This document provides a summary and analysis of furniture trends observed at the 2011 International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF). It identifies six key trends through the lenses of value, ubiquitous technology, recession rebound, and green majority. The first trend is "Mod Mix," which features modern designs updated with bold colors, refined surfaces, and attention to detail. The second trend is "Futureganic," which explores new materials and production methods to create delicate, motion-inspired forms. The document then analyzes and visualizes four other trends: "Strange Craft," "Curated Curiosities," "Nouveau Riche," and "Future Perfect." Overall, the summary examines emerging patterns in furniture design and how they relate

2. Foreword
Almost 10 years ago, October of 2001 to be exact, Apple introduced the world to a revolutionary
product called the iPod, which changed music and the music industry as we know it, pretty
much forever. Funny how the iPod is now essentially just a small feature no better than an
app on my iPhone, a product which also changed things a bit. Fortunately this ridiculously
rapid change of things in our lives doesn’t apply to everything. Though we’re on the brink of
a double-dip recession (though you could argue we never escaped the first one) and the global
economy has everyone on edge, as a design culture we have not regressed but continued to press
ahead… in a way. We’ve done so by adapting and making decisions more consciously, always
looking for simple, effective ways to delight. It’s about tapping into what people already love but
making them love it more, better or again. A new spin on the old. A new twist on the known.
A burger with jalapenos and an iPhone with a turntable app. And though the old adage might
have said “familiarity breeds contempt,” I’d say we’re seeing that familiarity actually breeds
contentedness.
I bet if Darwin was alive today he would set up a time-lapse camera on the world, then
cryogenically freeze himself so that he can be thawed out 100,000 years from now, just to see
what happened and to figure out how, where and why things changed as they did. Well, while
he didn’t get the chance to do that, as designers we get to do that almost daily in the trends we
observe, and it’s amazing to watch the evolution occur from month to month or year to year.
Everything is evolving, from forms to fundamentals. This evolution is reminiscent of a tree.
The taller, broader and heavier the tree gets with leaves and branches, the deeper the roots take
hold into the ground to support it. The more things get crazy, the more we crave the familiar.
The more bizzaro Ferran Adria makes food, the more burger places and taco trucks open. And
funny enough, you can see the same happening with the things around us, as we’ve found in
this year’s Wanderlust ICFF edition.
Demetrius Romanos
Executive Creative Director
2 3

3. WANDERLUST
NOVEMBER 2011 VOL. 3 NO. 2
Design Trends: Furniture
Presented by Kaleidoscope, a Product Development Strategy Firm
Cincinnati, Ohio
New York, New York
Detroit, Michigan
Indianapolis, Indiana
Kunshan, China
Miami, Florida
Stony Brook, New York
Orlando, Florida
CEO: Matthew Kornau
President: William Taylor
COO: Giuseppe Delena
Director of Innovation and NPD: Christopher Hammond
Director of Visualization: Robert Cheezum
Director of Asia Operations: Mu-kai Shen
Executive Editor: Demetrius Romanos
Editors: Michael Roller and Miles Begin
Art Director: Jerad Raines
Contributing Staff: Nick Rudemiller, Chelsea McLemore, Eric Zhu, Scott Tirey, Amy Kim, Ben
˘
Miller, Nico Li, Vera Soper, Michelle Zimmerman, Brian Bjelovuk, Brandon Eder, Meredith Patrick,
Nick Matarese, Herald Ureña, Brendan Oberkircher
About Kaleidoscope Inc.
Founded in 1989, Kaleidoscope is a socially responsible strategic product development and
design firm dedicated to leveraging expertise in product development, brand engagement and
entrepreneurial innovation. The company helps its partners become global leaders by providing
a spectrum of design services from product inception through to manufacturing. Kaleidoscope is
located in Cincinnati, New York City, Long Island, Detroit, Miami, Indianapolis, and China.
For information regarding Kaleidoscope and our services please see
www.kascope.com or +1.800.930.5793
© 2011 by Kaleidoscope Animations Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America.
4 5

