TRENDGEIST by emmawaite

School of Art & Design

fcp3

Declaration Form 2012/13 Module: Negotiated Project Stage 2 Module Leader: Matt Gill Ref. no: FASH30002

I confirm that this work has gained ethical approval and that I have faithfully observed the terms of the approval in the conduct of this project. This submission is the result of my own work. All help and advice other than that received from tutors has been acknowledged and primary and secondary sources of information have been properly attributed. Should this statement prove to be untrue I recognise the right and duty of the board of examiners to recommend what action should be taken in line with the University's regulations on assessment contained in its handbook.

signed .................................................................................................................... date .......................................................................................................................

1 INTRODUCTION

CON TENTS

PAGES 4-7

6 THE CONSUMER

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

PAGES 22-27

PAGES 28-35

2 3 4 METHODOLOGY

MARKET

PAGES 8-11

PAGES 12-17

THE IDEA

BIG

PAGES 18-21

7 89 COMMUNICATION STRATEGY PAGES 36-39

THE

TRIAL

CONCLUSION

PAGE 40

PAGES 41-43

PAGES 46-48 49-50 51-54

REFERENCES LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS BIBLIOGRAPHY

APPENDICES 1 2 3 4 5

PILOT QUESTIONNAIRE PAGES 56-61 QUESTIONNAIRE PAGES 62-67 THE QUESTION PAGES 68-70 VISIT TO TATE MODERN PAGE 71 INTERVIEWS WITH TREND FORCASTING AGENCIES PAGES 72-74 INTERVIEW WITH

NINA FARESIN PAGES 75-77 7 FOCUS GROUP PAGES 78-85 8 EMAIL INTERVIEWS WITH CREATIVE PROFESSIONALS PAGES 86-88 9 CONSUMER RESEARCH PAGES 89-90 10DESIGN DEVELOPMENT PAGES 91-100 11SILVERBACK 2.0 APP PAGES 101-106

12 DAY

IN THE ONLINE LIFE PAGE 107 13 DAY IN THE ADVERTISING LIFE PAGE 108 14 THE COLLABORATION PAGE 109 15 INTERVIEW WITH PHIL CAMPBELL PAGES 110-113 16 EMAIL INTERVIEW WITH NIV SINGER PAGES 114-115 17 TRENDGEIST COMMUNICATION STRATEGY PAGES 116-117 18 TREND FORECASTING CASE STUDIES PAGES 118-121 19 YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED PAGE 122 ETHICAL CHECKLIST

PAGE

123

21 TUTORIAL

RECORD SHEETS PAGES 124-138 22 CRITICAL PATH PAGES 139-141

INTRO DUCTION The study of this report explores issues around the online environment and the users attachment to the need to be connected. It will present a trend-led approach for a future implementation suitable for consumers who wish to develop their knowledge and be part of a network which strives towards providing each other with inspiration and trend understanding. This project has been undertaken by Emma Waite and team mate Rianna Smith. The story began with a mutual interest in trend forecasting and the frustration of the information gained from forecasting websites not being relevant to their everyday lives. They decided to combine their knowledge and explore the implementation of a trend platform which operates by curating users’ visuals from across a variety of online platforms. The context of the project is a combination of different technology trends, an understanding of each are needed to assist with comprehending the development of the idea. It starts by introducing big data, trend forecasting agency Stylus, states that it involves understanding the ‘cue for a behaviour, the routine of it and the reward’ (2012a: Online). The impact of big data has been likened to ‘the renaissance, the

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INTRODUCTION

enlightenment and postmodernism’ (Hancock, 2013: Online) it represents the departure from the current limitations of todays data collection and analysis. This notion can be explained by observing Figure 1, illustrating the progression of the Web from it’s beginning in 1989 to the current future possibilities of Web 4.0 and big data. In the BBC Two’s TV Horizon episode, The Age of Big Data (2013), Professor Tobias Preis commented, ‘The age of Big Data has arrived, and is constantly transforming the world we inhabit.’ BBC Two Horizon featured some of the areas in which revealing patterns from vast amounts of data, in particular for the prediction of future behaviour, is of vital social and economic importance.

things like home census data and and natural disasters.’ (2013: Online). Furthermore, big data is now being used to prevent crime, as Google has recently announced its plans to enlist

adopting the system.

as a place for business to broadcast their information to people. The early web provided limited interactions and content and allowed users to search for and read the information provided.

a read - write web. The technologies of Web 2.0 allow assembling and managing large global crowds with common interests in social interactions.

The semantic Web desires to decrease humanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tasks and decisions and leave them to machines by providing machinereadable contents on the Web. In general, Web 3.0 includes two main platforms, semantic technologies and social computing environment.

The dream behind the symbiotic Web is interaction between humans and machines in symbiosis. Machines will be able to read user data and make appropiate decisions and suggestions. Example: the Web will know if you have an event inviteb in your calender, how to get to the event, what to take as a gift (according to the hosts likes/dislikes) and who else will be there, all from the information in â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The Cloudâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Fig 1. Development of the Web, 2013

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Nevertheless, fears about privacy are unavoidable when it comes to the development of new technology. With consumers personal data now available on numerous platforms and a variety of providers, networks and apps, it is vital that the information is used in the correct way and to the of how consumers unwittingly share personal information is demonstrated in an app called ‘Creepy’. It can pinpoint someones location on a map using photos uploaded to Twitter or Flickr. The app highlights the danger of ‘geotagging’, which means that it automatically searches the ‘pictures tagged with geodata’ which most smartphones attach, and embeds the exact location of where that photo was taken, in some cases revealing someone’s home address (Heussner, 2011: Online). However, we live in a ‘share it all culture’ where ‘9/10 people don’t mind sharing information’ on online platforms such as Facebook and Twitter (Trend Boutique, 2011). Take, for instance self-quantifying which is however, ‘self-trackers, are often driven by a compulsion to share. The growing popularity of the movement is intimately intertwined with the social-networking boom.’ (Singer, 2011: Online) Everything we do could soon be data is predicted to touch all aspects of society. Once all that information is online, David Siegel’s (2009) concept of a ‘personal data locker’ will manage the information in a cloud. This cloud will eliminate the need for local storage, ‘the personal data locker will replace the phone, PC, book reader, music and video player.’ It will let any net-enabled device become personal to you, so that you never loose any data. In agreement to the foreseeable

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merging of all online communications, former Google CEO, Eric Schmidt predicts in his book ‘The New Digital Age’, an option that will allow all of a person’s online accounts: Facebook, other networks, to be merged together into a ‘constellation’ that will serve as a

Websites such as, Storify and Tracx are already incorporating cross platform sharing, focusing on social media platforms. The popularity of social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest demonstrates is key (WGSN, 2013a: Online). Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook explains ‘something that’s cool can fade, something that’s useful will not.’ (WGSN, 2013b: Online) Technology must be functional, relevant and in context to the consumer. The idea which lies in the core of these two platforms is establishing itself as a social utility, connecting information already provided by the consumer in These studies could be considered transitional products leading to the personal data locker and constellation with the progression of big data. An important focus in the development of big data products and its services, is the ambition that somewhere in data there are patterns which can predict the future. Mike Baker, CEO of DataXu and ‘data hunter’ is applying this theory to search data for tiny signals of consumer buying behaviour. Baker, wishes to predict what a consumer will buy and send that consumer advertisement for their future purchase (The Age of Big Data, 2013: TV).

The potential of big data technology will undoubtedly have an effect on the current approaches used to consider the future, such as trend forecasting. Trend forecasting uses ‘past data extends that pattern to project future developments’ (Evans, 2011: 235). The fundamental purpose of trend forecasting is to provide the consumer with knowledge of emerging trends, allowing a useful consideration of the future, which platforms such as WGSN reveal. However, with the data revolution, the fastest growing and most valuable set of data is the one being created by consumers, every time an upload, search, buy is performed it adds to the data. BBC Horizon reveals the velocity of its growth by stating ‘it is growing by 2.5 billion gigabytes a day’ (The Age of Big Data, 2013: TV).

With all this consumer data being generated a new form of trend forecasting could be explored, in which the consumer narrates the trend with their visuals taken from across platforms. This report will investigate a service which would use the characteristics of big datas pattern detection, to assist in developing future predictions on current consumer trends. The implementation would focus on developing a sustainable consumer relationship as the user would use the platform to track a variation of trends that they themselves have contributed in developing and sharing. This would solve the problem of consumers ‘limited understanding of it hard to tell researchers what they are likely to do in the future’ (Evans, 2011: 235), as they themselves become the researchers watching the information develop naturally.

‘BY ACTING AS CREATIVITY ENABLERS, BRANDS ARE LEARNING TO INSPIRE THE NEW CONSUMERCREATOR. YET THE GOAL IS NOT INSTANT PROFITABILITY, BUT THE CHANCE TO CREATE A DEEPER, MORE MEANINGFUL CONVERSATION WITH THE CONSUMER.’ (STYLUS, 2012A: ONLINE) Fig 2. Cloud and Big Data, 2013

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METHOD OLOGY

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;FIRST AND FOREMOST, RESEARCH IS PERCEIVED AS A MEANS OF REDUCING THE INHERENT RISK IN DECISION MAKING.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; (GRAVES, 2010: 51)

Research was undertaken to discover how a new trend platform could be implemented into a burgeoning online environment. This involved understanding the contextual and cultural history of the internet, and researching into its future technological possibilities. Devising the big idea led to further methods of research to identify the usability of the implementation and overall consumer reaction. Primary and secondary research was carried out to gain an in depth understanding of cultural, social and idea and interpreting consumer culture to identify a communication strategy which would attract their attention.

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SECONDARY

RESEARCH

To create the big idea, secondary sources were vital to explore the broad subject area. Initial information was built by looking at a variety of mediums such as, trend forecasting agencies, websites, television, newspapers, academic journals and books. These all provided insight into the broader cultural trends and examples of innovation online and what could happen next with technology.

PRIMARY

RESEARCH

Primary research was used to achieve a stronger understanding of the consumer and their needs. In addition, to extending knowledge and gaining authority on the subject area. Most problems do not surface until the actual implementation of the research process (Jarausch and Hardy, 1991). To this end, a pilot study was implemented in the initial survey (see appendix 1), with an ‘aim to arrive at categories and formulations that are both understandable and meaningful to the respondents’ (Jensen, 2002: 272) Primary visual research was carried out with a visit to the Tate Modern (Figure 3), concentrating on Level 4 Structure and Clarity; which is ‘devoted to the abstract or ‘constructive’ art of the inter-war years’ (Tate, 2013: Online). This trip provided key inspiration for visual identity.

Fig 3. Inside Tate Modern, London, 2007

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WHAT

WHY

THEM

WHEN

Pilot Questionnare tested on 5 Consumers

To ensure that the quality of the data was relevant to the project and that the questions were easily understood.

02.03.13

Questionnare conducted with 61 Consumers (age 16-30)

‘Trend Online’ questions to gain initial understanding of consumers feelings towards the current online trend services.

06.03.13

The Question: ‘ Why is trend important to you?’ Asked of 20 Consumers (age 16-30)

To focus and gain insight on the consumers need of a trend service.

02.03.13 30.04.13

Visit to Tate Modern, London

To gain visual inspiration for brand identity.

01.04.13

Email Interviews with Kjaer Global and Trend Bible

To gain insight into the trend forecasting industry.

15.03.13 & 14.03.13

Interview with Creative Business Manager of Designer Forum Nina Faresin

To gain knowledge on the variety of trend forecasting agencies and services. Also, on ways in which trend is applied to different businesses.

14.03.13

Focus Gorup with 4 Creative students (age 20-21)

To learn about students current attitude towards trend forecasting services and propose The Big Idea of this project to gain initial opinions.

21.04.13

Email Interviews with Creative professionals Claudia

To further understanding of consumer needs when considering the professional audience and gain initial professional feedback on service.

24. 03.13 & 15. 04.13

Charlie Bowring and Sophie Robinson: Consumer Research

Key insight into consumers lifestyle and online behaviour.

21.04.13

Design Development Empathic Research

The consumers decide on design elements of brands identity to succeed in being a consumer trend-led visual service.

15.05.13 20.04.13

Silverback 2.0 app

To evaluate a variety of 10 current websites navigation and visual design. Recording consumers initial reactions and evaluation.

23.03.13 22.04.13

‘Day in the Online Life’ with Charlie Bowring

To track the creative consumers online touchpoints and useage frequency.

15.04.13

‘Day in the Advertising Life’ with Aimee Robinson

To track the consumers advertisement media touchpoints and consumers reaction to them.

20.04.13

Collaboration with Claudia

Collaboration with the two target consumer segments: creative individual and professional. Testing the consumer journey and recording their reactions and evaluation.

30.04.13

Interview with Social Media Artist, Phil Campbell

To gain further understanding of the technical aspects of the service from a technology expert and self titled ‘social media ninja’. In addition, to validating the technology in relation to the service and its possiblities to be implementated in the world.

15.05.13

Email Interview with Niv Singer Head of IT at Tracx

To verify the the development of proposed technology which the service will use, by a platform which already is implemented in social technology intelligence.

16.05.13

trial implementation of project

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EVALUATION

Appendix 1

Appendix 2

Appendix 3

Appendix 4 Appendix 5

Appendix 6

Appendix 7

Appendix 8

Appendix 9

Appendix 10

Appendix 11

Appendix 12

Appendix 13

Appendix 14

Appendix 15

Appendix 16

Fig 4. Primary Research, 2013 TRENDGEIST:

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MARKET ‘RESEARCH IS TO SEE WHAT EVERYBODY ELSE HAS SEEN, AND TO THINK WHAT NOBODY ELSE HAS THOUGHT.’ (ALBERT SZENT-GRYORGYI IN (HARPER AND YESILADA, 2008: XVII)

Research was necessary to determine the current market in which this project would be implemented. Mintel reports on social media and networking where ‘the majority of internet users (83%) have used at least one, while 37% have contributed their own content (2012: Online). This illustrates that internet users are more likely to consume rather than contribute content on the social web, this notion is supported by answers provided in the creative student focus group: ‘I set one up but...I never added any photos to it...I kind of like lost interest in using it but I look at loads’ ( 2013, see appendix 7). However, there are a vast range of social media platforms even when the target market is only 37% of internet users. To determine the projects market positioning, two perceptual maps were prepared to show consumer perceptions to competing brands.

