚living with a device to stay connected‘ to an era of ‚living for a device that does everything for us‘. Some even forgot how beautiful reality is. In the first week of this minor, we explored the world 24 hours disconnected - that is the basic idea of Cucalu. Because I experienced a different view on my daily routines without having my phone on. I looked and observed. I connected again. And I enjoyed it. Cucalu wants us to learn exactly that - it wants us to rediscover again, but offline. It is a great signal of where we tend to go living with online devices but enjoy the realness around it way more. A perfect invention, that is great to connect with this minor.

Trendbronnen 2

About a Dentist whosâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; identity gets copied

To Rise Again at a Decent Hour

Book by Joshua Ferris

ABOUT Paul O’Rourke, the main character in this book by Joshua Ferris, is a dentist with different addictions. He has a nicotine habit, he loves the Red Sox but most and for all, he is addicted to his iPhone. Besides that, Paul is a manic-depressive guy who wants to belong to something or someone, but fails through out. While living is boring life, longing for an ex-girlfriend or a network, where he could be part of, Paul’s identity get copied in the online world. Someone is pretending to be him on different social media sites such as Facebook, twitter and a website. What started to be just scary because someone can pretend to be you, gets worse. Paul, who feels alone and bored, is scared that the fake him could be an improved, better version of himself. What if someone can fake him to make him better? The book describes the modern possibility of identity theft, the power of social websites and goes deeper into human needs. While Paul wants to hold on to something so bad, he even considers to convert to be Jewish just to have something to believe in and someone/group to belong to.

VISION/OPINION In a time where identities easily can be copied online, it is important to take care of your privacy. In our over-connected world with over-shared information, being truly yourself is not easy. The drama that has been described in this book is fiction, but it had happened in the real world already. It can damage peoples lives, destroy families, and has impact on more than one person.

The book shows, in a humorous and scary way, that todays time make connected people more connected and disconnects people more who are offline and not using smartphones. It makes clear that technology can provide the illusion of being someone, belonging to something. It concerns the power of technology, connectivity and the on-offline relationship while explaining someones problems. A great book with interesting insights.

CONNECTION WITH MY MAJOR When everyone can be anyone online, how can people gain trust from anything? This is the main question that I got out of this book to connect it to my major. Because what we do as a brander is to make people trust, believe and love a brand. We need to gain people trust in the first place to make that a loyal customer of a brand. Therefore it is most important to be as authentic and honest as possible to attach consumer to your product and brand. Of course a brand can tell a lot of stories, even fake ones. But the ones who are honest, transparent and true are the ones who will succeed in the end. It is not about pretending to be better then you are. If you want to be something else, then change and improve. But don’t fake it and lie.

CONNECTION WITH MY MINOR We do live in a very digital The book shows off how dangerous the online world 9

can be and how careful we have to be with our data. It also shows how big the impact can be of our oversharing lifestyle. Everyone knows that Facebook and all the information on there can make you feel bad. People who are prettier, who have more money, who travel to better places, who eat fancier food then you… All of these things can hurt. But are they really important? Is this what counts in life? Anyways, the book plays around with big topics such as connectivity, the impact of social media and the human need of belonging to something. It is a great source for trends and perfect to connect to our minor.

Trendbronnen 3

When does a movement become a trend?

The Tipping Point

Book by Malcolm Gladwell

ABOUT Malcolm Gladwells’ ‚The Tipping Point‘ is a book, which explains and describes the sensation of „trends“. If the mass thinks about trends, they mostly think about a style in fashion. Like the summer trend of 2014: sneakers everywhere on everyone with every outfit. Gladwell questions exactly a phenomena like the sneaker on everyones foot: how come, if one starts it, that a while after, the whole street is filled with sneakers? The book explains the critical time where an upcoming trend becomes a trend or does not succeed to become one - the so called „Tipping Point“ or Chasm. He explained it e.g. with a pair of shoes. A brand, that was nearly bankrupt and wanted to close. Then, some kid wanted to be different and put on these pair of desert boots to set him self apart from the mass. A designer picked it up and used these shoes on the catwalk. A couple of month later, the business was running. More time was passing and the shoe became one of the most worn boots again. In other words, he said it is like an epidemic that can’t be stopped.

he himself was longing for a game that thrilled him, but also drags him outside of his comfort zone, in other words, his own home. Cucalu is a perfect example of how the on- and offline world can be connected, but also a helping hand to rediscover everything that is happening around you. It is a fun eye-opener, a game but also a challenge. The app is great in look and feel, but the thought behind it is what makes it so strong. The intertwining of virtuality and reality, that is where so much potential lays and what gives me strong signals in which direction we might tend. We want to be connected 24/7, but we miss out on real life. We are longing for someone/ something that makes us go out there again, and explore nature/city/reality. And if a phone is able to do exactly that, it is the perfect solution: we can stick to our phones and digital lifestyle with the bonus of exploring more than that.

target group or simply the underline of a new product. On the other hand, not only the function of the app is a great connection to my major. The whole look and feel and the design, the overall appearance is marvelous and very attracting. An important part of branding is „packaging“. This product, the app, is packed in a wonderful way. This is what a consumer wants: an attractive product, with an outstanding function and a great story behind it.