4. Our Approach
Observation Expression Communication
Each study begins by deeply After de ve l op i n g a clear When clients enlist our team for
exploring the patterns of the most understanding of what patterns insights and education on trends, we
forward thinking categories, are occurring and what motivates collaborate with them to understand
followed by a filtered examination the people participating in them, their business and brand needs. We
of what these patterns mean to we create a landscape of focused select the most relevant trends and
consumers through the contextual narratives to share these stories and develop tangible concepts to inspire
lens of macro trends. inspire teams. innovation.
Contextual Brand
Lens Lens
_Ethnography _Information Mapping _Opportunity Mapping
_Contextual Inquiry _Persona Development _Co-creation
_Immersion Session _Scenario Building _Prototyping
Tangibility is our first priority. Our
trend work must be be applicable
and specific in order to be relevant.
6 7

5. Contextual Lenses
How do we know if the electric car we saw in January and the chaise lounge we saw in May
form a trend? Additionally, how would we apply this idea to a cellphone, a package, or a medical
device? We overlay macro-level thinking to understand the motivations behind each product trend.
This approach pairs visual patterns with the values, needs, and desires of today’s consumers. By
identifying both the need and its visual manifestation, we can apply trends across any category.
The following are Kaleidoscope’s four key lenses for 2011...
8 9

6. More for less is more. Dude, where’s my Indulge wisely. Can I substitute
laser cutter? a salad?
Value-Able Ubiquitous Tech Recession Rebound Green Majority
Over the last two decades, businesses have dragged Technology used to be an awkward acquaintance There’s no doubt that the economic climate has As the importance of sustainability continues
the word “value” through the mud, eroding its who wanted to help us solve problems we already permanently changed consumers and their habits. to grow, it approaches the mass market with an
meaning until all that was left was “low cost.” had under control. More often than not, technology Strained but not defeated, many consumers important challenge: make it care. Sustainability
But value is taking back the quality, meaning, hovered around us, trying to be helpful but also attempt to rebound from the recession through is past the early adopter phase, and brands must
and flexibility that go along with its thriftiness. screwing a lot of things up. All this has changed the careful selection of indulgences. Regardless of appeal to a skeptical majority by giving them
Through a range of environmental factors, value through the integration of devices and platforms. income level, people seek out luxury in one form no choice but to buy into sustainable ideas. No
means more than it ever has to consumers. They’re Consumer electronics have finally hit a point where or another, and it’s important for brands to clearly consumer chooses a product purely because of its
becoming more thoughtful in their choices, their ubiquity is helpful and desirable. Furniture communicate why they’re the right choice to this sustainable promise—there is always a primary
demanding products and services that perform technologies evolve in parallel, initially born as cautious audience. Consumers will probably never benefit.
multiple tasks, last a long time, and give them novelties but becoming sources of true innovation return to their prerecession habits, but they yearn
delightful experiences, all at a reasonable cost. It now that users are experienced with the tools. for products and services that will catapult them Furniture has a well-established relationship with
is a daunting task, but we’ve seen categories like out of their current funk and into a new phase of sustainability, and this year’s manufacturers didn’t
fashion and furniture take this on and succeed in We see affordable, rapid manufacturing techniques consumerism that will feel responsible and still seem to feel a need to make obvious claims about
big ways. reinventing the concept of craft. While some luxurious. responsible sourcing or processes. Reclaimed,
designers reinvent their work exclusively with niche pieces take a different angle, wearing the
A return to modern era styling aims to transcend laser cutters and 3D printers, others incorporate Much of the work at ICFF favored classic modernism sustainable heart on their sleeves.
other trends and create pieces that fit in any traditional techniques to form an interesting over overt displays of luxury, but with any trend
room, in any style. Many designers emphasize paradox that is both new and old. Regardless of there’s always an opposing force. Some consumers
functionality or construction to bring a value- the approach, respect and appreciation of craft is have been unaffected by the recession, and we see
based twist that makes people take notice. The DIY elevated through technology. designers responding with the appropriate level of
movement is in step with Value-Able too, raising opulence.
the quality of assembly and attention to detail to
make a stronger imprint on the category.
10 11

