Positioning and Trends | Interviews
The interviews this week were interesting to hear, it struck me initially that people's opinions differed on the subject of trends and positioning. For example, even though they work for the same agency, Stijn Van de Ven and Luke Veerman had completely opposing opinions. Stijn felt that trends do not matter and you shouldn't use them as a basis for design because they are constantly changing. Whereas Luke felt that trends are very important and while you should always be flexible you should also be aware of trends. I think I feel more similarly to Stijn -trends are not as important as the solution to the challenge. I think you should be aware of trends but you shouldn't let them change the shape of your project as sometimes this can overtake the functionality and affect the success negatively.
This reminded me of an article I read a while ago about how costume designers are being overshadowed by the production companies need to have trendy brands collaborate with them. [1]
Pairings between illustrious fashion labels and films with A-list stars make for sure-fire clickbait headlines. But oftentimes, the tactic of using brand name wardrobe to help portray characters and tell the story overshadows the costume designer.
This is a really good example of trying to keep up with current trends and positioning overshadowing the work of designers and the need for thought outside of trend. This is definitely something to keep in mind because like trends, science is ever changing and I don't want following the latest idea to get in the way of design that will enhance the online archive and successfully answer the brief.
The Trend Forecaster’s Handbook
This was a really good read and gave some great tips when thinking about trends and positioning. [2] It gave a detailed account of how to find out the current trends and how to then put them into practice. I think when doing the science museum project I need to research then keep in mind the current trends in design, technology and science because it is going to be really important when considering how to drive people to the science museum archive. I need to conduct a lot of research and put it into practice in order to design the best solution I can - making sure I am up to date on science I think will be the main thing. This reading will really help with organising my thoughts and using different methods to find out the information I need.
Dezeen and Google's Soft Futures
This was a great conversation to watch! [3] I found the idea that people love nostalgia so much that they don't want change really interesting - especially in relation to trends. Does this mean people aren't as interested in keeping up with trends anymore? Instead they want something that reminds them of their childhood and being young? This is an interesting thought to explore - what is more important to people now, keeping up with the latest trends or having comfort in the familiar? I think since the pandemic, people crave comfort, there has been so many steps into the unknown in the last 18 months that maybe a step back into the familiar is actually more in line with what people want?
This made me think of a science game I played when I was younger, Kerbal Space Programme. [4] In this game you work up the ranks and design rockets. It involves learning the science involved in not only the engineering but also into space itself as you need to plan trajectories and work out landing patterns. You learn an incredible amount by playing this game and it also has the nostalgic feel for people used to play it.
I love the idea of creating something interactive that will teach people about the artefacts in the archive. This will also play on the idea of nostalgia actually being what people are after now. I think this is a brilliant thing to use as inspiration for this brief because it combines science, nostalgia, learning and interaction, all of which I think can only strengthen my brief response.
Workshop Challenge
This week you will evaluate emerging trends that are relevant to your project and develop a positioning statement.
Research emerging trends and innovations that are relevant to your selected project and target audience. Add your research to the Ideas Wall and elaborate on your blog.
Create one clear positioning (mission) statement to outline your project goal and how you will address the strategy already outlined in your project plan. Your positioning (mission) statement should show evidence of how trends (and other emergent fields of practice) can be evaluated, to ensure the direction of your strategy is effectively aligned to your project requirements. Please ensure your approach is innovative, original and brings new insights to the given subject area. Upload your positioning (mission) statement to your blog.
Develop three different mood boards (with written captions) to contextualise your research into emerging trends and how they are appropriate to your positioning (mission) statement and target audience. Upload your mood boards to your blog.
Select one mood board and upload it to the Ideas Wall to gain feedback and record the feedback on your blog.
Science Trends
Action against climate catastrophe
Currently climate change is a massive issue, not only in the science sphere but in the world in general. With Cop26 currently happening in Glasgow, it is all over the news and will hopefully stay at the forefront for years to come - big change needs to happen. It is a topic on everyone's lips.