The Future Is Better Than You Think

Trendbronnen 4

Abundance

Book by Peter H. Diamandis and Steven Kotler

ABOUT „The future is better than you think“ is part of the title from the book by Diamandis and Kotler. It gives a clear idea what the book is about: the future. It discusses a future scenario and something that concerns us all: natural resources and healthy living. In ‚Abundance‘, the writers talk about the possibilities that come with technical innovations. Ideas, that could help solving the problem of thousands of human being dying over toxic water or no health care systems. Currently 30% more of our planet’s natural resources are used that can’t be replaced. This obviously shows that we need to change in behavior and living habits. And with all improvements and technical innovations that are coming along, the goal of 9 billion people having clean water isn’t that far. Daniel Disselkoen invited curious gamers, friends and interested people to the Volks Hotel Amsterdam for a Creative talk. Under the umbrella of the „Creative Mornings Amsterdam“ on the 31.10.2014, a talk was hold by him to share his thoughts, vision and ideas behind Cucalu. I went to the talk/discussion to see, talk, listen and discover this new app.

VISION/OPINION Abraham Maslow once defined the basic human hierarchy of needs. On the bottom we have food, water and air to breathe. Somewhere on top is the self-actualization. We should all think about the bottom first. If humanity would all think on the same level, trying to reach the goal that everyone could have the basic needs fulfilled, it would be

possible in my eyes. And with new technique, where we are able to get green electricity and store it in the right way, we can use the stored electricity on bad days where the sun is not shining. In different chapters, the book shows off the common problem that we have nowadays and in the following chapters how different sectors can be improved. It gives a clear idea of what we can do to improve water quality in all areas, energy, health care, education and freedom. It makes the reader think about own habits and behavior and opens eyes on many levels.

CONNECTION WITH MY MAJOR What the book makes clear is that we all need to be more sustainable in our everyday living to help each other survive longer. It shows off that, with how we live, we destroy us and everyone who comes after our generation. It also makes clear that technical improvements can make things better and bring a change, if we make the right use of it. When I connect this to fashion I see a clear link. The fashion industry is trying to find new ways for more sustainable clothing, reusable materials and greener ways of production. The perception of consumers slowly shifting as well from mass market to niche. We want more high quality products that are produced in a good surrounding. Fast fashion will not survive in the way they are now. With ideas in the book, also the fashion industry can be improved.

CONNECTION WITH MY MINOR The ideas and innovations that the book shows off are very inspiring and exciting. The overall topic, that we as humans need to take better care of each other, gives also a clear direction: togetherness. It made me think of: why is it discussed now? Why not earlier? Or later? As we shift from only thinking about ourselves and being an individual, I think we all have the need again to be together, to care and share. This book is another important and clear sign for that. Therefor a great book to link it to my minor and to be used as a trend source.

Trendbronnen 5

Let’s Fix It: Let’s End Human Driving

Time Magazine Online

Article by Sam Shank, LinkedIn

ABOUT This article which originally was published on linkedIn by Sam Shank, discusses the future of the automobile industry or rather they way we will drive cars in about 10 years. Shanks’ opinion is that people do make mistakes and technology doesn’t. Therefore, he says after thinking about it deeply for 20 years, driverless cars will be fully developed and a big success. He also sees it as big as the revolution from horses to automobiles. His vision is not that everyone would have a driverless car, more that companies like Uber or Lyft would take over this service first. He also imagines that the landscape picture will finally dramatically change. That we will have special lanes for these cars, on the highway and parts of the city. Parking garages, road signs or traffic lights would be useless and not necessary anymore. The benefits in the eyes of Shank is that AutoCars (this is how he calls them) will improve different areas such as health, saved time, mobility of kids and seniors, costs., etc. Information technology is the brain behind these cars. Shank says that it cites will result in vibrant wonderlands, more beautiful than we can imagine.

VISION/OPINION I think that the possibility of AutoCars being introduced to the end user is pretty big. Especially, as Shank says, that companies like Uber will use them to make taxi rides even easier. If I think about the possibilities that comes with AutoCars, I also see a lot less car crash victims, if the technique is ready.

If we would be able to fully replace normal cars by these future cars, there would be zero crashes. Not would this improve health and lifestyle but also financial sectors as well as infrastructure. First thing that came to my mind was: finally drunk people don’t have to be tempted to ride their own cars anymore. How often drink & drive still happens is unbelievable. You are danger for yourself and all other people on the streets. This risk would be taken down. Old people who were not able to drive by themselves anymore, could use cars again. But not only these „simple“ thoughts will be satisfied, if you think further, it could change a lot in our daily life such us deliveries, pick-ups, etc. That is why I think it is a great article and a thought worth to think further.

CONNECTION WITH MY MAJOR If cars are able to bring people from A to B without having someone turning the wheel, it is also possible to use this system to deliver clothes in a very effective way. I was immediately drawn by the thought that fashion houses could use these cars to deliver online purchases within 2 hours e.g. - This would revolutionize the online shopping experience. Using innovation as support of a story, that is told by a brand is very effective as well. Most people are very interested in new things, if it comes in a nice packaging. Therefore I think the AutoCar would help the fashion industry to change and to improve as well as other important parts. 15

CONNECTION WITH MY MINOR Obviously we are talking here about a very big technical innovation, which is a great connection to our minor. It is also something so tremendous in my eyes that it touches all parts of the DESTEP model. Something so important is a great inspiration and a good trend source. Innovations mostly inspire to thing about future happenings, but this particular idea effects more then only the automobile industry. That is why I see a big connection. Would we then tend to travel alone? Is it a sign from individualism? Or is it more that we commonly will use the technique? It definitely shows movement in society, which is important for trendwatchers.

November

Amsterdam 2014