7. Mod Mix
Not (quite) your dad’s Eames chair.
Futureganic
Mr. Mobius would be proud.
Strange Craft
Welcome to the Industrial Devolution.
Six Key Trends
We look to the work of designers globally for inspiration and understanding. Assessed through the
contextual lens of four macro trends, six patterns emerge from our observations at the 2011 ICFF.
More than just a collection of what’s hot in furniture, each of these trends has been analyzed and
interpreted at the consumer level to identify key emotional and functional needs. This step ensures
that we’re not just looking at “cool stuff” and that these trends will make sense across many
Curated Curiosities
The cure for the common craft.
categories as they design for the same needs.
Each trend has fundamental differences. Some are in line with macro trends while others are in
clear opposition. Sometimes trends manifest themselves in bold ways and other times executions
are more subtle. To visualize these differences, we map the contextual lenses according to how they
are expressed by their creator:
Nouveau Riche
This is where all that moustache stuff fits.
C. Lenses fig. 1 Trend Visuals
Bold
—Value-Able
—Ubiquitous Technology
—Recession Rebound
Future Perfect
—Green Majority
Subtle
Man and machine living in harmony.
Ignore Embrace
12 13

8. 14 15

9. Mod
TREND 1
Mix
Inspired by classic Mod designs, this trend sports geometric shapes and
clean lines. While designs of the 40s and 50s were simple and designed to be
manufactured, “next century” modern shakes things up with the addition
of bold colors, refined surfaces and a microscopic attention to detail.
Bold
Trend Visuals
Value-Able You get the most bang for your buck with these time-
tested yet slightly updated designs. This isn't economic
Ubiquitous Technology boom furniture; it focuses on a sophisticated consumer
Recession Rebound that spends wisely.
Subtle Green Majority
Ignore Embrace
17 | Mod Mix

10. Sweet Transitions
Bolt some steel tubing onto bent ply and you have Mid-Century furniture. With the advent of 3D
modeling software, once impossible surface transitions get the justice they deserve.
18 | Mod Mix 19 | Mod Mix

11. 20 | Mod Mix 21 | Mod Mix

12. Contemporary Details
These simple geometric pieces could be right out of the 50s. However, a closer inspection reveals
patterning, texture, and material finish unlike anything seen in that era.
Credit for the item featured in the “hero image” could go here.
22 | Mod Mix 23 | Mod Mix

13. 24 | Mod Mix 25 | Mod Mix

14. A Bold Finish
Bold colors, vibrant finishes, and playful joinery introduce a whimsy to traditional methods. These
focal points demand your attention and are much different from the neutral palettes employed in
the designs of the likes of Eames and Saarinen.
26 | Mod Mix 27 | Mod Mix

15. 28 | Mod Mix 29 | Mod Mix

16. In the 1950s bent ply was new technology.
Since then, almost every conceivable
form has taken its turn in the bending jig.
Editorial Tone:
PONTIFICATION
Editorial Tone:
PARALLEL
WORLDS
INSPIRED OR TIRED?
Editorial Tone:
I SPY
Top: KEM Weber Airline Chair, 1935
Bottom: Airline Chair, 2009
For better or worse, Mid-Century Modern is one of the most popular furniture movements. After the show
this year, we asked ourselves which Mod remixes felt inspired and which felt tired. The successful, inspired
pieces captured the essence of the Mid-Mod period and celebrated it by offering us something new with a
subtle twist. The tired examples, however, simply didn’t bring anything new to the table (pardon the pun).
Editorial Tone: Furniture in the Danish sense. One of these
RANT Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. was actually designed in 1949 by Hans
Wegner, can you tell which one?
Whoa, is that G3 curvature? A fine example
of a sophisticated update to a classic form
Editorial Tone:
HACK
Editorial Tone:
A subtle Eames influenced chair focuses in on all the right
details, simplifying even an Eiffel Chair
SIMILITUDE
Inspired Tired

17. Future-
TREND 2
ganic
The study and development of materials is an essential step to the future.
This allows us to continue to push the limits on products by adopting new
forms. By combining new methods we can break the mold and push the
boundaries on design. Commonly these forms have a sense of motion, speed,
accuracy, and delicacy.
Bold
Trend Visuals
Value-Able If you are interested in new, expensive materials and
processes, this is the place to be. Ignoring practicality,
Ubiquitous Technology these unique designs are like Lamborghinis: they're
Recession Rebound show-stoppers, but they're really only good at going fast.
Subtle Green Majority
Ignore Embrace
32 33 | Futureganic

18. Suspended Forms
Striving for unique forms often creates a balancing act. Using the right materials and processes are
crucial to these shapes. These pieces first catch the eye, then furrow the brow, and finally impart
a sense of curiousity regarding the production methodology that could bring such a thing to life.
34 | Futureganic 35 | Futureganic