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illustrates the ever expanding, saturated market of social networking websites, which rely on co-creation to thrive. Most networks desire to create a community to engage consumer participation. Yet, there are only a few sites utilising crossplatform sharing, such as Storify and Tracx, although it ultimately results in a larger target audience. The second perceptual map (Figure 6), focuses on the accessibility of trend platforms and how visually stimulating arose from primary research results, where it was said there was a gap in the market for a ‘completely accessible website that visualizes trends in a way that is exciting and inspiring’ (Focus Group, 2013, see appendix 7). Four Case studies for trend forecasting platforms can be found in appendix 18.

CO-CREATION

PLATFORM

(Medium)

CROSS

Fig 5. Perceptual Map Co-Creation vs. Cross Platform, 2013

competitor attributes of social networking. This involves, creating a community and the ability to maintain consumer interest when incorporating user generated content. As a result, four key case studies have been chosen to highlight a unique selling point in both the current and future curation of the social online environment.

VISUAL

These maps were used to show the greatest advantage in the broad target markets, which

IDENTITY

ACCESSIBILITY

(Trend Bible)

Fig 6. Perceptual Map Accessibility vs. Visual Identity, 2013

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Fig 7. Storify Website, 2013

STORIFY TRACX

Fig 8. Tracx Website, 2013

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Storify was launched in September 2010, by co-founders Burt Herman and Xavier Damman. The social networking platform was then opened to the public in April 2011 once 2011: Online) The unique concept of this service is that it provides the user with a tool to search through other forms of social media and ‘lets the user create stories or timelines using social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram’ (Stylus, 2013: Online). Contextualising online news for readers is a main goal of Storify, digital reporters and social media editors, are not only sharing news, they are sharing feelings and emotions. When Xavier Damman gave a talk for TEDxBrussells about ‘How Social Media is Changing the News’ he stated, ‘don’t tell me the story, show me the story and let me feel empathy’ (2012). Real-time reporting has been transformed by the Storify platform, for example it created one Marathon tragedy, with ‘The Daily Beast’ live Storify, which was updated into the night to

Tracx is a New York City based social media management tool. It was founded in 2008, by CEO Eran Gilad, Ofer Fort, Noam Singer, Niv Singer, Yaniv Ben-Arie and Asaf Shtekler . The foundation of Tracx technology was developed for scale, accuracy and real time results. It was on Flickr, before developing monitoring and management tools for all social media. (Tracx, 2013: Online) The innovative, cloud based service, calls itself the ‘end-to-end social media management system’ and tackles the complete online campaign lifecycle. It takes a ‘holistic approach’ to collecting, analyzing and reporting data to the user (Peacock, 2012: Online). Instead of reporting on individual posts, the information tracked and gathered is treated as a complete conversation that allows the user to analyse and evaluate possible user engagement level opportunities and the impact of the company on the current market.

from a runner’s perspective. (Storify, 2013: Online) However, issues have been raised over Storify’s breach of privacy when it incorporates statuses from Facebook regardless of the account holders private settings. AGBeat reported that Julie Pippert, founder of Artful Media Group, said she was able to share a friend’s private update, by clicking the ‘Storify’ icon next to the ‘Like’ and ‘Comment’ links, and display it directly into her Storify feed, even showcasing her friend’s name and picture. (Rosales, 2013: Online) Storify launches a paid option aimed at ‘professional journalists, agencies, brands and blogger.’ Storify Business costs around £50 a year or £5.30 a month. Storify announces that people who pay will not get adverts in their Storify stories in the future, suggesting that those who do not pay will see advertisements now displayed. Storify Business users will also be able to create ‘private stories’, plus there are customisation options and ‘SEO support to ensure stories are discoverable.’ (Storify, 2013: Online)

When initially evolving from an idea to a service, Tracx faced a challenge in the form of managing big data. They had to overcome the obstacle of ‘managing terabytes of constantly expanding data-sets.’ This problem was solved by a collaboration with HP Vertica, a company which ‘has a real-time analytics database platform built for Big Data’ (Gray, 2013: Online). This collaboration allowed Tracx to be able to customize social-media analytics solutions for its clients. Tracx is available for brands for a set monthly fee, while professional users can pay either by brand or by place, per month. Both come with unlimited data, results, topics, terms, more than ‘250 companies’ are using Tracx including Microsoft, Porter Novelli, Coca Cola, LivePerson and Head & Shoulders. (Hesseldahl, 2013: Online)

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Pose is a free photo-sharing phone app for Android or iOS, the app lets you share and discover inspiring styles from around the world. Pose was launched in 2010 by founder and CEO Dustin Rosen. Forbes reported how it ‘raised over four and a half million dollars in funding from True Ventures and others’ quickly, users. Forbes also suggested the demise of consumers relying on print for fashion discovery by writing: ‘out with Vogue, in with Pose’ (Draper, 2013: Online) The vision of Pose is to create a platform where content meets commerce. Pose relies on users to upload photos whilst shopping, and then ‘tag’ it with your current location, brand, the item’s price and even styling options to then share with friends or the Pose community. Users can then leave comments on the photo and can share their images to Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr.

Celebrity stylist and designer Rachel Zoe, is now an investing ‘tastemaker’ alongside her husband and business partner, Rodger Berman. Mashable reports that Berman said he and his wife invested because it was a ‘promising business’, with Zoe contributing to the site regularly, amassing 200,000 followers

Wired.com reviewed Pose as ‘7/10’, it analysed the platforms ‘tags’ as being ‘tired’ as they are not integrated into any sort of search or crosscaptions (2013: Online) The purpose of Pose is to be a ‘shopping funnel’ describes Pose’s co-founder Alisa Gould-Simon, and states that with that purpose in mind ‘there are so many opportunities to make money at different points along the line’ (in Taylor, 2012: Online)

ReQoop a New York City based mobile and online app employing crowdsourcing, was launched in 2011 by founder and CEO Joshua Dern.

have the opportunity to win prizes. (Ferrara, 2012: Online). The goal is to drive people back into physical stores.

What makes ReQoop different from the previously mentioned Pose app, is that ReQoop tempts users to share their purchases by offering rewards to encourage. The purpose of ReQoop is for users to take a photo

for two types of consumer. For a shopping enthusiast the app is fun, interactive and

a description of their discovery plus a hashtag within a trending topic. Reqoop focuses on themes and encourages users to capture items that go with them. For instance, this week the theme is ‘must have vacation items’.

From these case studies the concept of The consumers with a new visually stimulating trend platform. It will draw from their own consumer expertise invested in their current social networks. 16

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way to style. It’s fashion your way’ (Reqoop, 2013: Online). Furthermore, for an emerging designer, the app allows insight into what is currently trending, potential boutiques to carry their products and it gives a competitive overview (Anon, 2011: Online). In conclusion the app makes it easier to understand the retail landscape for consumer and designer.

Fig 9. Pose Website, 2013

POSE REQOOP

Fig 10. ReQoop Website, 2013

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THE

BIG

IDEA

From a combination of primary and secondary research, The Big Idea was

WHY

market for an accessible trend platform which utilizes co-created content via cross-platform sharing, for example

generation digital natives’, which are the consumers that have grown up with all of the persuasive technologies, will be the most connected retail consumers yet (Oracle: 2011: 1). TrendGeist intends to employ and supply these consumers with a platform which can effortlessly multitask and functions best when everyone is networking. TrendGeist will focus on ‘sentiment analysis’ (Campbell, 2013, appendix 15) to extract trend information directly from consumer data to provide a service for two consumer segments:

In an interview conducted with Creative Business Manager of Designer Forum, Nina Faresin, explained how a trend direction might be anticipated by the collection and plotting of current trend visualization and documented development (2013, see appendix 6). This concept generated The Big Idea, titled ‘TrendGeist’: a trend-led platform of directional, user-generated visual trend commentary.

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IDEA

THE CREATIVE CONSUMER It provides an online community for creatives to share they own visual interpretation of trend and witness others, gaining both inspiration and information on the trends which are relevant to their everyday lives. This idea of looking to peers for inspiration is already currently being practiced by form of following street style on Blogs, Pinterest and Instagram (Focus Group, 2013, see appendix 7). TrendGeist will harness all of that visual knowledge and document it in one place for the consumer, while also contributing there own creative output on the trend.

THE FAST PACED PROFESSIONAL to professional designers as they will be able to access the current trend information and commentary directly from the consumer. Furthermore, once the platform has developed and matured there will be a databased catalogue of trends which the consumer would have commented on, acting as feedback service for designers. This was considered a useful concept in the interview with Sophie Robinson, senior visual merchandiser at Dunhill, who expressed, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;something that illustrates how consumer trends affect what and how we put things in storeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; (2013, appendix 8) would be desirable. Fig 11. Blue Rinse, 2013

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IDEA

HOW The validation of the technology which would be involved in the implementation of TrendGeist has been discussed with social media artist Phil Campbell. He illustrated the technology tools in which TrendGeist could be successfully functional (2013, see appendix 15). From reviewing platforms such as Storify and Tracx and big data’s development it highlighted the use of algorithms, which websites use to gather information and ‘automatically scale with the dynamic booming of social media without compromising information relevancy.’ (Tracx, 2013: Online) This would be applicable to TrendGeist as it intends to utilise six social media platforms: Pinterest, Flickr, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Tumblr, for content collection and curate them. In context to how TrendGeist will collect and curate content, the service will employ multiple social media networks API’s (Application Programming Interfaces), to access the consumers current content. The TrendGeist service would be a management process as it includes many different networks. Nonetheless, Campbell explained how this could be achieved as every website has an API, and to access that websites content a developer would connect to the system via the Application Programming Interface. In practice, TrendGeist would

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IDEA

need to hire a programmer to write a code which would then ‘talk to the website’ to do certain actions such as for content in which people have taken photographs of similar things. (2013, see appensdix 15) When considering how visuals would be curated it was imperative that the service would be able to curate without external commenting, titling or hash-tagging due to the sheer volume of visual data which the service would be required to analyse. In addition, the problematic fact that hash-tagging could be faked resulting in undesirable images being shown. Campbell stated that this would indeed be possible, through a ‘super smart piece of technology’ tool which as an example, was embedded into a browser to look for skin tone to determine whether or not a visual was ‘adult’ (2013, see appendix 15). Niv Singer, Head of IT at Tracx, also tool called ‘OCR’ is used to recover text and feature extraction to identify people and logos in images and video. (2013, see appendix 16)

manipulating these technology tools TrendGeist would have a platform which would pull visual data from a variety of social media sources through the networks connected API’s. Furthermore, based solely on the images visual language, curate these images into trend directions inspired by the consumer.

Fig 12. Forget LinkedIn: 5 Alternative Platforms To Build A Professional Online Presence, 2013

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IDEA

THE

TRENDGEIST:

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CONSUMER

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CONSUMER

CREATIVE CONSUMER

Fig 13. Charlie Bowring Consumer Visuals, 2013

Extremely healthy eating avid online shopper, favourite stores include Zara, Nasty Gal and ASOS. The only social network she doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have is Twitter as she prefers to browse visual platforms looking for inspiration. A full time student currently unemployed, however, aspires to be a Fashion Designer. The people she most admires for their style and intends to have wearing her clothes one day are: Olivia Palermo and Alexa Chung. TrendGeist would provide Charlie with a single platform to go to be inspired and have the opportunity to be involved in conversations and developing her knowledge, around particular trends she is interested in. As a intending fashion designer, keeping up to date with trends as well as being in touch with the consumer mind will be essential to success.

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CONSUMER

CHARLIE

BOWRING BIRTHDAY: 29th April 1992 HOMETOWN: Haslemere, Surrey

COLLEGES: Wellington College, Berkshire London College of Fashion UNI: Nottingham Trent COURSE: 2nd Year Textile Design STATUS: Single FAMILY: 3 Sisters

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FAST

PACED

PROFESSIONAL

Fig 15. Sophie Robinson Consumer Visuals, 2013

As a professional she is currently on all social networks available, even having a personal Facebook and Twitter to add to her online network portfolio. Spends the majority of her time on her laptop, even watching television on it due to not owning a TV. Shopping isn’t an essential part of her lifestyle, however she enjoys buying at friends’ boutiques or hidden vintage stores around London. Sophie works as a Visual Merchandiser for Dunhill and states that she has reached her ‘Dream Job’ so her focus now is traveling around and seeing the world whenever she can. TrendGeist would provide Sophie with a platform to receive consumer information and knowing what particular attire is going to do really well at that current moment and being able to adapt instore and window layouts to attract consumers.

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CONSUMER

SOPHIE

ROBINSON

BIRTHDAY: 17th June 1983 HOMETOWN: London COLLEGES: Hithchin Girls, Hertfordshire UNI: De Montfort, Leicester JOB: Visual Merchandiser at Dunhill STATUS: Single FAMILY: 1 Sister

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DESIGN

DEVELOPMENT As a trend visual platform TrendGeist’s identity needs to be timely and on trend. Secondary research provided relevant trend directions for the brand to follow, however, the Autumn/Winter 14/15 macro trend of ‘Industrial Evolution’ sourced from WGSN (2013c: Online) was the overall favourite and inspired visual outcomes. Further visual research was sought at the Tate Modern, where displays showed the impact of abstraction and geometric composition (see Figures 17, 18, 19 & 20) When considering the overall branding of TrendGeist it was important to choose a theme which had longevity and that would not be considered ‘outdated’ in the future. Industrial, geometric design

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DESIGN

has been proven to maintain consumer interest as can be seen from the still coveted abstract artwork from the 1920s (Tate Modern, 2013: Online) Empathic primary research strategies were employed, to gain insight with potential users attitudes towards the visual identity of the brand. The three elements which we asked consumer opinions on were the name, font and logo of the brand (see appendix 10). By 67% the name TrendGeist was the overall favourite in ‘Futurist Fixed-Width’ font. The chosen name empathised the brands Big

moment.