Generation Z are really pushing the subject of the climate crisis and have passion that will really make a difference. Greta Thunberg is doing incredible things for bringing it to the forefront of people's minds and really engaging politicians and forcing the conversation.
According to WWF, the main trends going forward in relation to climate change are:
Forests. Impacts vary in different kinds of forests. Sub-Arctic boreal forests are likely to be particularly badly affected, with tree lines gradually retreating north as temperatures rise. In tropical forests such as the Amazon, where there’s abundant biodiversity, even modest levels of climate change can cause high levels of extinction.
Oceans. Oceans are vital ‘carbon sinks’, meaning that they absorb huge amounts of carbon dioxide, preventing it from reaching the upper atmosphere. Increased water temperatures and higher carbon dioxide concentrations than normal, which make oceans more acidic, are already having an impact on oceans.
The Arctic. Average air temperatures in the region have increased by about 5°C over the last 100 years. Recent data shows that there’ll be almost no summer sea ice cover left in the Arctic in the next few decades. The effects won't just be felt by the habitats and species such that rely upon this area - they'll be dramatic in the entire northern hemisphere.
Antarctica. The Antarctic ice sheet is the largest single mass of ice on earth, accounting for around 90% of all fresh water on the earth's surface and spanning almost 14 million sq km. This ice plays a vitally important role in influencing the world’s climate, reflecting back the sun’s energy and helping to regulate global temperatures. Parts of the west Antarctic Peninsula are among the fastest-warming places on earth. Even small-scale melting is likely to have significant effects on global sea level rise. [6]
Protests. Young people are taking to the streets and protesting, asking politicians to actually make a change and do something about climate change.
Space Exploration
The space race between Space X and Blue Origin has been heating up with Elon Musk's Space X test potential Mars vehicles and making the first reusable boosters and Jeff Bezos sending William Shatner into space... there appears to be a clear winner so far. China launched the Tianwen-1 in July 2020 and it reached the surface of Mars 7 months later with China becoming the second space faring nation to land on the surface of Mars.
Space travel is exciting and a look forward into the future of humanity, it is of great interest to a lot of people and although there was a slump in interest after Apollo finished in the 1970s but it seems to be gaining more and more coverage and interest now.
According to X Prize, the main trends going forward in space exploration are:
Humans will live, work and holiday in space. You’ll most likely know an astronaut as many will experience space, but not everyone. Space travel will be a collaborative global venture and living in space will be easier (but still not easy). New medical conditions and new treatments will arise.
Deep space exploration. We’ll mine water from the Moon by 2030 and will be able to grow food in space. VR companions will exist to help with mental health when traveling long distances in space. We’ll operate machines remotely and perhaps finally discover evidence of life in space.
Space business models. Most businesses will be space businesses and the government will be a customer - essentially, the space business will be what start-ups are today. Terrestrial industries will have a presence in space, countries will work together to tackle the industry and manufacturing will be doable.
Space data comes back to Earth. Space data will be commoditised but it will be regulated internationally and it will be owned. AI will be normality and governments will start conducting census from space.
Sustainability in space. Sustainability in space will benefit sustainability on Earth and space will have its own legal jurisdiction. Space ecology will be necessary for younger generations and it will be offered as a Master’s program at universities. [5]
Vaccine Rollout
It is impossible to talk about science trends without mentioning the Covid-19 vaccine. It was an amazing feat for immunologists in 2020 - making a vaccine under such pressure and rolling it out to over a billion people worldwide so far. It has been scrutinised by the masses and the amount of misinformation out there is tremendous. It is always trending online and constantly being spoken about.
After the last two years the world has faced, vaccines and covid are a hot topic in the science world, the scientists have done such an incredible job and deserve all the praise and none of the criticism they get.