19. This chair creates an intial sense of doubt. It is not until we take the trust fall of actually sitting in
it do we believe it will function properly.
36 | Futureganic 37 | Futureganic

20. “What you design is an accumulation of
everything you have seen and done in your
life previous to that point.” -Tinker Hatfield
Natural Nature
There is a push to resemble the natural forms that surround us every day. It’s a challenging task
to achieve these forms using our man made materials, but if executed properly it can create a great
piece. This is a subtle and elegant way of bringing nature into the home.
38 | Futureganic 39 | Futureganic

21. 40 | Futureganic 41 | Futureganic

22. Controlled Motion
Dynamic forms lead more than the eye across the piece. They get our legs involved as we circle
like a shark to take it in from every angle. The motion of the piece is strong, yet doesn’t rush us.
The craftsmanship instills a sense of control that allows us to admire the work that has been done.
42 | Futureganic 43 | Futureganic

23. Editorial Tone:
PONTIFICATION
Tron
Editorial Tone:
PARALLEL
WORLDS
Tron: Legacy
Editorial Tone:
Terminator
I SPY
Editorial Tone:
RANT Avatar
Back to the Future
Editorial Tone:
HACK
Concept Flake
Editorial Tone: Wall-e
SIMILITUDE
Wall-e
The Future of Future
Our vision of the future changes over time. We used to see a strong push in machines with
emphasis on the technology. Now we look at the future as organic with the emphasis not only
on the technology but the form as well. This is shown in many films and concepts. As time
keeps going, what will be our vision for the next future?
44 | Futureganic 45 | Futureganic

24. Strange
TREND 3
Craft
Materials like steel and iron evoke the industrial age, where they were
utilized purely for their function. Used in new ways, designers show how
these materials can be repurposed for a more playful, unexpected feeling.
Bold
Trend Visuals
Value-Able Turning its back on technology and sustainability,
Strange Craft quietly offers themes of nostalgia.
Ubiquitous Technology Unexpected shapes lend an uplifting feel.
Recession Rebound
Subtle Green Majority
Ignore Embrace
47 | Strange Craft

25. Lighten Up
There is an unorthodox direction in the treatment of lighting. Typically shaded, exposed lightbulbs
framed in metal fixtures create a heavy presence in any room.
48 | Strange Craft 49 | Strange Craft

26. 50 | Strange Craft 51 | Strange Craft

27. Lack of Muscle
Metals like iron and steel are generally associated with strength and mass. However, throughout
the show many pieces were using these materials minimally, creating a spindly skeleton that
seemed to be just enough structure to hold the elements of the design together.
52 | Strange Craft 53 | Strange Craft

28. The delicate legs on the table above seem barely strong enough to hold up the formidable top, creating
an interesting tension between elements.
54 | Strange Craft 55 | Strange Craft

29. Unexpected Twist
We expect most traditional industrial products (like a light bulb) to be fairly straight forward. At
this year’s show, we saw designers bringing a sense of whimsy to these products by playing with
the basic structural elements of the object.
56 | Strange Craft 57 | Strange Craft

30. 58 | Strange Craft 59 | Strange Craft

31. Editorial Tone:
PARALLEL
WORLDS
Editorial Tone:
I SPY
Editorial Tone:
RANT
Designer Vision
Designers tend to see things a little differently than the rest of the world, often finding humor in
Editorial Tone:
HACK
something that might not seem funny at first glance. As a team, we had some fun sketching what we saw
in our minds when we looked at certain pieces from the show.
Editorial Tone:
SIMILITUDE
“How much muscle does this table really need “Dont slip!” “Remember these two?!” “What’s up Doc?”
to hold a sheet of glass?”
60 | Strange Craft 61 | Strange Craft

32. TREND 4
“Reclaim” has been a material trend for a few years now. You immediately
get a vision of a table made from scraps of a ransacked warehouse. While
that aesthetic is still present, it has now matured, kicking and screaming,
into its own established style. Despite its conservative roots as a reaction
against excess, this trend refuses to be somber. Pieces are thrown together
like so many flea market finds, each having thier own story. The joy is in
the vulnerability and the warmth is difficult to deny.
Bold
Trend Visuals
Value-Able This all about making, crafting and curating our
surroundings. While it doesn’t reject sustainability, the
Ubiquitous Technology aesthetic has evolved past a practical reuse for reuse sake
Recession Rebound and developed approachable warmth. There is a price for
this more mature approach, but it’s not about splurging,
Subtle Green Majority it’s about the challenge of creating something new and
interesting from familiar components.
Ignore Embrace
63 | Curated Curiosities

