Forecasting Future Trends in Design: Interview with: Anne Stenros, Design Director, KONE Corporation (Finland), a speaker at the marcus evans Industrial Design & Innovation Summit 2013, on analysing and forecasting emerging trends in design.

1. Forecasting Future Trends in Design
to t re nd a na ly s is , a n d mak i ng
conclusions on emerging trends. For
best results, this must be done with the
Good
whole team. We have created a
workshop that is facilitated by
professional trend researchers.
Personally, I am not very interested in
design
buying ready-made trend forecasts. I
prefer to develop that insight ourselves,
rather than read a manual on what the
trends will be in the coming years.
is no
To forecast the future, members of our
Interview with: Anne Stenros, team go to the hot-spots and trendy
Design Director, KONE Corporation places in metropols, and take photos
(Finland) which are then professionally analysed.
longer
KONE went through a transformation a
few years ago, from a technology to a
customer and solutions orientated
“Industrial design will require a much company. Together with my team we go
more visionary leadership in the future,” to the big cities to see how urbanisation
enough
according to Anne Stenros, Design is developing and how people flow can
Director, KONE (Finland). “That need be improved.
will come from many directions,
including changing demographics. We must understand micro and macro
Designers need to analyse and forecast trends, as well as what is happening
emerging trends to get ahead of the next in architecture and interior design.
game,” Stenros adds. What are the signals for change? Where
is the world heading?
A speaker at the upcoming marcus One part of that is branding through
evans Industrial Design & What kind of leadership does this story-telling, developing the product
Innovation Summit 2013 , in require? through the story-telling process and
Noordwijk aan Zee, The Netherlands, engaging people in that way. This is the
4 - 5 February, Stenros shares her Design leaders have to navigate kind of future that I see emerging, and
thoughts and strategies for forecasting unchartered waters and be open to new we are trying to figure out a way to
emerging trends and improving things. We have to develop further apply it into our design work.
product development processes in B- leadership skills in design. Industrial
to-B businesses. design will require a much more How could design maps help?
visionary leadership in the future. That
How can product designers and will be due to new challenges like the Designers should not be basing their
developers better forecast future aging population and its needs, and decisions only on the headlines of
trends? Generation Y with its need for a totally megatrends. They have to go to the
different type of leadership and work site, to see and experience things, in
Competition is becoming harder all the habits. order to translate them into their work.
time. Good design is no longer enough. They do not need a complicated system
For grand designs, you need to adopt Another dimension that is important for to analyse trends, but they need to put
several approaches, one of which is the future is empathy and emotions in different ideas visually together. Trend
future forecasting and trend research. the domain of design. There are not that maps would simplify that, and make it
many disciplines that can engage and easier for everyone in the company to
I try to get my team involved in the impact people emotionally. We have so understand the direction you are
whole process, from signals of change much more to learn. navigating towards.

2. About the Industrial Design & Innovation Summit 2013
marcus evans Summits deliver
peer-to-peer information on
This unique forum will take place at the Grand Hotel Huis ter Duin, Noordwijk aan
strategic matters, professional
Zee, The Netherlands, 4 - 5 February 2013. Offering much more than any
trends and breakthrough
conference, seminar or trade show, this exclusive meeting will bring together
innovations.
esteemed industry thought leaders and solution providers to a highly focused and
interactive networking event. The Summit includes presentations on forecasting
future consumer lifestyles, accelerating creativity and innovation, and optimising in-
house design strategy.
www.industrialdesignsummit.com
Please note that the Summit is a
closed business event and the Contact
number of participants strictly
limited. Sarin Kouyoumdjian-Gurunlian, Press Manager, marcus evans, Summits
Division
Tel: + 357 22 849 313
Email: press@marcusevanscy.com
For more information please send an email to info@marcusevanscy.com
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About marcus evans Summits
marcus evans Summits are high level business forums for the world’s leading decision-makers to meet, learn and discuss
strategies and solutions. Held at exclusive locations around the world, these events provide attendees with a unique opportunity to
individually tailor their schedules of keynote presentations, think tanks, seminars and one-to-one business meetings.
For more information, please visit: www.marcusevans.com
To view the web version of this interview, please click here: www.industrialdesignsummit.com/AnneStenros