DEVELOPMENT

Fig 17. Linen, 1913 Fig 18. Study for Homage to the Square: Beaming, 1963 Fig 19. Iron Tentacles, 1950 Fig 20. Counter-Composition VI, 1925

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LOGO + BRAND

54% DIRECTIONAL element of TrendGeist while symbolising the HUMAN PARTICIPATION needed by the way of user-generated content.

Fig 21. TrendGeist Design Development Logo Ideas, 2013

Concept of ONLINE CONNECTIVITY to communicate the brands prominent theme of SHARING AND NETWORKING

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DEVELOPMENT

Fig 22. Final TrendGeist Logo, 2013

Fig 23. ‘Max Planck Research Networks’ project, 2013

From the results of the primary research into identity designs, it was evident that the connecting lines were still a popular aesthetic among consumers. This will be applied to the overall brand identity when considering the TrendGeist platform. In addition, when regarding components of the website, in particular the trend observation pages, data visualisation is a strong concept of the online platform. As ‘Innovation in data visualisation is key to making it relevant’ (Stylus, 2012b: Online). Inspiration was taken from data visualisations artist, Moritz Stefaner who demonstrates how complex data can be turned into beautiful artwork whilst also tracking the development and in Figure 23.

TRENDGEIST:

DESIGN

DEVELOPMENT

WEBSITE When designing the online platform for TrendGeist it was critical to develop an understanding of users’ needs and wants when using a website. To gain insight into a users online experience the app Silverback 2.0 was employed, testing a range of websites with ten consumers (see appendix 11). Results from this the need to keep the design relatively minimal and clean, as comments such as, ‘a lot on one page, it was a lot of effort to keep scrolling down’ (Coe, 2013, appendix 11) and that ‘there was a bit too much information...a bit overwhelming.’ (Pannell, 2013, appendix 11) were frequent among the participants. As Kirsi Niinimäki and Ilpo Koskinen state, ‘studying the users relationships with products the outcome will create deeper product satisfaction and thereby longterm product relationship’ (2011: 165) which will be applied to the development of TrendGeist.

TRENDGEIST:

DESIGN

DEVELOPMENT

Fig 24. Silverback 2.0 app Research, Screen Shots, 2013 TRENDGEIST:

DESIGN

DEVELOPMENT

Fig 25. TrendGeist Homepage, 2013

FEED

BAR

The â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Feed Meâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; bar is a constant tracker of the visuals being applied to the trends featured on TrendGeist. This stream of information communicates the image, the source provider, the initial title and commentary. The user can then click through to the selected images positioning within the trend to which it belongs.

TRENDGEIST:

DESIGN

DEVELOPMENT

URL www.trendgeist.co.uk

MENU The menu bar was designed with consideration regarding comments made from the Silverback 2.0 research. A menu which is located at the head of the page was communicated as the easiest and simplest navigation design. The 6 headings are direct and straightforward, the title is accentuated in blue to highlight the current page. Fashion, Street and Life are the titles in which which TrendGeist has curated from their own consumer insight.

HOMEPAGE

IMAGE

The image featured on the homepage can be directed, like many features on the TrendGeist platform, by the user. The arrows on either side of the main image allows the consumer to scroll through the days most popular visiuals, deciding on their own favourite as well as recieving vital up to the minute trend direction in the process.

TRENDGEIST:

DESIGN

DEVELOPMENT

COMMUNICATION

STRATEGY To gain insight into potential consumer touch-points, two ‘Day in the Life’s’ were conducted to inform on both consumer’s online and media interaction journey (see appendix 12 and 13). This primary research illustrated the consumer’s constant interaction and frequent usage of social media networks as seen in Figure 26 describing a consumers ‘Day in the Online Life’.

Fig 26. Day in the Online Life, 2013

TRENDGEIST:

COMMUNICATION

STRATEGY

Fig 27. Trend Online Survey ‘Do you use any Digital Platforms?’, 2013

Carolyn Everson, vice president of global marketing solutions at Facebook, recently said the mantra of ‘build it and they will come, is no longer one that can be relied on online’ (in WGSN, 2012: Online). TrendGeist’s communication strategy needs to meet the consumer where they are. The ‘Trend Online’ primary research survey (see appendix 2) indicated a vast usage of social networks seen in Figure 27. Due to the high quantity of networks available, it was important therefore, to work out quality over quantity when communicating with the target market. On account of the online, social nature of TrendGeist, the communication strategy will strive for an approach that integrates TrendGeist’s brand message throughout the user experience and across all social

media channels. Personalisation is a key marketing trend which TrendGeist hopes to successfully use. An example of a brand already experimenting with personalisation is Burberry. It sent personalised invitations to consumers to watch the Spring/ Summer 2013 show, then to further encourage sharing, embedded a panel of their Facebook friends alongside the live stream (WGSN, 2013d: Online). The development of big data, continues to technology to gain deeper understanding of what the consumer engages with and what they are predicted to want.

TRENDGEIST:

COMMUNICATION

STRATEGY

Fig 28. Kotex’s Women’s Inspiration Day Pinterest Campaign, 2012

TRENDGEIST:

COMMUNICATION

STRATEGY

The big creative idea needs to represent TrendGeist’s compatibility with consumer’s lives. The concept of a curated-selection of products delivered to the consumer in boxes, is a relatively new consumer trend (Mudpie, 2012: Online). A case study of how this creative idea has been successful among consumers can be seen in Figure 28 describing Kotex’s Women’s Inspiration Day Pinterest Campaign.

According to Malcolm Gladwell you should

‘LOOK FOR COOL PEOPLE FIRST AND COOL THINGS LATER, NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND. SINCE COOL THINGS ARE ALWAYS CHANGING, YOU CAN’T LOOK FOR THEM, BECAUSE THE VERY FACT THAT THEY ARE COOL MEANS YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO LOOK FOR’ (1997: 86)

This theory is vital for the user generated element of TrendGeist’s implementation process. The big creative idea for TrendGeist begins with personalised trend boxes being sent to 10 ‘trend setters’ chosen from 6 of the most highlights the member selectivity of the TrendGeist community, allowing only the highest quality of content to be featured on the platform. However, when considering a communication strategy which would illustrate this campaign to other that would be engaging and instantly shared across-platforms resembling attributes. TrendGeist has decided to produce a video inspired by Kotex’s Women’s Inspiration Day viral case, telling the story of the big creative idea. This strategy allows TrendGeist to fully immerse itself within the online environment and engage with the campaign, resulting in longer-term consumer loyalty (WGSN, 2013a: Online). Rich Raddon, co-founder of content solutions company ZEFR, agrees with this viral method, by stating emotion from storytelling. Brands want this response because it really sticks with consumers: they’ll remember how they feel about your brand,’ (in WGSN, 2012: Online). Screen shots of the viral video are illustrated in Figure 29.

(The foundational concept for the viral can be found in appendix 17, the video can be found in ‘Viral Video’ folder on the digital copy of this report) When considering the future promotional possibilities of the brand, it intends to focus on seizing opportunities in everyday events. This means being able to adapt TrendGeist message in real time rather than force it into campaigns planned in advance. This concept empathises the brands ‘of the moment’ identity, focusing on real-time and its relevance to the consumer.

Fig 29. TrendGeist Promotional Viral Campaign, 2013

YOUTUBE

LINK

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oUzPvJeDQ0

TRENDGEIST:

COMMUNICATION

STRATEGY

THE

TRIAL

TRENDGEIST:

THE

TRIAL

CREATIVE

OUTCOME

attributes. It was necessary to collaborate with individuals from our two consumer segments. Figure 30, on the next page student at Nottingham Trent University studying Fashion Design, journey from sign up to her own design outcomes developed through the use of the service.

‘I really love the design of it all, as it is for creative people I think it’s so important to be on brand throughout. I found the navigation through the pages really easy and straightforward. In terms of design, geometry and the consumer are the main sources of inspiration behind my collection so this platform is perfect really, seeing imagery straight from the consumer, especially being able to see what has been most popular, is so helpful to me and my design process!’ (Leach, 2013, appendix 14)

THE

TRENDGEIST

JOURNEY

To evaluate TrendGeist’s feasibility of being able to integrate into our target

Fig 31. Imogen Leach’s Creative Outcome resulting from using TrendGeist, 2013

CREATIVE CONSUMER Fig 30. TrendGeist Online Journey for Creative Consumer, 2013

CREATIVE

OUTCOME

THE

TRENDGEIST

JOURNEY

When designing the sign up to the self data, to produce data which algorithms could then be built around. It was then highlighted by Phil Campbell, ‘that trend data then is what you can sell to other companies’ (2013, see appendix 15). It was recognised that once the professional consumer, has that data they can make better informed decisions, as illustrated in Figure 32 showing Textile from sign up to her creative outcomes inspired by the TrendGeist platform.

‘The layout and various steps were really clear and beautifully designed. I found it most helpful to look at the timeline of a trend, to see how a trend has developed; it gave me a good idea of where to go with it next. The folkloric trend really inspired me with my designs, like I said, the development over time and also seeing it in the different contexts as most of my inspiration comes from the world around me not just purely fashion related imagery.’

FAST

PACED

PROFESSIONAL

Fig 32. TrendGeist Online Journey for Fast Paced Professional, 2013

TRENDGEIST:

CONCLUSION

From this body of research, it can be concluded that there is a gap in the market for an accessible trend platform which employs current trend visuals, sourced directly from the consumer. TrendGeist has been seen to be and professional consumer, answering a key objective of making a service relevant to everyday lives, stated in the introduction to this project. In the current online environment, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;everything you do is being analysedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; (Campbell, 2013, see appendix 15) so internet data is constantly growing which is why a server such as TrendGeist will be increasingly valuable to the future consumer, as it will aggregate visual trend data in one location, eliminating the need to extensively research trends through countless websites. The future possibilities for implementing TrendGeist would begin by targeting small marketing or fast fashion companies that have to adapt and change to trends almost immediately to suit consumers or who want to get into social media and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know where to start. From this niche starting point, TrendGeist would build authority in the trend forecasting environment, and in harmony with the development of big data be seen to expand in a market which is now constantly looking to the consumer for inspiration and evaluation.

Fig 34. Changing Future, 2012

TRENDGEIST:

CONCLUSION

TRENDGEIST:

CONCLUSION

WORD COUNT: 5,374

LIST

REFERENCES Stylus., 2012a. SXSWI: Big Data & What it means from you [online]. Available via: Stylus [Accessed 15 March 2013].

WGSN., 2013b. Utility over emotion: brand strategy. [online]. Available via: WGSN [Accessed 15 March 2013]

Hancock, M., 2013. Big data canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t singlehandedly deliver all it promises to marketers [online]. The Guardian. Available at: http:// www.guardian.co.uk/media-network/medianetwork-blog/2013/feb/25/marketing-big-data [Accessed 23 April 2013].

Evans, M., 2011. Empathizing with the Future: Creating Next-Next Generation Products and Services. The Design Journal, 14(2), pp. 231â&#x20AC;&#x201C;252.

The Age of Big Data, 2013. [TV] BBC Two, Thursday 4 April 2013 The Frontline., 2013. sing big data and creativity for social good [online]. V3. Available at: http://www.v3.co.uk/v3-uk/thefrontline-blog/2260731/using-big-data-andcreativity-for-social-good [Accessed 13 April 2013] Heussner, K., 2011. Creepy or Convenient? Apps for Tracking, Keeping Tabs [online]. Available at: http://abcnews.go.com/ Technology/smartphone-apps-trackingkeeping-tabs-past-lovers-people/ story?id=13022144#.UWptGSugmdM [Accessed 14 April 2013] Trend Boutique, 2011. TECHNOLOGY vs CRAFT. [Lecture to Student Conference, The Broadway Cinema Nottingham]. 02/11/2011. Singer, E., 2011. The Measured Life, Gaming for your Health [online]. MIT Technology Review. Available at: http://www. technologyreview.com/view/424433/gamingyour-health/ [Accessed 23 April 2013] Siegel, D., 2009. Pull: The Power of the Semantic Web to Transform Your Business. USA: Portfolio Hardcover Schmidt, E., and Cohen, H., 2013. The New Digital Age: Reshaping the Future of People, Nations and Business. London: John Murray WGSN., 2013a. Buzzwords: 10 tech essentials. [online]. Available via: WGSN [Accessed 15 March 2013]. 46

TRENDGEIST:

REFERENCES

Graves, P., 2010. Consumer.ology. London: Nicholas Brealey Publishing Jarausch, K, H., and Hardy, K, A., 1991. Quantitative Methods for Historians: A Guide to Research, Data and Statistics. Chapel Hill: University of Chicago Press Jenson, K, B., ed., 2002. A Handbook of Media and Communication Research Qualitative and quantitative methodologies. London: Routledge Tate., 2013. Structure and Clarity [online] Available at: http://www.tate.org.uk/whatson/tate-modern/display/structure-and-clarity [Accessed 23 April 2013] Harper, S., and Yesilada, Y., eds., 2008. Web Accessibility: A Foundation for Research. London: Springer Mintel., 2012. Social Media and Networking UK - May 2012. [online]. Available via: Mintel [Accessed 15 March 2013] Focus Group., 2013. Student Focus Group with Emma Waite and Rianna Smith. 21st April Rao, L., 2011. Storify Raises $2M From Khosla Ventures To Blend Social Media With Storytelling [online]. techcrunch. Available at: http://techcrunch.com/2011/02/03/storifyraises-2m-from-khosla-ventures-to-blendsocial-media-with-storytelling/[Accessed 24 April 2013] Stylus., 2013. Lift 13 Filtering out the Noise. [online]. Available via: Stylus [Accessed 15 March 2013]

Damman, X., 2012. How Social Media is Changing the News [Talk at TEDxBrussels] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=Puro_L7O4eY [Accessed 27 April 2013]

Draper, A., 2013. Out with Vogue, in with Pose [online]. Forbes. Available at: http://www.forbes.com/sites/ womenintech/2013/03/04/out-with-vogue-inwith-pose/ [Accessed 27 April 2013]

Storify., 2013a. Coverage of Boston Marathon explosions [online] Storify. Available at: http:// storify.com/storify/coverage-of-the-bostonmarathon-explosions-1 [Accessed 27 April 2013]