33. Raw Deal
Battle-scars are badges of honor, particularly in the case of natural materials. Surfaces are left
untreated and appreciated for what they are and what they have been through.
64 | Curated Curiosities 65 | Curated Curiosities

34. While the materials are left in their natural state, it is the choice and juxtaposition of those materials
that provides refinement and intentionality, even when the details are unexpected.
66 | Curated Curiosities 67 | Curated Curiosities

35. “A work can become modern only if
it is first postmodern.” -Jean Francois Lyotard
Assemblage
Whether structured or tossed together, the amount of the elements themselves become the statement.
68 | Curated Curiosities 69 | Curated Curiosities

36. The repetition of materials serves not just as structure but as texture.
Just the right amount of design separates a piece of
furniture from furniture of pieces.
70 | Curated Curiosities 71 | Curated Curiosities

37. Variety Show
This trend isn’t just about up-cycling raw materials. As designers continue to explore the theme,
the choice of elements to combine gets more and more surprising and often playful.
72 | Curated Curiosities 73 | Curated Curiosities

38. Editorial Tone:
I SPY
Editorial Tone:
RANT
Editorial Tone:
HACK
Editorial Tone:
SIMILITUDE
Quirky but functional combinations and reinterpretations of existing products.
“Marie Coquine” -Philippe Starck for Baccarat
A plea for Maybe that’s why something that didn’t look
BALANCE
like flotsam and jetsam felt like an escape after
10 hours of show floor pounding, chatting, and
photographing.
The idea of using materials in unexpected ways is ...Something that didn’t look like
always present in design trends. In the past few
years, it’s been overwhelmed by a waste-not-want- flotsam and jetsam felt like an escape
not aesthetic. It’s as if the sound of our collective
credit cards being declined woke us from a create- Finally, balance. Dignity with a wink. Modernity
and-consume coma long enough to look around at with warm referential nods. This piece evolves
all this stuff we already had for the first time in the re-use aesthetic while divorcing it from its
years. initial anti-consumer motives. It works because a
consumer’s dollar deserves a great product, not
Often, reactive trends tend to fall off before the just an ideology.
passionate but niche armies behind them get strong
enough to go mass. Their value however, can be in
paving the way for something more considered.
74 | Curated Curiosities 75 | Curated Curiosities

39. Nouveau
TREND 5
Riche
The past few seasons have been about restraint. A display of wealth was a
distasteful tell of your indifference to a sober state of affairs. Luxury,
however, is a tough habit to break and we see it returning now with a
referential nod to excess past... long past.
Let them eat cake.
Bold
Trend Visuals
Value-Able Economy be damned, logic is tedious and careful choices
are just too restraining. It’s as if our deeply repressed
Ubiquitous Technology desires for opulence finally broke free of the shackles of
Recession Rebound common sense. Interesting that Portugal, in the midst of
their own widely publicized financial crisis, should lead
Subtle Green Majority the way here.
Ignore Embrace
77 | Nouveau Riche

40. Gilded Rage
Gloss black used as a neutral sets off an unapologetic and edgy use of warm metallics.
78 | Nouveau Riche 79 | Nouveau Riche

41. Highly detailed sufaces and forms frozen in gold are a brazen statement of luxury that reacts strongly
against Curated Curiousities’ battle-scarred materials.
80 | Nouveau Riche 81 | Nouveau Riche

42. “Greed, for lack of a better word,
is good” -Gordon Gekko
Detailed Details
Every surface is dripping with details that would make Versailles blush. It makes one wonder what
could possibly be left to be stored inside of these pieces.
82 | Nouveau Riche 83 | Nouveau Riche

43. A resin-solidified thread serves as structure and ornamentation.
84 | Nouveau Riche 85 | Nouveau Riche

44. “I love lamp.” -Brick Tamland, Anchorman
Armour-ous
Beautiful pieces with features just sharp enough to tell you that they are strictly look-but-don’t-
touch. Every rose has its thorns.
86 | Nouveau Riche 87 | Nouveau Riche