According to WHO the covid cases so far are: [7]
Museum Trends
According to the American Alliance of Museums, the following 4 things are emerging trends in museums in the coming years: [8]
1. Having an online offering will be important for many museums’ survival.
Even as COVID-19 vaccines become available, people may be hesitant to travel, and it could be some time before travel restrictions are lifted. This means that online museum experiences will maintain their relevance for at least the next year. And the more people get comfortable with online museum visits, the more they’ll want them.
Exploring an online offering is essential to maintaining your relevance as a museum and to keeping your exhibitions top of mind. Having a good online offering can also be a way to bring in revenue during a slow period.
2. It’s the age of the online museum gift shop.
Seeing as it may be some time before museums can welcome back visitors and tourists in pre-pandemic-sized droves, cultivating alternative streams of revenue will be essential. One of the most obvious places to start is your museum gift shop. From the classic fridge magnet to specially printed silk scarves, museum gift shops are a treasure trove of gift ideas and limited-edition purchases. Museums around the world have asked consumers to support them through purchasing their merchandise and this trend is likely to continue into 2021.
3. Repurpose your online offerings to promote your museum.
The rise of online advertising shows no sign of slowing down next year. With social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube exploring more video advertising avenues, it might be worth doing a little bit of exploring of your own. As museums around the world reopen next year, the battle for consumers’ attention will be extra tough, so you’ll need to be able to share your offering on as many platforms as possible.
4. Virtual reality will become commonplace for museums.
This probably isn’t news, but thanks to our heavy reliance on all things digital in 2020, the development of virtual reality has been fast-tracked. Just look at the V&A in London: in October of this year the museum presented its first virtual reality event to showcase an exhibition set to open in March 2021. The presentation featured a curator presentation, live special effects, and a preview of the exhibition opening in March. Whether you plan to use virtual reality to engage visitors from their homes or in your museum, one thing’s for sure: virtual reality is coming.
I think Covid 19 has been largely responsible for pushing museums forward and making them have more of an online presence. Because of this technology has been advancing. People couldn't visit museums during lockdown so they had to come up with new ways of doing thing. It is such an exciting time to be part of a project like the science museum one as the possibilities feel endless.
The Pen Experience
The Cooper Hewitt museum has a great new innovative way of interacting with their exhibits - they have a pen that allows you to collect pieces as you go around the museum then project them onto the screens to find out more information about the objects. This is such an innovative way of allowing people to experience the exhibition as they want to see it. When they go home, they put the code from the ticket into the website and they can remotely view the things they collected. This is an incredible educational tool and allows people to really dig into the information about the exhibitions. [9]
The trend of museums using more interactive tools is evident in the Cooper Hewitt Museum and indicative of the post Covid world - people want the same information just at a distance and this is a way of providing that for people.
Ai Weiwei at the RA
As part of Ai Weiwei's show at the Royal Academy [10] in London, there was a 360 viewer which allows you to explore the museum like you're there. It allows people from all over the world to experience the show regardless of where they are, accessibility or affordability. It is such a great way to allow people to explore it from the comfort of their own home and makes you almost feel like you are witness to a private show, being invited in to Ai Weiwei's studio. Although this was in 2015 it is the perfect way to see a show in a post pandemic world, especially people nervous about contact or clinically vulnerable.
General Trends
Nostalgia
Nostalgia is like comfort food. It transports us back to a simpler, happier place and gives us comfort and stability – things we all long for in times of uncertainty.
It has now been over a year since the first lockdown that put our lives on hold and turned everything upside down. Since then, masks, distance learning, and working from home have become the new normal and this is having a knock-on effect on the types of content people are consuming.
A recent study exploring the effects of COVID-19 on entertainment choices found that more than half of consumers are finding comfort in old TV shows, films, and songs from their youth. Pokémon cards are skyrocketing in value and stars of 2000s TV shows like High School Musical have been a huge hit on Tiktok. [11]
A study conducted by MRC [12] found that during the pandemic, nostalgia is what people are craving. I think this is because during a time of such turmoil and stepping into the unknow, there is a comfort in things that feel familiar. This is definitely something I can harness in the science museum project - encouraging people to discover new things but possibly in a familiar way so it's comfortable.