Mashable., 2012. Strike a Pose: Rachel Zoe Invests in Fashion App [online]. Available at: http://mashable.com/2012/04/03/pose-rachelzoe/ [Accessed 27 April 2013]

Rosales, L., 2013. Facebook private status updates made public by Storify [online]. AGBeat. Available at: http://agbeat.com/ social-media/private-facebook-statusupdates-made-visible-by-storify/ [Accessed 27 April 2013] Storify., 2013b. Storify Business [online]. Storify. Available at: http://storify.com/ business?utm_campaign=website&utm_ source=email&utm_medium=email [Accessed 27 April 2013] Tracx, 2013. The Industry’s most robust and scalable SMMS [online]. Available at: http:// www.tracx.com/about/ [Accessed 27 April 2013] Peacock, M., 2012. Tracx Manages Your Social Media Engagement [online]. CMS Wire. Available at: http://www.cmswire.com/ cms/customer-experience/tracx-managesyour-social-media-engagement-014553.php [Accessed 27 April 2013] Gray, N., 2013. Addressing the Gorilla in the Room: How a company (track) embraced an innovative new technology to facilitate a bigdata challenge and advance social media anlystics [Online] Media Planet. Available at: http://www.tracx.com/news/mediaplanettracx-vertica [Accessed 27 April 2013] Hesseldahl, A., 2013. Tracx, Social Media’s Big-Data Player, Lands $3.5 Million from Flybridge Capital [online]. All Things D. Available at: http://allthingsd.com/20130308/ tracx-social-medias-big-data-player-lands-3-

Wired., 2013. Reviews: Make it Work, People: 5 Fashion and Style Apps [online]. Wired. Available at: http://www.wired.com/ reviews/2013/04/app-guide-fashion-style/ [Accessed 27 April 2013] Taylor, C., 2012. Pose, 1M Users Strong, Brings Its Fashion Photo App To The iPad - And Starts To Make And Share Revenue [online]. Available at: http://techcrunch. com/2012/09/06/pose-ipad-commercerevenue-sharing/ [Accessed 27 April 2013] Ferrara, A., 2012. Virtual Closets to Pocket Sized Stylists: 5 New Fashion Apps You’ll Love [online]. Available at: http://nyephilly. com/glamdamnit/17425/Virtual-Closets-toPocket-Sized-Stylists-5-New-Fashion-AppsYoull-Love/ [Accessed 27 April 2013] ReQoop., 2013. ReQoop [online]. Available at: http://reqoop.com [Accessed 27 April 2013] Anon., 2011. ReQoop: App that Highlights Brick and Mortar Stores [online]. Available at: http://startupfashion.com/reqoop-apphighlights-brick-mortar-stores#comments [Accessed 27 April 2013] Faresin, N., 2013. Designer Forum. Interview with Rianna Smith and Emma Waite. Nottingham. 14th March Oracle., 2011. The Future of Retail: Through the Eyes of Digital Natives, The Ocacle White Paper, (September). pp. 1-14

April 2013] TRENDGEIST:

REFERENCES

Campbell, P., 2013. Social Media Artist. Interview with Emma Waite and Rianna Smith. 15th May Robinson, S., 2013. Senior Visual Merchandiser for Dunhill. Email Interview with Rianna Smith. 24th March Singer, N., 2013. Head of IT at Tracx. Email Interview with Emma Waite. 16th May WGSN, 2013c. Industrial Evolution Consumer Priorities Autumn/Winter 2014/15. [online]. Available via: WGSN [Accessed 30th April 2013] Stylus, 2012b. Future Everything - Art, Music, Ideas. Jun 1 2012. [online]. Available via: Stylus [Accessed 15th March 2013] Coe, C., 2013. Silverback 2.0 Testing with Rianna Smith. 26th March Panell, L., 2013. Silverback 2.0 Testing with Rianna Smith. 6th April Niinim채ki, K., and Koskinen, I., 2011. I Love this Dress, It Makes Me Feel Beautiful! Empathic Knowledge in Sustainable Design. The Design Journal, 14(2), pp. 165-186. WGSN., 2012. Social Media Platforms: Marketing Top Five. [online]. Available via: WGSN [Accessed 30th April 2013] WGSN., 2013d. 2013 in marketing: Top Trends. [online]. Available via: WGSN [Accessed 30th April 2013] Mudpie., 2012. Market Insight: Monthly Box Subscriptions [online]. Available via: Mudpie [Accessed 15th March 2013] Gladwell, M., 1997. COOLHUNT. The Annals of Style. The New Yorker, (17 March), pp.7888 Leach, I., 2013. Collaboration TrendGeist implementation with Emma Waite and Rianna Smith. 30th April

implementation with Emma Waite and Rianna Smith. 30th April

TRENDGEIST:

REFERENCES

LIST

ILLUSTRATIONS Fig 1. Development of the Web. 2013. Own Image

Image Fig 17. Linen. 1913. By Natalya Goncharova. [Oil paint on canvas]. Available at: Tate Modern

Fig 2. Cloud and Big Data. 2013. By Gillian Bergin [Online]. Available at: https://twitter.com/GillianBergin/ status/334592541267742720/photo/1

Fig 18. Study for Homage to the Square: Beaming. 1963. By Josef Albers. [Oil paint on

Fig 3. Inside Tate Modern, London. 2007. By Sara Matos. [Photograph]. Available at: http:// garden-of-nightmares.deviantart.com/art/tate48934175 Fig 4. Primary Research. 2013. Own Image Fig 5. Perceptual Map Co-Creation vs. Cross Platform. 2013. Own Image Fig 6. Perceptual Map Accessibility vs. Visual Identity. 2013. Own Image

Fig 19. Iron Tentacles. 1950. By José Yalenti. [Photograph]. Available at: Tate Modern Fig 20. Counter-Composition VI. 1925. By Theo van Doesbur. [Oil paint on canvas]. Available at: Tate Modern Fig 21. TrendGeist Design Development Logo Ideas. 2013. Own Image Fig 22. Final TrendGeist Logo. 2013. Own Image

Fig 7. Storify Website. 2013. [Screen Shots] Fig 8. Tracx Website. 2013. [Screen Shots] Fig 9. Pose Website. 2013. [Screen Shots]

Fig 23. ‘Max Planck Research Networks’ project. 2013. By Moritz Stefaner. [Online]. Available at: http://moritz.stefaner.eu

Fig 10. ReQoop Website. 2013. [Screen Shots]

Fig 24. Silverback 2.0 app Research, Screen Shots. 2013. [Screen Shots]

Fig 11. Blue Rinse. 2013. By Patternity. [Online]. Available at: http://patternity.org/ search/blue/page/2/

Fig 25. TrendGeist Homepage. 2013. Own Image

Fig 12. Forget LinkedIn: 5 Alternative Platforms To Build A Professional Online Presence. 2013. By Amy Edwards. [Online]. Available at: http://www.bubble-jobs.co.uk/ blog/cv-tips/forget-linkedin-5-alternativeplatforms-to-build-a-professional-onlinepresence Fig 13. Charlie Bowring Consumer Visuals. 2013. Own Image

Fig 26. Day in the Online Life. 2013. Own Image Fig 27. Trend Online Survey ‘Do you use any Digital Platforms?’. 2013. Own Image Fig 28. Kotex’s Women’s Inspiration Day Pinterest Campaign. 2012. By Smoyz. [Video Screen Shots] Fig 29. TrendGeist Promotional Viral Campaign. 2013. Own Video [Video Screen Shots]

Image Fig 15. Sophie Robinson Consumer Visuals. 2013. Own Image

Fig 30. TrendGeist Online Journey for Creative Consumer. 2013. Own Image

TRENDGEIST:

LIST

ILLUSTRATIONS

Fig 31. Imogen Leachâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Creative Outcome resulting from using TrendGeist. 2013. Own Image Fig 32. TrendGeist Online Journey for Fast Paced Professional. 2013. Own Image

resulting from using TrendGeist. 2013. Own Image Fig 34. Changing Future. 2012. By sweetbriar. [Online] Available at: http://serialthriller.com/ post/30860347444/changing-future-bysweetbriar

TRENDGEIST:

LIST

ILLUSTRATIONS

BIBLIOGRAPHY BOOKS Beck, T., Web 2.0: User-Generated Content in Online Communities: Theoretical and Empirical Investigation of its Determinants. Germany: Diplomica Verlag Cornish, E., 2004. Futuring: The Exploration of the Future. Bethesda. MD: World Future Society.

Evans, M., 2011. Empathizing with the Future: Creating Next-Next Generation Products and Services. The Design Journal, 14(2), pp. 231–252. Fulk, J., et al. 1987. A Social Information Processing Model of Media use in Organisations. Communication Research,14 (5), pp.529- 552.

Graves, P., 2010. Consumer.ology. London: Nicholas Brealey Publishing

Gladwell, M., 1997. COOLHUNT. The Annals of Style. The New Yorker, (17 March), pp.7888

Harper, S., and Yesilada, Y., eds., 2008. Web Accessibility: A Foundation for Research. London: Springer

McDonagh, D., and Thomas, J., 2011. Design + Empathy = Intuitive Design Outcomes. The Design Journal, 14(2), pp. 147–150.

Jarausch, K, H., and Hardy, K, A., 1991. Quantitative Methods for Historians: A Guide to Research, Data and Statistics. Chapel Hill: University of Chicago Press

Niinimäki, K., and Koskinen, I., 2011. I Love this Dress, It Makes Me Feel Beautiful! Empathic Knowledge in Sustainable Design. The Design Journal, 14(2), pp. 165-186.

Jenson, K, B., ed., 2002. A Handbook of Media and Communication Research Qualitative and quantitative methodologies. London: Routledge

Oracle., 2011. The Future of Retail: Through the Eyes of Digital Natives, The Ocacle White Paper, (September), pp. 1-14

Jones, R., 2008. The Big Idea. London:

Rescher, N.,1997. Predicting the Future: Introduction to the Theory of Forecasting. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.

Seymour, R., 2008. ‘Optimistic futurism’. Interactions, May/June, 52–54. Strickfaden, M., 2011. Empathy through Accumulating Techné: Designing an Accessible Metro. The Design Journal, 14(2), pp. 207-230

ONLINE Schmidt, E., and Cohen, H., 2013. The New Digital Age: Reshaping the Future of People, Nations and Business. London: John Murray Siegel, D., 2009. Pull: The Power of the Semantic Web to Transform Your Business. USA: Portfolio Hardcover

JOURNALS Aghaei, S., et al. 2012. Evolution of the World Wide Web:: From Web 1.0 to Web 4.0. International Journal of Web & Semantic Technology, 3 (1), pp.1-8

Anon., 2011. ReQoop: App that Highlights Brick and Mortar Stores [online]. Available at: http://startupfashion.com/reqoop-apphighlights-brick-mortar-stores#comments [Accessed 27 April 2013] Draper, A., 2013. Out with Vogue, in with Pose [online]. Forbes. Available at: http://www.forbes.com/sites/ womenintech/2013/03/04/out-with-vogue-inwith-pose/ [Accessed 27 April 2013]

TRENDGEIST:

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Ferrara, A., 2012. Virtual Closets to Pocket Sized Stylists: 5 New Fashion Apps You’ll Love [online]. Available at: http://nyephilly. com/glamdamnit/17425/Virtual-Closets-toPocket-Sized-Stylists-5-New-Fashion-AppsYoull-Love/ [Accessed 27 April 2013]

April 2013] Patternity., 2013. Fashion [online]. Available at: http://patternity.org/search/blue/page/2/ [Accessed 14 April 2013]

Gordan, K., 2012. The Creative Power of Amazement [PSKF NYC 2012] [online]. Available at: http://www.psfk.com/2012/03/ jason-silva-creative-amazemen-psfknyc-2012.html

Peacock, M., 2012. Tracx Manages Your Social Media Engagement [online]. CMS Wire. Available at: http://www.cmswire.com/ cms/customer-experience/tracx-managesyour-social-media-engagement-014553.php [Accessed 27 April 2013]

Gray, N., 2013. Addressing the Gorilla in the Room: How a company (track) embraced an innovative new technology to facilitate a bigdata challenge and advance social media anlystics [Online] Media Planet. Available at: http://www.tracx.com/news/mediaplanettracx-vertica [Accessed 27 April 2013]

Rao, L., 2011. Storify Raises $2M From Khosla Ventures To Blend Social Media With Storytelling [online]. techcrunch. Available at: http://techcrunch.com/2011/02/03/storifyraises-2m-from-khosla-ventures-to-blendsocial-media-with-storytelling/[Accessed 24 April 2013]

Hancock, M., 2013. Big data can’t singlehandedly deliver all it promises to marketers [online]. The Guardian. Available at: http:// www.guardian.co.uk/media-network/medianetwork-blog/2013/feb/25/marketing-big-data [Accessed 23 April 2013].