45. Editorial Tone:
RANT
Editorial Tone:
HACK
TEXTURAL
Editorial Tone:
SIMILITUDE
HEALING
As product designers we can get fixated on form.
CMF (color, material, and finish) including textures
and patterns tend to be time consuming and often
don’t find their way into the toolbox until much
later in the process.
Traditional silhouettes and forms get fortified with aggressive textures and surfacing.
...textures and patterns tend to be time
consuming and often don’t find their way into
the toolbox until much later in the process
Furniture design makes no apologies about
bringing these elements to the forefront.
Wanderlust has compiled the most inspiring
textures and patterns from this year’s show for
you to use while ideating. Happy swatching!
Materials How to Use
scissors texture
like
this!
tape swatches sketches fig. 2
88 | Nouveau Riche

46. One to Cut One to Keep
90 | Nouveau Riche 91 | Nouveau Riche

47. Future
TREND 6
Perfect
Technology plays an important role in the products we use today. Precisely
machined patterns and detail hint at the complexity and sophistication it takes
to bring these products to life. These manufacturing techniques are constantly
reinventing the concept of craft. Traditional techniques, once painstakingly
created by hand centuries ago, are now reproduced in mere seconds by
computer controlled processes.
Bold
Trend Visuals
Value-Able Future Perfect is a reaction to the technology in our lives;
either strongly for or against it. It's about the two faces of
Ubiquitous Technology perfection; the kind we can program, and the kind that
Recession Rebound can't be duplicated.
Subtle Green Majority
Ignore Embrace
93 | Future Perfect

48. Fascination with Facets
Faceting is a marvelous combination of engineering and art. These planar forms represent our ability
to turn raw materials into pure gems.
94 | Future Perfect 95 | Future Perfect

49. Intersecting planes; it’s one of the simplest techniques we can use to create dimensional form, but
it holds our fascination timelessly.
96 | Future Perfect 97 | Future Perfect

50. “What we call chaos is just patterns we haven’t
recognized. What we call random is just patterns
we can’t decipher...” -Chuck Palahniuk
Micro Patterning
Works are influenced by materials and processes but these preoccupations evolve. These patterns are
explorations in manufacturing systems.
98 | Future Perfect 99 | Future Perfect

51. 100 | Future Perfect 101 | Future Perfect

52. Perfect Edges
At first glance you might not catch the intricate edge detail. Patterning like this is a powerful
intersection of “ubiquitous technology” and pure human touch. Devil in the details.
102 | Future Perfect 103 | Future Perfect

53. Editorial Tone:
RANT
Editorial Tone:
B
HACK
Editorial Tone:
SIMILITUDE
A C
D E
HOW WAS IT MADE?
This year we noticed a lot of attention being paid to material details that were ambiguous in
origin. The woodcarver's chisel is starting to pull some cues from the computer driven mill,
and vice versa.
These are some of our favorite examples from the show. Can you identify which pieces are
made be hand, and which by machines?
F G
104 | Future Perfect 105 | Future Perfect

54. HOW TO FURNITURE
Duration: 5MIN. – LIFETIME
BECOME A
DESIGNER
Difficulty: M O D E R A T E LY C H A L L E N G I N G
SUCCESSFUL Illustration: RAMSEY FORD
$UCCE$$
PROTOTYPE
You won a
RELOCATE prestegious
competition!!!
EVALUATE Of
Great, I didn’t...
course!
start You’re in, you have
been made famous by
Are you lucky? yes Do you have
$10,000 to the democratic
Antique
How do you feel prototype your internet! Now go pay
Roadshow
about scroll work? design? homage to your
is my Fav!
...but I have online followers and
these student thank them. A major designer wants to
Move to loans and I just make your chair!
no North moved to Italy!
Like the Carolina Do you have Compensation? The privilege
Totally consistent of having Lignet Rosset carry
thing on the
Optional internet access?
bottom of my your chair in their store.
TV screen?
Are you an industrial
Are you an architect? designer?
WA H O O,
no YO U ’ R E
What is your opinion
on hygiene?
Move to
Brooklyn WAY T O
yes
FA M O U S ! You’re FA IL
Lucky
If I had been I CO M M I T !
would have Cleanliness
designed is next to Would your
Yes parents let you
treehouses. A godliness
what?! move back in
with them?
media
Yes, and I blitz! Tell your Mom the
like being I’m yes Repeat for world isn't ready for
3 - ? years Not your genius.
employed half no
“HMPH!” lucky
Yeti Move to
Scandinavian
What is your ideal region of your
THAT
temperature? choice! E PI C FA I L icff booth be seen
Do you have an accent? WIL L Pay another $$$$ to Say things like
…like at Maybe you have The Power of get a booth to show
DO! the beach other talents? Persuasiveness
“hoist one’s own
off your piece to petard” at
right?
Move to Kickstarter potential buyers, intellectual
Italy multiply costs by design salons.
Oooh... where are no number of years...
slick website
you from? Si Empathy for the FREE White background, sans
yes movement You got serif, confusing flash
Design for Download lucky
interaction, lugubrious
Hai una vespa? imagery.
Like
FA I LU R E
Midwestern? Handicraft
Not Return to Go
Etsy lucky
no and roll again.