Mission Statement
My objective is to create a fun, interactive game to encourage people to explore the Science Museum Group's online archive. It will build on the Science Museum's Group own mission to inspire the next generation of scientists, inventors, and engineers. I believe an interactive game/app is the way to do this and encourage my target audience of 18-30 year olds to explore the archive and make links between the objects they may never have seen before.
Space travel is strong current trend in science, with Elon Musk aiming to reach Mars by 2024 and launching test vehicles as we speak. For this reason I will focus my project on space. There is a plethora of items in the archive and I will focus on the idea of building your own unique inventions using the pieces you can find geotagged around the world.
Nostalgia is also an emerging trend after the pandemic. Over 60% of people in an MRC survey said they had rewatched TV and movies rather than absorbing new content. I think after the last 18 months people have had to venture into the unknown so much that there is actually comfort in the familiar, so I plan to use this idea to enhance my project and use the familiar to encourage people to try something new.
Mood Boards
Science
Nostalgia
Exhibitions
Summary
What a big week! I really enjoyed thinking about the science museum brief on a deeper level this week and trying to sort my thoughts out about this project. The lecture content and further resources were really interesting, especially the soft futures talk which delved deeper into how trends and positioning affect the way we as designers thing about design.
The workshop task this week really helped with understanding how I plan to position my product/answer to the brief in the market. By looking at trends in science, museums and society in general it led me down the path of nostalgia - the pandemic is largely to blame for the resurgence because people have been comfort rewatching rather than consuming new content. This gave me a really interesting basis for research and a new avenue to explore in relation to the brief.
I can't wait to draft out ideas next week and come up with a few different concepts which will answer the brief. I think this week forms a really good basis for development and I am glad I put so much effort to the research as I think this forms a good basis for the rest of the project.
References
[1] Soo Hoo, F. (2021). How Film and Luxury Label Collaborations Can Overshadow Costume Designers’ Work. Available: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/style/film-and-luxury-label-collaborations-overshadow-costume-designers-1234995921/. Last accessed 3/11/21.
[2] Raymond, M. (2010) The Trend Forecaster’s Handbook. London: Laurence King.
[3] Dezeen (2018) Dezeen and Google's Soft Futures talk live from Milan.
[4] Kerbal Space Program. (2021). The next generation of space exploration. Available: https://www.kerbalspaceprogram.com/. Last accessed 3/11/21.
[5] X Prize. (2020). THE GLOBAL SPACE INDUSTRY TRENDS AND PREDICTIONS FOR 2030. Available: https://www.xprize.org/prizes/google-lunar/articles/the-global-space-industry-trends-and-predictions-for-2030. Last accessed 3/11/21.
[6] WWF. (2021). CLIMATE CHANGE. Available: https://www.wwf.org.uk/learn/effects-of/climate-change. Last accessed 3/11/21.
[7] WHO. (2021). Covid19. Available: https://covid19.who.int/. Last accessed 3/11/21.
[8] American Alliance of Museums. (2021). A Peek into the Future of the Museum. Available: https://www.aam-us.org/2021/01/20/a-peek-into-the-future-of-the-museum-in-2021/. Last accessed 3/11/21.
[9] Cooper Hewitt. (2021). The Pen Experience. Available: https://www.cooperhewitt.org/new-experience/. Last accessed 3/11/21.
[10] Royal Academy. (2015). Ai Weiwei. Available: https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibition/ai-weiwei. Last accessed 3/11/21.
[11] Wilkinson, M. (2021). Will Nostalgia Be the Biggest Marketing Trend of 2021?. Available: https://latana.com/post/nostalgia-marketing/. Last accessed 5/11/21.
[12] MRC. (2021). Covid-19 - Tracking the Impact on the Entertainment Landscape. Available: https://static.billboard.com/files/2020/04/COVID-19-Entertainment-Tracker-Release-1-1586793733.pdf. Last accessed 5/11/21.
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