ReQoop., 2013. ReQoop [online]. Available at: http://reqoop.com [Accessed 27 April 2013]

Hesseldahl, A., 2013. Tracx, Social Media’s Big-Data Player, Lands $3.5 Million from Flybridge Capital [online]. All Things D. Available at: http://allthingsd.com/20130308/ tracx-social-medias-big-data-player-lands-3April 2013] Heussner, K., 2011. Creepy or Convenient? Apps for Tracking, Keeping Tabs [online]. Available at: http://abcnews.go.com/ Technology/smartphone-apps-trackingkeeping-tabs-past-lovers-people/ story?id=13022144#.UWptGSugmdM [Accessed 14 April 2013] Mashable., 2012. Strike a Pose: Rachel Zoe Invests in Fashion App [online]. Available at: http://mashable.com/2012/04/03/pose-rachelzoe/ [Accessed 27 April 2013] Matos,S., 2007. Inside Tate Modern, London [online]. Available at: http://garden-ofnightmares.deviantart.com/art/tate-48934175 [Accessed 12 May 2013] Moritz, S., 2013. Projects [online]. Available at: http://moritz.stefaner.eu [Accessed 14

TRENDGEIST:

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Rosales, L., 2013. Facebook private status updates made public by Storify [online]. AGBeat. Available at: http://agbeat.com/ social-media/private-facebook-statusupdates-made-visible-by-storify/ [Accessed 27 April 2013] Singer, E., 2011. The Measured Life, Gaming for your Health [online]. MIT Technology Review. Available at: http://www. technologyreview.com/view/424433/gamingyour-health/ [Accessed 23 April 2013] Storify., 2013a. Coverage of Boston Marathon explosions [online] Storify. Available at: http:// storify.com/storify/coverage-of-the-bostonmarathon-explosions-1 [Accessed 27 April 2013] Storify., 2013b. Storify Business [online]. Storify. Available at: http://storify.com/ business?utm_campaign=website&utm_ source=email&utm_medium=email [Accessed 27 April 2013] Tate., 2013. Structure and Clarity [online] Available at: http://www.tate.org.uk/whatson/tate-modern/display/structure-and-clarity [Accessed 23 April 2013]

Taylor, C., 2012. Pose, 1M Users Strong, Brings Its Fashion Photo App To The iPad - And Starts To Make And Share Revenue [online]. Available at: http://techcrunch. com/2012/09/06/pose-ipad-commercerevenue-sharing/ [Accessed 27 April 2013]

Kjaer, A., 2013. Kjaer Global. Email Interview with Emma Waite. Nottingham. 15th March

Tracx, 2013. The Industry’s most robust and scalable SMMS [online]. Available at: http:// www.tracx.com/about/ [Accessed 27 April 2013]

McGrath, J., 2013. Silverback 2.0 Testing with Rianna Smith. 22nd April

Wired., 2013. Reviews: Make it Work, People: 5 Fashion and Style Apps [online]. Wired. Available at: http://www.wired.com/ reviews/2013/04/app-guide-fashion-style/ [Accessed 27 April 2013]

COMMUNICATION Interview with Rianna Smith. 15th April

implementation with Emma Waite and Rianna Smith. 30. April Bowring, C., 2013. Day in the Life – Online. 25th April

Leach, I., 2013. Collaboration TrendGeist implementation with Emma Waite and Rianna Smith. 30. April

Newman, R., 2013. Silverback 2.0 Testing with Rianna Smith. 23rd March O’Connor, C., 2013. Silverback 2.0 Testing with Rianna Smith. 26th March Panell, L., 2013. Silverback 2.0 Testing with Rianna Smith. 6th April Ritchie, W., 2013. Silverback 2.0 Testing with Rianna Smith. 24th March Robinson, A., 2013. Day in the Life – Advertising. 25th April Robinson, S., 2013. Senior Visual Merchandiser for Dunhill. Email Interview with Rianna Smith. 24th March Robinson, S., 2013. Senior Visual

Emma Waite. 25th April

with Rianna Smith. 6th May

Campbell, P., 2013. Social Media Artist. Interview with Emma Waite and Rianna Smith. 15th May

Singer, N., 2013. Head of IT at Tracx. Email Interview with Emma Waite. 16th May

Coe, C., 2013. Silverback 2.0 Testing with Rianna Smith. 26th March Coe, I. 2013. Silverback 2.0 Testing with Rianna Smith. 26th March Faresin, N., 2013. Designer Forum. Interview with Rianna Smith and Emma Waite. Nottingham.14th March Feeley, J., 2013. TREND BIBLE. Email Interview with Emma Waite. Nottingham.14th March Focus Group., 2013. Student Focus Group with Emma Waite and Rianna Smith. 21st April

Smith, L., 2013. Silverback 2.0 Testing with Rianna Smith. 1st April Smith, S., 2013. Silverback 2.0 Testing with Rianna Smith. 1st April

REPORTS Mintel., 2012. Social Media and Networking UK - May 2012. [online]. Available via: Mintel [Accessed 15 March 2013] Mudpie., 2012. Market Insight: Monthly Box Subscriptions [online]. Available via: Mudpie [Accessed 15th March 2013] Stylus., 2013. Lift 13 Filtering out the Noise. [online]. Available via: Stylus [Accessed 15 March 2013]

Juer, R., 2013. Silverback 2.0 Testing with Rianna Smith. 20th April TRENDGEIST:

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Stylus., 2012a. SXSWI: Big Data & What it means from you [online]. Available via: Stylus [Accessed 15 March 2013]. Stylus, 2012b. Future Everything - Art, Music, Ideas. Jun 1 2012. [online]. Available via: Stylus [Accessed 15th March 2013] Stylus, 2012c. Big data and new privacy. [online]. Available via: Stylus [Accessed 15th March 2013] Trend Boutique, 2011. TECHNOLOGY vs CRAFT. [Lecture to Student Conference, The Broadway Cinema Nottingham]. 02/11/2011. WGSN., 2013a. Buzzwords: 10 tech essentials. [online]. Available via: WGSN [Accessed 15 March 2013]. WGSN., 2013b. Utility over emotion: brand strategy. [online]. Available via: WGSN [Accessed 15 March 2013] WGSN, 2013c. Industrial Evolution Consumer Priorities Autumn/Winter 2014/15. [online]. Available via: WGSN [Accessed 30th April 2013] WGSN., 2013d. 2013 in marketing: Top Trends. [online]. Available via: WGSN [Accessed 30th April 2013] WGSN., 2012a. Social Media Platforms: Marketing Top Five. [online]. Available via: WGSN [Accessed 30th April 2013] WGSN., 2012b. Branded Storytelling: update. [online]. Available via: WGSN [Accessed 30th April 2013]

VIDEOS Damman, X., 2012. How Social Media is Changing the News [Talk at TEDxBrussels] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=Puro_L7O4eY [Accessed 27 April 2013] The Age of Big Data, 2013. [TV] BBC Two, Thursday 4 April 2013 TrendGeist., 2013. Communication Strategy [Own Video] Available at: http://www.youtube. com/watch?v=3oUzPvJeDQ0 [Accessed 12 May 2013] 54

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Inspiration Day by Kotex., 2012. [Video] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=UVCoM4ao2Tw [Accessed 21 March 2013]

THE APPENDICES

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APPENDIX PILOT

QUESTIONNAIRE

A pilot questionnaire was conducted to ensure that the quality of the data was relevant to the project and that the questions were easily understood, ultimately leading to the most successful and useful set of results. A random selection of 5 consumers with the age range of 16-30 were sampled to receive unbiased results. See the pilot survey in full below and the 5 consumersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; answers on the following pages with attached consent. From this pilot questionnaire it was understood that the majority of questions were suitable. However, multiple choice questions were preferred and also presented a more analysable adapted from these results.

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QUESTIONNAIRE questionnaire was created. It was decided that the best way to reach the chosen consumer would be via an online link so the online service, SurveyMonkey was used. 61 consumers aged between 16 and 30 completed the questionnaire. Result bias was actively attempted to be avoided by sending the survey link out in a variety of methods - email, facebook, twitter and messages - to get the broadest possible range of consumers to respond. Each consumer was fully informed of the ethical implications and chose to give their consent by completing the questionnaire, but were free to withdraw their answers at any point. The link to the online version is: http:// www.surveymonkey.com/s/WFFCVVD and the following pages illustrate the results.

1. What is your gender? Female Male

16-18 19-21 22-24 25-27 28-30 3. What is your occupation? (please specify e.g. student course title) Student Employed Unemployed Course/Job Title: 4. Do you use any of these digital platforms? Facebook Twitter Pinterest Instagram Tumblr Other (please specify) 5. What do you use these platforms for? Socialising Sharing Inspiration Keeping Informed Visualising Other (please specify) 6. How do you feel about the public sharing of information through these platforms? All for it Not fussed Don’t know Against it 7. Are you interested in following trends? Yes Don’t know No

9. Would you be interested in a new trend site that links inspiration from various online platforms? (e.g. Instagram) Yes Don’t know No 10. What is your main trend this season?

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“WHY IS TREND IMPORTANT TO YOU?’ This question was asked of 20 consumers aged 16-30. The reason behind this was to focus research and gain insight into the daily consumers need of a trend service and the variety of reasons of why that may be.

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TO THE MODERN

Attending the Tate Modern provided an opportunity to undertake primary visual research. The gallery holds a vast collection of international modern and

The inspiration gathered from this visit contributed and informed the visual design of the project.

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INTERVIEWS WITH TREND FORCASTING AGENCIES Two interviews were conducted with two professional Trend Forecasting Agencies. Joanna Feeley from Trend Bible and Anne Lise Kjaer from Kjaer Global were contacted via email in order to create a better understanding of the professional job of a trend forecaster and what it entails. Each email interview has been written up and screen-grabbed with the given consent.

JOANNA FEELEY TREND BIBLE

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14th MARCH 2013 Do you think there is a gap in the market for user-generated trend information, as the consumer is becoming more aware and involved in the creation and the journey of products and brands? A: end user- generated trend imagery is useful to a degree, but to ensure a trend is not only visually inspiring but commercially viable takes experience. Trends also need to be applied to each brand, and in my experience retailers need to be advised from experienced experts. This is why the most successful trend agencies are very well established with decades of experience, the pressure to get the trends right is extreme and trend forecasters take responsibility for their advice, which makes the brand/ retailer share the risk. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not sure forecasts by users would provide the same, if any, reassurance. Designers, buyers and forecasters spend years training and honing their instincts so they are bound to be better judges than users. Would you consider using this concept as an additional element to your forecast platform? A: for fashion it has its uses but for home interiors (our specialism) less so. It is already pretty well established in fashion forecasting, in that companies like WGSN use photos of people on the street as part of their forecasts. Most forecasting teams have people with 20+ years of commercial experience applying trends to corporate brands so in that respect it would be

Where do you see the future of trend forecasting heading? A: in our opinion, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all about bespoke trend services. We are building a strong client base in models that are making the high street is look increasingly homogenised. Again, thank you so much for your time and giving me the opportunity to be able to ask these questions it is very much appreciated!

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ANNA LISE KJAER KJAER GLOBAL

15th MARCH 2013 Do you think there is a gap in the market for user-generated trend information, as the consumer is becoming more aware and involved in the creation and the journey of products and brands? A: NO - there is not a gap in the market as Instagram, Pinterst, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr are already doing this. Google analytics made this possible via algorithm and everyone including AMAZON. Then newsmap.jp is already doing this – if you research out there you will see this are so many people doing this – like COOL HUNTER and the SATORIALIST. There are far too many TREND FORECASTERS out there saying more of the same – we need people who inspire and create INSPIRATION & INTELLIGENT CONTENT. Would you consider using this concept as an additional element to your forecast platform? Well I am not sure I can share my trade secret with you sorry. But I will say that our METHODS & TREND TOOLS are tried and tested over a period of almost 15 years – they work but are constantly

Where do you see the future of trend forecasting heading? In my line of work it is well known that the future is not just somewhere you go, you create the future. This is why we, over the years, have developed certain tools to anticipate future challenges. When we look at today’s society one of our biggest challenge is to navigate complexity. We are constantly bombarded with contradictory messages. Therefore, TRENDS MANAGEMENT & FORECAST will be even more tailor-made than it is today – there simply is no: ONE MODEL FIT THEM ALL. We have believe stay TRANS- MEDIA STORYTELLING is where the future will go.

TRENDS, IDEAS & VIDEOS: http://on.fb.me/14yviO3 Kind regards Anne Lise Kjaer

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INTERVIEW WITH NINA FARESIN A face to face interview was conducted with Nina Faresin the Creative Business Manager of Designer Forum which has been fully transcribed. This conversation gave an in depth understanding into the consumer wants of a trend forecasting agency as well as the different services they can provide and cater to. From the previous email interviews with Trend Forecasting agencies, the initial idea of the project had negative feedback. So, from the conversation with Nina Faresin a new concept was devised that utilises the unique concept of co- created trend content via crossplatform sharing. This conversation has been fully transcribed with consent form following.

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TRANSCRIPT 14th MARCH 2013 US: Hi Nina thank you very much for taking the time to talk to us about our project NINA: No problem, would you be able to refresh my memory on it please US: Sure, we are hoping to create a new user-generated trend forecasting platform, which will provide brands with true consumer insight and inspiration while being a constant form of inspiration and knowledge for the user participants. Were intending to link the platform to the users visual social networking sites like pinterest, instagram and us into trends. NINA: ah yes I remember from the email now. There should be quite a bit on technology here at designer forum.. US: We hope so, we intend to go in there after this interview. NINA: so with this idea the only thing is for something to be considered ‘forecasting’ it really does need to be a year in advance, a year old. It has to be far enough ahead of the season to be useful to a brand US: For them to have time to.. NINA: Yeah so at the very least, 6 months. But but generally speaking most brands, businesses, designers work at least a year ahead of the season and y’know what I think you might be able to get out of something like this is, and it would depend on the quality of the software, making an interpretation, erm is, y’know erm, an analysis of a particular feeling of the moment. US: Yeah NINA: And it would also depend on how erm, perceptive the users are that are generating the content US: Yeah it would have to be really well curated NINA: Yes, because erm y’know I think there is kind of a danger of users photographing a lovely pair of shoes they see in a shop window or things which people are wearing now, or something which exists in the retail environment. But in the terms of trend forecast, unless they are photographing something that is just emerging right at the top of that er concept. Y’know unless there photographing stuff thats really really y’know out there.. NINA: no it, there is a danger of it just being a record of whats out there rathEr than er a projection of whats to come. So I don’t know how you get round that NINA: And and it has to be a projection of really a long way ahead and quite often these y’know these these how it works is the agencies are considering a really bigger picture, attitudes, cultural shifts US: So the upcoming macro trends? our moods at the moment is erm y’know we live in quite troubled times so y’know like natural disasters, y’know economic meltdown erm y’know civil unrest, rioting, wars going on..its

forecasting and you couldn’t you couldn’t record that by doing what your doing but what you could do is y’know if your users were perceptive or in the right place they could be recording the sort of incidental movings which are cropping of so things which are close to the season, erm but you wouldnt really be able to use it for something thats... US: projective yeah NINA: And long term. So as I say I think it has a place but it’s not trend forecasting. US: More like trend showing..