55. Behind the scene
This is what it looks like. These are the faces, techniques, and
spaces that come together to bring you this issue of Wanderlust.

56. J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J
Fitbit Avatar Samsung 3DTV iPAD McDonalds Smoothies Phone 7 Kinect Born This Way Missoni x Target
3/2009 12/2009 2/2010 4/2010 7/2010 10/2010 11/2010 05/2011 09/2011
2009 2010 2011
FURNITURE AUTOMOTIVE FURNITURE AUTOMOTIVE FURNITURE
Trend Visuals C. Lenses Trend Visuals C. Lenses Trend Visuals C. Lenses Trend Visuals C. Lenses Trend Visuals
Bold Bold Bold Bold
—Value-Able —Value-Able —Value-Able —Value-Able
—Ubiquitous Technology —Ubiquitous Technology —Ubiquitous Technology —Ubiquitous Technology
—Recession Rebound —Recession Rebound —Recession Rebound —Recession Rebound
—Green Majority —Green Majority —Green Majority —Green Majority
TRACKER
Subtle Subtle Subtle Subtle
Back to Bauhaus Cyborg Le Monde Ancien Modern Vintage Next Century Modern
Ignore Embrace Ignore Embrace Ignore Embrace Ignore Embrace
Simple designs that are free of Design inspired by tech and biology. Designs that remember the past. Chiseled, masculine forms. Not (quite) your dad’s Eames chair.
distraction.
Trend Visuals C. Lenses Trend Visuals C. Lenses Trend Visuals C. Lenses Trend Visuals C. Lenses Trend Visuals
Bold Bold Bold Bold
They say you never really know someone
—Value-Able —Value-Able —Value-Able —Value-Able
—Ubiquitous Technology —Ubiquitous Technology —Ubiquitous Technology —Ubiquitous Technology
—Recession Rebound —Recession Rebound —Recession Rebound —Recession Rebound
—Green Majority —Green Majority —Green Majority —Green Majority
until you’ve met their parents. On this page
Subtle Subtle Subtle Subtle
Up to Eleven Strong, Silent DIY Lightspeed Futureganic
Ignore Embrace Ignore Embrace Ignore Embrace Ignore Embrace
Complete exploitation of materials. Assertive designs that speak softly. If you build it, you will have one. Aggressive, fast forms with a Mr. Mobius would be proud. we’d like to introduce the family tree of the
tech feel.
trends from this year’s ICFF. If you’ve been
Trend Visuals C. Lenses Trend Visuals C. Lenses Trend Visuals C. Lenses Trend Visuals C. Lenses Trend Visuals
with Wanderlust from the beginning, you’ve
already met them. Trace your finger along the
Bold Bold Bold Bold
—Value-Able —Value-Able —Value-Able —Value-Able
—Ubiquitous Technology —Ubiquitous Technology —Ubiquitous Technology —Ubiquitous Technology
—Recession Rebound —Recession Rebound —Recession Rebound —Recession Rebound
paths to see the relationships between the
—Green Majority —Green Majority —Green Majority —Green Majority
Subtle Subtle Subtle Subtle
Mash Aesthetics Retrosexual Flyyter Return of Fun Strange Craft
Ignore Embrace Ignore Embrace Ignore Embrace Ignore Embrace
trends from this year’s ICFF show and the
Juxtaposing different aesthetics Embracing classic pop culture. Perpetual motion. Soft designs that evoke the playful. Welcome to the Industrial Devolution.
within the same design. ones from Wanderlust books past.
Trends are like people; we can capture them
Trend Visuals C. Lenses Trend Visuals C. Lenses Trend Visuals C. Lenses Trend Visuals
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—Value-Able —Value-Able —Value-Able
in snapshots but they won’t remain that way
—Ubiquitous Technology —Ubiquitous Technology —Ubiquitous Technology
—Recession Rebound —Recession Rebound —Recession Rebound
—Green Majority —Green Majority —Green Majority
forever. They’re alive and evolving day by
Subtle Subtle Subtle
Follow the Light Direkt Hyperfuture Curated Curiosities
Ignore Embrace Ignore Embrace Ignore Embrace
Light as the product. Simple forms with disruptive details. Lights and surfaces imbued with a The cure for the common craft. day.
sense of the future.
Trend Visuals C. Lenses Trend Visuals C. Lenses Trend Visuals C. Lenses Trend Visuals
Bold Bold Bold
—Value-Able —Value-Able —Value-Able
—Ubiquitous Technology —Ubiquitous Technology —Ubiquitous Technology