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NINA: Yeah, y’know I think it’ll be useful to sort of erm, err if the software would be able to do it. Y’know to collect it and analyse it and it would almost like plot erm y’know how something might evolve. Y’know and that in itself is a tool that you van use to anticipate where it’s going to go to next. So it could be useful in that respect. Erm y’know I think there is a more greater recognition now that erm a lot of trends do come from the street up. Y’know bloggers for example who are having an impact the other way round but it is for quite a limited sort of market. US: I think that this sort of idea might make us return to thinking about aiming it at like university art schools.. like when initially coming up with the idea we thought about even all the different courses in Nottingham Trent Art and Design..for students. We was thinking about the whole community element of the concept. Everyone sharing. NINA: Ahh yeah, what did I look at? there was a trend forecasting website that I trialled I need things that are a little bit broader than that. But they had some kind of, erm a sort of barometer on there, so they had, er a little bar along the side of erm things which had been most widely viewed like a chart if you like, of whether y’know its polka dots or monochrome or whatever. So erm, which was based on what people were looking at on there site but also, they had erm retailers feeding in sales results so it was based on sales as well and that would be really really useful for a fast fashion company US: But not for like the long term. Is there alot of, just out of my curiosity, do you get a lot of new trend forecasting trying NINA: Well erm there not necessarily new, they might just be new to me. So y’know people phone up and ask me to look at things and try them out sometimes there relevant and sometimes there not. And there a real mixed quality as well so..

you for it to be considered trend forecasting NINA: mmm well I mean certainly you need to develop an instinct some people have a natural have an aptitude for it or you don’t. And it does help to have experience but I think its more about your understanding of erm fashion history, cultural shifts its like me i’m erm 47, and I’ve been interested in art, fashion and culture since I was 14 and so when I look at something I, I’m can understand the reference points for it. So y’know thats got a kind of 30s style to it, I’ve got a like kind of history of 20th century and 21st century design in my head that I’ve built up for a period of time. Not to say y’know that a person can’t learn it US: You just have to do research NINA: Err it does make it easier if you can instantly identify where its coming from where the references are, because it helps you make sense of why its there. Y’know it’s it’s interesting cause there is a massive trend, pardon the pun in people wanting to do trend forecasting, everybody that walks through this door wants to do trend forecasting. And there’s not that many jobs in it really. If you compare the number of trend forecasting agencies to the number of brands its like a tiny little amount. Now I have to go, I hope that’s ok. NINA: Wish you both all the luck, if you go on through I’ll be in in a minute to set you up on the computers. US: Thank you very much

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GROUP

A focus group of 4 creative students aged 20-21, was conducted to provide an insight into the inspiration behind their own creative design processes and their online usage across various platforms. This research was also used to test The Big Idea concept and gain feedback from the consumer. The focus group was organised in a relaxed, casual research outcomes as it allowed the conversation to participants of the focus group introduced a bias into the research as the people were chosen based on personal opinion about their relevance to the project. This conversation has been fully transcribed with consent forms for each individual following after.

TRANSCRIPT 21st APRIL 2013 US: To start the conversation...what does trend mean to you? Erm trend is kind of what everyone is wearing at the time, kind of what is worn by and seen by

Like the following and keeping up to date with... I say it’s quite like a big thing where it’s a lot of people from all around the world all doing a certain thing or wearing a certain thing in a certain way that’s quite particular to that exact time Representing a different time, era or even season

do you need trend? How do you use it?

want to produce something that is on trend. If you’re producing it for somebody it means that it’s more likely to be sellable because there’s been a bit more research into it and stuff like colour is very important in trend like I think it’s important for everyone to be on the same kind of board... Yeah you would need to know who you are targeting and see what’s coming in at that certain season or era so that then you know how to brand it I guess

What like a website? 78

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US: Yeah or just anything around you that inspires you... WGSN Yeah...WGSN Blogs Trendland Trendwatching Magazines LSN:Global People watching US: Do you use social networking for anything? What sites are you all on? Pinterest

That’s something very on trend...Pinterest. I normally go on to like street style to see what people are doing and wearing Instagram...I follow a few street style on Instagram Tumblrs...blogs lots of blogs Kind of seeing people and thinking they look cool I like dazedandconfused.com as well...that normally has some pretty interesting stuff I’ve never been on their site Yeah stuff like WGSN and Stylus’ blogs as well are cooler

Yeah when I went for interviews in New York and stuff all of them were like oh yeah we know we need to get into Pinterest, we haven’t done it yet so we have our intern basically making our Pinterest because it’s so important now, everyone is using that...I’ve got on it now US: So do you all have blogs? Yeah Tumblr, Pinterest, Blogspot...I don’t use Blogspot anymore Oh I use Portfoliobox I have a Tumblr and a Pinterest

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I set one up but...I never added any photos to it...I kind of like lost interest in using it but I look at loads US: So, like would you be interested in joining a community that would utilize all these a trend... In one place... US: Yeah in one place and also having that social aspect of sharing and using each others visuals So could you choose the people that you wanted to follow and whatever... US: It would be like a complete online community as well so say like on your Facebook trend developments Yeah that would be really cool actually US: So what kind of things would you want to see on it? Streetstyle... Also would it have stuff like in magazines if it’s something to do with trend would it locate where also it came from? US: the imagery would all be credited to the source like you see on Pinterest... Ah yeah okay that’s good because on Pinterest I love that the source is credited but I think sometimes like ah only if it said what brand they were wearing so I could get it for myself... US: So to make sure not only the source but the designer/brand, everything is credited

US: That was something we considered for in the future...how it could be progressed into a kind of e-commerce site based around the trends like a click through to buy site Yeah that would be a cool new idea Like things like Pose but they aren’t very well made... US: Yeah and something else we were looking at was on the whole data visualization interpretations like if you were looking at street style you could see a range of images linked to other trends

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Yeah like when you explained the idea I stopped and tried to think but there’s nothing really out there and it surprised me that it hasn’t already been done because there’s such a big opportunity with it I can’t think of any websites that are doing anything like it... No... Like WGSN obviously does trend well but it’s such a huge website it’s not focused on trends to inspire it’s more the bigger picture of trend like themes US: Macro trends... Yeah And also if you aren’t at the uni you have to pay for that don’t you...? Yeah a lot of money

more for creative graduates who want to be keeping up with trends but no longer have sites. So the idea is that the consumer user signs up and allows access to their imagery so will then be able to use the site for free. Yeah that is really good for people when they’ve left uni Yeah it’s true because you can only access like WGSN and that on the uni site so yeah it’s

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EMAIL INTERVIEWS WITH CREATIVE PROFESSIONALS Two creative professionals were contacted via email, Sophie Robinson, Visual Merchandiser at Dunhill and were conducted to create an understanding of the inspiration at a professional level and what they would be looking for from a trend service. These interviews were also used to gain initial feedback on The Big Idea from a professional consumer. Further research was then instigated with both participants later on to gain key consumer insight and evaluation. Each email interview has been written up and screengrabbed with the given consent.

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24th MARCH 2013 What is your role as a visual merchandiser at Dunhill? A: My role is Senior Visual Merchandiser. I report directly to the Global head of VM who in turn reports to Head of Brand Image, which sits within the Marketing Department. I am responsible for how all our stores look in-store, globally. Therefore I create all directives on how our stores should be dressed, product merchandised, and specify what looks go on our mannequins. I train these directives to regional VM’ers who in turn train this into their markets, and become accountable for their market following the set of rules I’ve laid out for them in the directives. I am also responsible for all POS (point of sale), which we are currently redesigning, and get involved with PR events from a VM side.

merchandising? A: As with anything visual – very. It is important to have a good handle on what is going on in fashion, design, interiors. We also need to have a good idea of consumers generally

How do you currently monitor trends? A: There are several VM related blogs that I follow (such as retail design), and design websites such as “It’s Nice That”. Magazines like Frame. I used to use WGSN, but to be honest as dunhill is a luxury brand rather than a fast-paced fashion brand – this isn’t as relevant to me here. It’s good to have an idea of exhibitions that are going on (as well as obviously visiting them), and probably most key is regularly visiting stores down Bond Street, Knightsbridge, Selfridges etc. so we know what our competitors are doing. Also, try and keep abreast of economic trends which affect the consumer – generally get this information in the form of presentations from other colleagues. How much is the consumer involved in the visual merchandising creative process? A: Very. VM is all about enticing the customer into the store, displaying the product in a way that illustrates the brand and makes items desirable. It is very important tool that supports retail staff in making a sale. We always go back to “the dunhill customer”. We need to have a clear idea of who he is and what he wants and why. Our windows need to be dressed, and our stores merchandised with the customer in mind primarily. Secondary to that is the brand image we want to promote, but that is ultimately dictated by the 47 customer we want to attract. Do you think a new platform (online & print) of trend visuals and commentary directly from the consumer would be a useful source of trend information for visual merchandising?

trend related articles is information I’ve already come across online. But yes I think that could be a useful tool. Most consumer trends are fed to me in the form of dry powerpoint presentations of numbers and percentages. A more visual format would certainly be easier to digest. Perhaps something that illustrates how consumer trends affect what and how we put things in store. But I guess it’s all a bit chicken and egg, as we (the industry) also dictate to the consumer what they want and need. Hmm – I feel I’ve come full circle here! There are so many crossovers! But yes, your essentially suggesting something that gives us feedback? I think that’d be interesting, to know things like what windows worked for them and why. Why they prefer this shop

support this.

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CLAUDIA TEXTILE

BORFIGA PRINT DESIGNER

15th APRIL 2013

on trends print would just loop round in circles. How do you currently monitor these trends? A: I constantly keep my eye on design blogs, not solely related to print, some of my favourites are under headings like Print, Colour, Shape. I also try to keep up with fashion seasons and look at new collections when fashion weeks are on. I use twitter and follow some fashion magazines and designers, and I also keep an eye out for what I see people wearing and doing. How much is the consumer involved in the creation of new designs? A: Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not sure how to answer this! The consumer is always involved because if I have a target market Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m designing for then I have to keep them in mind, to consider whether the design will suit their lifestyle, whether it is wearable .etc. Do you think a new platform (online & print) of trend visuals and commentary directly from the consumer would be a useful source of information/inspiration for your designs? A: This sounds like an interesting idea and could be really useful. I think the layout of something like this would be really really important. The sites I tend to follow are appealing to me because of their clean layout and function. I like the idea of a printed version, I would want this to be a high end publication.

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CONSUMER

RESEARCH

Charlie Bowring and Sophie Robinson were chosen based on previous interactions with Emma Waite and Rianna Smith, and existing knowledge on their personalities. Both consumers are creative with an interest in trends that they express or research by predominantly visual means. Both consumers were asked a range of questions about their personal life. An informal conversational tone was used to put them at ease. Following is both consumer consent forms and visuals which were not used in the main body of report which provide vital behavioural data furthering consumer understanding.

FAST

SOPHIE ROBINSON PACED PROFESSIONAL

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CHARLIE BOWRING CREATIVE CONSUMER

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DESIGN

DEVELOPMENT

To achieve a fully consumer led platform it was necessary for the consumer to be involved in the design process of the brand. Empathic research was conducted when identifying the brands font, name, logo and overall brand design. Options were presented to the consumer which they then voted on.

consumer choices and on the following pages the scans of each process of development sheet with consumer tally voting.

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The research application Silverback 2.0 was used to test the navigation, visual identity and overall usage of 10 various sites with 10 consumers ranging in age from 16-30. This gave a clear idea of what the consumer values when it comes to website design. Below see screen grabs from each test with the participants evaluation and signed consent form.

CHARLIE Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;CONNOR http://reblorg.com/

EVALUATION It didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really have a homepage like I expected. It had all the little images but no way to go back to the start. It was pretty confusing to like that but once I got used to it, it was okay.

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WILLIAM

RITCHIE

http://www.experienceproject.com/

EVALUATION Quite overwhelming and it wasn’t very clear. The couldn’t tell you what the whole website is about...I don’t have a clue.

IZZY COE http://pinterest.com/

EVALUATION I thought the page was quite long but it was laid out quite simply and the pictures were a nice size.

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SAMUEL

SMITH

http://www.facebookstories.com/

EVALUATION I wasn’t interested in anything I looked at so just alright but a bit too much information in one place but I guess that’s a bloggy style. I liked the visuals though, the graphics were really interesting.

CHARLOTTE

COE

http://www.trendhunter.com/

EVALUATION I wasn’t interested in some of it, like the thing about the rabbit, I wasn’t interested in. But the cosmetics was cool. There’s a lot on one page, it was a lot of effort to keep scrolling down.

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LYDIA PANNELL http://www.pantone.co.uk/

EVALUATION Well, it didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really tell me what I needed to know straight away. I thought the navigation was ok but the writing was too small and boring. I think there was a bit too much information...a bit overwhelming.

ROB JUER http://www.reqoop.com/

EVALUATION Really nice and intuitive, looks neat and tidy.

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ROSIE NEWMAN http://www.polyvore.com/

EVALUATION I didn’t like it. The images weren’t big or clear enough. I didn’t like it at all. Too small, too much going on. Not easy to navigate because it should have a top bar rather than at the side. It was too much and I didn’t like it.

JOE MCGRATH http://pose.com/

EVALUATION I thought it was quite easy, simple & intuitive.

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LAUREN SMITH http://www.wgsn.com

EVALUATION It looked nice but there was a lot of stuff so I wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the top were a bit unclear, like what they meant but apart from that the layout was clear and quite easy to navigate.

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DAY IN THE ONLINE LIFE

A ‘Day in the Online Life’ study was conducted with Charlie Bowring, a target consumer. In order to track her online touch points and usage frequency, she was asked to retain a diary of her days online usgae, documenting with photographs when possible. Below is the diary she kept, her photos and her signed consent.

25th APRIL 2013 - Woke up at 8.30 - Went on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter all of them browsing for about half an hour (mobile) - Uploaded a photo to Instagram 9.06am - Went back on Facebook and checked out Pinterest at abouut 9.30 (mobile) stayed on it till about 10am - Went on the computer at 11am to check Uni email and personal email - From looking at email sat at the computer for 2 hours looking at Facebook and Pinterest - Went back on the computer at 4pm to look at clothes online, looked at zara. com, topshop.com and ASOS.com. Didn’t purchase but was on the computer till 5.30pm - Went back on the computer after dinner at 7pm opened up facebook, pinterest, twitter all at once. Started a chat conversation on facebook with a friend at 7.30pm which lasted an hour. - From an images on pinterest lead me to a few blogs and tumblrs where I scrolled for a few pages - Finally off computer at 9pm - Until I fall asleep though (and have been throughout the day) continuously been viewing facebook, instagram on my phone only for minute browsing sessions.

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APPENDIX DAY IN THE ADVERTISING A ‘Day in the Advertising Life’ study was conducted with Aimee Robinson, a Fashion Communication and Promotion 2nd year student. This was instigated in order to gain a true representation of the typical media touch points the consumer comes across in a their everyday life and also what Aimee Robinson was asked to keep a diary of the advertisements that she came in contact with throughout the day, documenting with photographs when possible and scoring the advertisement out of 10 on how appealing it is to her. Below is the diary she kept to track these touchpoints, photos and her signed consent.

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13 LIFE

25th APRIL 2013 9:02 – 9/10 – ASOS is one of my ‘liked’ pages on Facebook so I’m already interested in what they post and the visuals of bikinis really tempted me to shop online to buy one in particular because I’m going on holiday soon. 10:16 – 6/10 – I see this board walking into Uni pretty much every day and it usually has some really cool graphic posters on it. 10:36 – 3/10 – this board for The Gym is really dirty and not very nice to look at so didn’t appeal to me at all. 11:57 – 4/10 – this poster isn’t targeted at me but at least it is in better condition and more visually appealing so I may remember to recommend it if anyone is looking for swim lessons. 12:01 – 5/10 – this poster made me wish it was a hot day where I could enjoy an ice cold drink but it isn’t so it wouldn’t make me go and buy one. 12:44 – 6/10 – this Chanel board in the Victoria Centre reminded me that I needed to buy a new mascara from Boots, but not Chanel. 13:15 – 1/10 – this advert on a bin couldn’t be less appealing, just the positioning put me off straight away. 13:46 – 2/10 – I see this in Uni most days but am always in a rush so never stop to read it. 14:51 – 7/10 – I don’t normally like promoted posts on my Facebook but I already love this game so it made me want to play it. 19:15 – 8/10 – I subscribe to Topshop’s emails but don’t always open them unless the subject is something that interests me.

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THE

COLLABORATION

outcome of TrendGeist platform developed it became possible to collaborate with two of the target consumers to test the journey using the TrendGeist platform and implementing it into their day to day life. In a live context it was essential to gain consumer feedback on the platforms overall design, usage, inspiration and navigation.

Imogen Leach a student studying Fashion Design, she harnessed the websites most popular visuals to inspire her own collection of garments. To the left is her consent form, the click through journey titled ‘Imogen Journey’ can be found the digital copy of this report. The second consumer TrendGeist collaborated with was Textile Print Designer, professional, trend led industry perspective on the websites. It also provided insight into where a professional would seek inspiration on the platform. Claudia found that the most relevant and useful path was the visualisation of the trend development, which she used in order to further her consumer knowledge resulting in it inspiring her prints she had been working on. To the left is her consent form, the click through journey titled ‘Claudia Journey’ can be found the digital copy of this report.

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INTERVIEW WITH PHIL CAMPBELL It was essential as an implementation project to get validation on the technological possibilities of TrendGeist and gain an authoritative technical perspective on The Big Idea. This interview provided key insight into what technology would be involved when implementing this platform also on where technology that is being developed may be applicable. A face to face interview was conducted with social media artist, Phil Campbell. This conversation has been fully transcribed with consent form following.

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TRANSCRIPT 15th MAY 2013 US: Hi Phil thank you for agreeing to meet with us today, so from our initial email did you manage to gage the idea PHIL: I got the idea because I have been doing that kind of stuff as a brand advocate for companies for the last 7 years anyways. I use multi channels to create content and conversation around a brands directions. They come to me and say we need an advocate to some Nokia products at reception and they expect me to document my whole journey so I will be taking photos and videos and doing audio interviews and all that sort of stuff. So the idea of pulling all that and aggregating all that together is totally native to me, because that is what I’ve been doing to promote my services. I make that content to say I am here doing this for that client it’s more trackable. That’s what you’re doing isn’t it you’re aggregating data? US: Yeah, it is pulling content in terms of trends, and curating it into trends PHIL: So where is the trend data coming from? US: Basically it would be like a platform that users can sign up to and they can sign what levels they want to include so say like their Facebook, their Pinterest, their Flickr trends. And so it is the technology behind that we kind of need to know. patterns and pull them into groups for you, but so for our idea it would be looking at more of a visual algorithm which curated data for you without really needing hash tagging or titling. PHIL: The problem is with hash tags is they can be faked so I could hijack that tag and put a load of rubbish on there so that doesn’t bode well US: Yeah that was why we were hoping that it would be a visual thing PHIL: I’m going to show you one service which we used when I did a road trip down from Chicago to Austin, Texas in March. One of the things about the Americans I was with was they wanted to stop at loads of various places that seemed quirky and cool and it was how which we got asked to test while we were out there called Trova. What Trova does is it pulls in pictures from Flickr and Facebook and Instagram and all that from all over and as you move up see that counter at the top it tells you roughly how far away that venue is from where you are. What’s smart about that is it’s using your geo-location and your GPS to say you are here and it’s a visual guide so ‘oh that looks good for breakfast’ or ‘ that looks good for a venue’ or ‘that looks like a quirky thing’ and it’s based on how far away it is from your location. So there is technology out there in terms of aggregating all that stuff together but there is no real way of looking at that data and saying make me some rules out of it. You have to build the rules yourself. The smart bit of rules and sentiment is that you get all the people who are using that service to vote things up or down, to say this is good, this is bad, I’ve been there. That’s where you get your algorithms from, the actual crowd, providing they were all good bad or indifferent US: What is the technology behind that, how do they pull those images? From Facebook and all of those places PHIL: So every website on the web which is version 2 has what’s called an API which is an access programming interface, actually sorry application programming interface, so what that is is the front end of a website, the pretty stuff like on Pinterest you see all the boards, that’s the front end that the user sees. Developers who want access to that content in their system they connect to the system via the API so they’ll have a bit of code to talk to that website in a programmer language. So there are loads of different programmer languages out there and you would normally hire a programmer to write a piece of code to do certain actions like go to Flickr grab me all the images within 5 miles of the town centre and I want them to be red. So one of the things about Flickr which is really powerful is that you can say ‘show me all the red things in 2 miles’ as Flickr have already built those algorithms you can tap into them. So basically the way you play with other peoples services is they will have certain functions that your able to do, you register as a developer and say I want to sort of manipulate your data they say to you what are you doing and you know what does the app do and that’s why you start to see lots of services that take a bit from there a bit from there and mash them all together. TRENDGEIST:

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Stroify which take things from social media and put them in the one place which is ideally what our service would do but it would be with the visuals. So would you be able PHIL: Of course it’s possible! Yeah I mean there’s another app called Flowboard which is an Ipad app which you log into all of your accounts and your different services so Flickr, Instagram the lot and from that you can make up your own little book from that content. So as a brand advocate I don’t think about curation I have somebody back here CJ my sort of colleague, she watches what I’m doing so I’ll go to an event or a venue and I’ll be using audiobook to record some audio, I’ll be using Instagram to take some pictures and be recording live video, I’ll have a whole suite of apps that I use and I don’t curate it, she curates it. So the client who’s paid us money for me to be there, she picks images and storyboards it and then they pay us for actually being on the ground and they can visually see what we’ve done instead of paying somebody to be our promotion for the day or PR for the day they can actually see a visual representation of what I’ve done. So yeah it’s possible. So why would I use your service over others? Instead of something else that’s out there? What’s different about yours? have your WGSN and stuff which you have access to at university but then when you PHIL: What are the valuable trends? What would be a valuable trend for a student?

PHIL: Yeah it can work. A lot of people are into that, sentiment analysis. Where it’s sort of good or bad or indifferent. First example is take something like Facebook or Twitter the way sentiment analysis works is somebody might say something on twitter saying just had a really awesome burger and put a smiley face so if you go to search.twitter.com not, just twitter, if you click on advanced you can tick a little tick box that says positive feedback, so what people are doing is building search engines on looking at who said good things about what like shops in the area and from that you can extract a certain amount of trend information so you can say they’ve had 500 positive comments this week and this place has had negative comments so you can take some of those ideas and do it to this I think and match it off to images but you would have to look at the comment on the images. US: So what we were wondering if there was anyway for it to solely be curated on the visual without any kind of comment or titling or hash tagging. PHIL: Well its funny you should say that cause about 4 years ago I worked with a company that were analysing video frame by frame so they had this super smart piece of technology which could look at a picture and tell if it was ‘adult’ so they had a tool which you could install into your browser that could look for skin tone. It was that smart that it could say if there was it out there but it takes a lot of processing. Imagine how many photos are taken per day and you’re analysing photos and videos bit by bit it’s a lot of work. Its the reason why nobody’s 72 hours so literally servers and power needs to keep up with it, that’s why they are constantly putting up new servers because now we have these tools to take photos we’re being more sort of broadcasters rather than just consumers. So yes it is possible but I would try and make it a niche service. So it’s about a particular thing so maybe you become the authority on certain trends that you decide on so you think well this is what is going to peak and then it will go into things similar to that. That could work. I mean take London Fashion Week if there is a lot of bloggers and if you follow or built a tool to keep an eye on a 100 fashion bloggers and have a look at their content that they’re posting on their websites if they’re posting similar images then you have a base line image of a new pair of shoes that you think are going to be the next big thing if you’re analysing all those websites and you get a percentage that you can then say it is going to be a popular trend. So again it’s a management thing, you’re managing a lot of different services. But yes it is possible; you’ve designed a really intense service. I think the 112

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from different age ranges and make different trends for those different people so your app algorithms around that and present stuff to them that might be of interest and then a bit like how Facebook was started with ‘hot or not’ same kind of concept. That trend data then is what you can sell to other companies. have done in our mock sign-up stages. PHIL: There is a lot of people doing this stuff, analysing data and the reason for it is for marketing companies and PR companies, if they have that data they can make better informed decisions, for retail especially. Especially for pop up stores if they can say we think this is going to be on trend if you could open a pop up store for 4 weeks and you know that particular attire is going to do really well from the moment you open then it’s more of a safe bet to make some money. So you selling them data of ‘this is the sort of shop that you should be making’, that’s a service that people would pay for. US: Because we wanted to get an industry perspective on it we spoke to a visual merchandiser for Dunhill and she was like that sort of thing straight from the consumer knowing what they want right now is really valuable PHIL: I would go for the small PR companies that have to adapt and change or who want to get into social media and don’t know where to start. I would pay for that service, I would use this service. So yes it will work. So API’s as the site you’re connecting to has a certain way of querying that website so you might be presented with codes that they normally provide you to interface with it so a programmer would write a bit of code that queries their service, you don’t go to the website you have like a connection from your programmer which goes into the back end of there servers and it just gives you their data, it gives you the answers back. It says ‘I’ve found this for you’. The way they make their money is that they limit the amount of data you can query, so you might only be able to do 1000 requests an hour, that’s how they make money. That’s why you would have to have your clients pay you to make queries. Everything you do is being analysed. Hope all of that makes some sense? US: Yes thank you so much for your time.

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EMAIL INTERVIEW WITH NIV SINGER The social media platform Tracx were contacted via email, where Niv Singer the Head of IT responded and validated the existence of key technology which will be used on the TrendGeist platform. This interview was conducted to gain expertise advice on the technology behind The Big Idea. The email interview has been written up and screengrabbed with the given consent.

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16th MAY 2013 We’re students in our 3rd year of Fashion Communication and Promotion studying at Nottingham Trent. project as it is involved in all sorts of technical visions and social media collaborations. We ask if you would give your consent for the information you give us to be used in support of our work and be written up in our dissertation?

will not be attributed to you as an individual, what you said will be used for illustration only; to reinforce a point that we are making. The answers you provide will be kept on a password protected computer. It will be destroyed once we have completed our degree and graduated. ‘The Big Idea’ is a new an accessible trend platform which utilizes co-created content via crossand Flickr. We understand that this is a new future recommendation as the technology is not quite recognised but in the future? We’ve looked at your platform and have seen that you use similar information pulling tools which lead us to the technology of algorithms. Do you think that there will be an algorithm which will be able to curate visuals into ‘trends’ even without the image being titled or ‘hashtagged’ in the description?

I take it as a great compliment to be considered as a reference to your academic research. I give consent for the answers to be used within your research.

meaning and take it into account when analyzing a certain trend.

images and video. Please feel free to contact me for further information.

Thank you for your quick response. That is great news about the development of this technology, and that validation will be a great help to our research. Again, Thank you very much it was greatly appreciated Many thanks and kind regards Emma Waite

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TRENDGEIST COMMUNICATION STRATEGY TrendGeist’s initial ‘launch’ communication strategy has been designed as a case video to illustrate the big creative idea. The storyboard for the viral can be found below, along with the consent form of Alex Murray who was featured in the viral video which is available to view on the digital copy of this report in the folder ‘Viral Video’ or on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oUzPvJeDQ0.

Rianna Smith, in a live context TrendGeist would seek to have the video edited by a professional creative team.

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TREND FORCASTING CASE STUDIES

COOL

HUNTING

Founded by Josh Rubin and Evan Orensten, in February 2003, Cool Hunting was began as a niche designer’s personal reference, however, it is now available international audience who app. Cool Hunting has integrated into most social networks, it’s online portfolio now includes: Vimeo, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. The platform consists of daily updates and weekly mini-documentaries on the six categories it features: Design, Tech, Style, Travel, Culture and Food & Drink. The service is free to use and users are even offered a subscription to a daily newsletter issued every weekday morning.