—Recession Rebound —Recession Rebound —Recession Rebound
—Green Majority —Green Majority —Green Majority
Subtle Subtle Subtle
Concrete Jungle Natuur Automatik Nouveau Riche
Ignore Embrace Ignore Embrace Ignore Embrace
Nature in an urban world. Getting away from the confort of Design driven by technical This is where all the mustache
your home. advantages. stuff fits.
Trend Visuals C. Lenses Trend Visuals C. Lenses Trend Visuals
Bold Bold
—Value-Able —Value-Able
—Ubiquitous Technology —Ubiquitous Technology
—Recession Rebound —Recession Rebound
—Green Majority —Green Majority
Subtle Subtle
Supply and Design Black and Tan Future Perfect
Ignore Embrace Ignore Embrace
Pragmatic application of existing Subdued, neutral, and sophisticated. Man and machine living in harmony.
supplies for sustainability. Strong influencer Soft influencer Trend reversal
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57. 2011 ICFF Trend Tracker
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58. We look to the past to ensure our PARTING THOUGHTS
place in the future.
Feeling Past Over
We’re obsessed with both the past and the future. We need to be. In the world of furniture, a
sense of history is implicit with any serious undertaking. The word immediately preceding
“quality” in the furniture world is often “heirloom”. As the name implies, these pieces need
to stay relevant for decades. Generations, maybe. To imbue any design with those timeless
qualities we pull cues from the designs that have already passed the test of time. At this
point only the small timers get away with just making something cool. We must look to
the past to ensure our place in the future.
Boca do Lobo has all but declared war on Versailles, bringing its marvels within our
living room walls so that we might imagine ourselves to be surrounded by pieces from
our dear old Aunt Marie’s estate. One of the most compelling pieces at ICFF this year was
Philippe Starck’s “Marie Coquine”, which staggers into the future under the heavy burden
of loot gathered from expeditions to at least 3 non-connected cultural apexes. In short;
it’s all over the place. Additionally, we’re seeing great companies like Blu Dot and Knoll
intertwine their bid for relevancy with the scotch and tobacco permeated threads of the
1950’s New York advertising dream (not to mention the Madness that’s appeared recently
in the windows of certain mass fashion retailers).
So here we are, drifting gently in the atmosphere of our own making, looking down on all
that we’ve made. Our self-reflection is a cultural orbit that needs a significant force to break
it free. The Eames furniture we adore came about because bent plywood was a new and
effective production method, not because it tugged at just the right nostalgic heartstring.
We rarely break new aesthetic ground for no reason. It takes a technology- a shiny new toy
that brings new possibilities- to take us places we never could have predicted. That doesn’t
mean that the transition of rapid prototyping techniques to custom production methods
has run its course yet (although keep an eye on the handcraft counter movement that’s
risen in answer). Just look to the material and technological breakthroughs to get a peek
into the unexplored solar systems of the future. And make sure to bring a guide with you
on the expedition- by the way, designers usually make great navigators.
Call to
At Kaleidoscope, we like trends that inspire ideas, but we love trends
that inspire actions. With each new project, we assess the cultural
Action
landscape to identify trends and brands that are a good match.
Most importantly, we don’t stop at awareness. We generate tangible
directions for how our insights will inform our work, because we
believe that ideas dissipate without an artifact to live in.
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59. Thank You
info@kascope.com
800-930-5793
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