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STYLUS “STYLUS ALLOWS US TO UNDERSTAND THE WORLD OF BUSINESS, AS WELL AS UNDERSTANDING THE CONSUMER’S WORLD. FROM THIS, WE DEVELOP RELEVANT IDEAS, CONCEPTS AND PROPOSITIONS TO PROVIDE MEMORABLE, SHARABLE EXPERIENCES..” (IMAGINATION.COM ON STYLUS, 2013: ONLINE)

This diagram available on the Stylus website illustrated how the trend forecasting agency looks and analyses the entire creative industry. The platform focuses on Macroviews. Stylus considers them to be ‘the umbrella under which all our ideas, research and directions are formed. With regular updates, Macroviews continue to evolve and grow through time’ (2013: Online)

the spectrum of creative business needs: marketing and branding, product development and design, strategy and consumer insight, account management and planning, visual and product merchandising and executives. Subscription prices have been set at £10,000 year on the basis that “WGSN became a mustonce you start using it that you realise that it’s a must-have.” Subsequent annual subscriptions are priced at £10,000 for three users, with £500 added for each additional user.

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WGSN WGSN was launched in 1998 as a trend forecasting service for the fashion and design industries, providing trend forecasting and analysis to the largest and most is ‘THE WORLD’S LEADING FASHION FORECASTER’ (2013: ONLINE) WGSN has over 300 editorial and design staff in America and the Middle East. In early 2012, WGSN’s parent company Emap International Ltd restructured and rebranded its business to deliver more value to its clients. WGSN is now part of 4C Group, a global information services business delivering world-class design, infrastructure and customer insight to over 12,500 organisations worldwide. The three key stages of WGSN’s trend forecasting research is: Input, Analysis and Output WGSN’s trend analysis and product direction spans 18 specialist areas: womenswear, menswear, kidswear, juniors, intimates, swim, footwear, accessories, interiors, youth/street, sport, textiles, denim, beauty, knitwear, print & graphics, details & trims, and student & graduate. The trend forecasting information is only available to subscribers of the service, for a individual quoted price.

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TREND

HUNTER

Trend Hunter is one of the largest trend communities. They strive to inspire individuals and industry professionals by curating and publishing cutting edge in Toronto, Canada, it has a global network of 116,000 members. Each day, Trend Hunter features a daily dose of micro-trends, viral news and pop culture. The most popular micro-trends are featured on Trend Hunter TV and later grouped into clusters of inspiration in our Trend Reports, a series of tools for professional innovators and entrepreneurs. A new feature of the trend forecasting platform it Trend Hunter PRO utilises trends for user- generated information it unlocks crowdsourced insight, curating ideas from the

The trend forecasting agency was founded by Jeremy Gutsche, an innovation expert who wanted to build a home for new business ideas and creativity, it was launched in 2006. Routinely sourced by the media, Trend Hunter is a source of inspiration for industry professionals, aspiring entrepreneurs and the insatiably curious. Trend Hunter has been featured or cited everywhere from MTV, The Economist, and CNN to the personal blog of Kanye West, tweets by Ashton Kutcher and tweets by Paris Hilton.

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YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED A ‘Your Questions Answered’ form was provided to each participant of the primary research methods undertaken to ensure they were aware of the exact purpose of the project and their rights to withdraw consent.

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APPENDIX ETHICAL

CHECKLIST The Universities Ethical Checklist was adhered to, ensuring each primary research method followed the strict ethical guidelines. Nottingham Trent University School of Art and Design

Ethical Clearance Checklist for individual student projects To be completed by the student for an individual project that involves the collection of primary data this includes images, drawings, photographs, questionnaires and interviews. Please complete this document following the guidance in the School of Art and Design Ethical Guidelines and Framework for Research and Practice Undertaken by Students. Section A: About the research Name: Programme of Study: Module Title and Reference Number: Name of module leader/supervisor responsible for the management of the project Duration of project Project title Section B: Training and experience Have you had previous experience of or been trained in the methods employed to collect data, and/or discussed with yes your supervisor? Have you been informed, given guidance, had issues outlined in relation to research ethics and consideration in yes relation to your project?

no no

Section C: Methodology/Practice/Procedures Does your proposed study involve procedures which are likely to cause physical, psychological, social or emotional yes distress to participants or yourself? Does your proposed study involve the use of hazardous materials, other than those currently covered by the School yes Health and Safety procedures?

no no

Section D: Ethical checklist Does your project involve observing/questioning/the use of people in any way? Yes

Please complete the remainder of the form

Go straight to Compliance with ethical principles and Declaration

Does your study involve vulnerable participants as described in the Student Ethical Toolkit?

yes

n/a

yes

n/a

Will participants give informed consent freely and be fully informed of the study and of the use of any data yes collected? Will participants be informed of their right to withdraw from the study? yes

n/a

yes

n/a

advance and subject to legal requirements? Will any recordings of participants be securely kept and not released for use by third parties?

yes

n/a

Will storage data comply with the Data Protection Act 1998?

yes

n/a

If you have selected an answer shaded in grey, you must submit a full application to the Subject REC or modify the project. A full submission to the Subject PREC comprises of: this form, a project proposal, an additional statement of up to 500 words outlining the ethical issues raised by the project and the proposed approach to deal with these. Compliance with Ethical Principles If you have completed the checklist to the best of your knowledge without selecting an answer shaded in grey, the research is deemed to conform with the ethical checkpoints and you do not need to seek formal approval from the Subject PREC. Please sign the declaration below, and lodge the completed checklist with your supervisor. Declaration investigation complies with published codes of conduct, ethical principles and guidelines of professional bodies associated with the research discipline. Name of student: …………………………………………………… Signature of student …………………………………………………...................… Signature of supervisor/module leader ……………………………………………..… Date …………………………………………….......................

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APPENDIX TUTORIAL SHEETS

RECORD

Tutorial record sheets were kept to track and evaluate the progress of the project including: work to prepare, learning issues to discuss, feedback and objectives for the next meeting with the tutor, Sarah Lewington. This was important, especially when working in a group, in order to keep a track on each person’s weekly tasks and input. On the following pages are a copy from each tutorial session along with peer and tutor feedback forms from the Interim presentation on the 18th April 2013. School of Art & Design

Tutorial Record Sheet 2012/13

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Module: Research Project Stage 2 Ref. no: FASH30002 Date: 07.03.13 Name : Emma Waite

Tutorial / Seminar Record Sheet Work to bring / prepare for session: Presentation of idea to Sarah, powerpoint communicating the projects outline, the possible creative outcomes and target consumers

Learning issues to discuss in session: Feedback from tutor group and Sarah, opinions on idea so far and what advice do they have on next research steps. Stage 2’s project timeline and emphasis on what learning objectives

Feedback from session: Feedback highlighted the need to talk to experts in the subject fields we are exploring: technology, web 1.0-4.0 (Talk to Student Alice Wilkes about where to go for research on this subject), contact trend forecasting agencies, tell experts our idea and hopefully get constructive advice. Need to move away from fixating on Flickr and Facebook, involve more networks to broaden image sourcing and quality. Also, don’t focus just on students due to uni access of websites, think about creative individuals/ graduates as possible consumer segments

Tasks for next session: Contact trend agengies (Emma) Critical path for project (co-existing with Live Project 2) (Rianna) Think about possible chapter headings (Both) Begin secondary research into the technology of today and future possibilities (Both)

Please indicate progress to hand in (1 = Not ready / 5 = Ready and Prepared) 1 2 3 4 5 Signed (Tutor) Signed (student)

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Tutorial Record Sheet 2012/13 Module: Research Project Stage 2 Ref. no: FASH30002 Date: 11.03.13 Name : Emma Waite

Tutorial / Seminar Record Sheet Work to bring / prepare for session: Critical path and chapter plan drafts to discuss in tutorial. Work so far, the research into co-creation and empathic design. Plus, trend forecasting agencies and consumer survey on â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Trends Onlineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; feedback so far.

Learning issues to discuss in session: What chapter headings/content needs to be included in implementation project. What is the emphasis on research for this Stage 2?

Feedback from session: What needs to be included in report, the importance of case studies to the evaluation requirements of work. How time management is key and that we need to stick to our critical path. Make sure we think of product lifecycle, look into journeys, show how it will work.

Tasks for next session: Set up interviews with trend agencies. Finish contextual and secondary research (visit designer forum from Alice Wilkes advice). Divide the research questions: Emma: Historical - the origin of trends, the origin of online sharing Cultural - what cultures follow this trend, consumer culture Ethical - public sharing of info, personal restriction of visuals shared Rianna: Social - online trends, fashion trends Economic - affect on trend market, movement to online Technological - linking online platforms, interactive navigation

Please indicate progress to hand in (1 = Not ready / 5 = Ready and Prepared) 1 2 3 4 5 Signed (Tutor) Signed (student)

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School of Art & Design

Tutorial Record Sheet 2012/13

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Module: Research Project Stage 2 Ref. no: FASH30002 Date: 18.04.13 Name : Emma Waite

Tutorial / Seminar Record Sheet Work to bring / prepare for session: Interim presentation: all the work we have done so far

Learning issues to discuss in session: Need to discuss the creative outcomes and future development of implementation project with tutor and tutor group based on initial feedback from presentation.

Feedback from session: (See Student Feedback Forms pages 127-133) By watching other students present it highlighted areas in which we could include in our own project, such as the big creative idea being recognisable to our project and also look into movements which will influence our project.

Tasks for next session: Watch Big Data programme on BBC for further contextual research, highlights the future possibilities which could be applied to our project evaluation. Begin project draft writing. Arrange a collaboration with consumers to test project and implementation from feedback needs to be both a creative and professional consumer. This week need to start consumer testing stages. Design online trend webpages and journey (Emma) Design sign up pages, initial service journey (Rianna)

Please indicate progress to hand in (1 = Not ready / 5 = Ready and Prepared) 1 2 3 4 5 Signed (Tutor) Signed (student)

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School of Art & Design

Tutorial Record Sheet 2012/13

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Module: Research Project Stage 2 Ref. no: FASH30002 Date: 22.04.13 Name : Emma Waite

Tutorial / Seminar Record Sheet Work to bring / prepare for session: One to one meeting with Sarah, receive feedback on interim presentation. A solid list of our creative outcomes to share with Sarah.

Learning issues to discuss in session: Where our project is at: grade boundaries. What was missing from the presentation and key things which worked well. Consideration of TrendGeistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s creative outcomes what is actually possible

Feedback from session: (See Tutor Feedback Form pages 135-136) Look into algorithms and at ex-CEO of Googleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new book for information. Consider the context of co-creation, cross platform sharing, user generated content and data lockers etc in more detail. Make sure report writing is clear due to complicated nature of implementation. Need to validate the technology behind the concept, find case studies where this project is proven possible.

Tasks for next session: Next session have completed, network of what the website will look like, powerpoint design for the consumers journey of testing product, what are their thoughts and evaluations? Edit report writing to communicate some of tutors key points from feedback, illustrate clearly what exactly our service is (cross-platform sharing of users content) and work towards improving on all of the learning outcomes.

Please indicate progress to hand in (1 = Not ready / 5 = Ready and Prepared) 1 2 3 4 5 Signed (Tutor) Signed (student)

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Tutorial Record Sheet 2012/13 Module: Research Project Stage 2 Ref. no: FASH30002 Date: 07.05.13 Name : Emma Waite

Tutorial / Seminar Record Sheet Work to bring / prepare for session: Tutorial with Timothy Rundle. Work so far, visuals and creative outcomes.

Learning issues to discuss in session: The implementation stage of our project, communication strategy. Visual aesthetics, do they communicate clearly?

Feedback from session: Discussed the role of competitor analysis in report. The perceptual map, should show the breadth of everyone touching on your idea. Then show how you broke it down - show the intention - what you want the reader to see. On the topic of the Portfolio it Needs to be consistent tone of voice - reinforcing artwork. When discussing TrendGeist visuals, design elements such as rectangle images and what to include in the trend development pages. Could be more than one view? Reward consumers for using service, allow them to get something out of the platform which they wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t anywhere else. Decided on: Chronological (What images are new), Popularity - Key to this trend and Trend Segments.

Tasks for next session: Rework trend development webpages (Emma) Communication strategy designing and filming (Both) Editing promotional case video (Rianna) Evaluation of communication strategy and consumer reaction (Both) Indesign document (Both)

Please indicate progress to hand in (1 = Not ready / 5 = Ready and Prepared) 1 2 3 4 5 Signed (Tutor) Signed (student)

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Tutorial Record Sheet 2012/13

fcp3

Module: Research Project Stage 2 Ref. no: FASH30002 Date: 13.05.13 Name : Emma Waite

Tutorial / Seminar Record Sheet Work to bring / prepare for session: Work so far, visuals and creative outcomes.

Learning issues to discuss in session: The final creative outcomes, communication strategy and what is needed in the conclusion and methodology.

Feedback from session: In the methodology you need: dates, how many people, sample size, why have you chosen that person? Make sure that if it adds value to you writing it needed to be included in the body of the report and not in the appendix. Conclusion needs to be flowing text, to bring your report full circle even carry it into the future, recap the key points of project though. Test print the document for readability proofing. Make sure everything in your report is justified.

Tasks for next session: Finish completing Indesign document and appendixes, test print then actually print.

Please indicate progress to hand in (1 = Not ready / 5 = Ready and Prepared) 1 2 3 4 5 Signed (Tutor) Signed (student)

138

TRENDGEIST:

APPENDIX

APPENDIX CRITICAL

22 PATH

A critical path was created to structure time management which helped enforce work to be done project as it was conducted alongside another which is highlighted in the following visual. Working in a group required key time management as it was vital that group and individual tasks be completed together and to a time as to keep the momentum of the project. The following visual highlights the schedule of work

TRENDGEIST:

APPENDIX

139

MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED THU

10 11

M A R C H

10 11

A P R I L

12 13

14 15

10 11

12 13

14 15

BREAK 2

* BANK HOLIDAY

J U N E

140

TRENDGEIST:

APPENDIX

10 11

WED THU FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN

14 15

19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

EASTER18

19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

BANK HOLIDAY

12 13

14 15

BANK HOLIDAY

19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

TRENDGEIST:

APPENDIX

141

DISK

INCLUDES

DIGITAL WEB

REPORT

NAVIGATION

COMMUNICATION STRATEGY: CASE VIDEO

N0299843-NEGOTIATED

PROJECT

STAGE

2-FASH30002