keeping up with trends

Keeping track of trends is probably one of the most important parts of working in the creative industry as it keeps you ahead of the game and enables you to create and sell what people will like. It could also really help with getting inspired. it sounds strange that creative styles that are used change with the current trends but they really do so its a really important thing to consider.

There are many different ways of keeping up with current trends. Things such as:

• Buying the latest magazines.
• following companies on social media sites such as twitter, Instagram, youtube and Facebook.
• Looking at the trending topics on social media sites.
• Going to events such as art exhibitions, design shows, art conventions, fashion shows ect.
• going to big shops and looking at the displays.
• taking notice of changing trends within your local high street.
• taking notice of what shops are selling. 

Even just looking at the world around you and taking notice of what is going on can help with keeping up with trends. It is a really easy thing to do. Knowing what is going on keeps you one step ahead in the design world as the way that trends develop and evolve is with slow but sure nudges and changes. so if you think about what is in now and adapt it a bit it can help to predict what will be in within the next few months. 

Trend forecasting is another great way to check and be sure on whats on trend as they are the people that set and notice the trends that are in. There is trend forecasting for all different things, almost everything you could imagine, for example things such as fashion, colour, interior design ect. All of these companies have websites that are very clear on showing whats in and how the latest trends are developing here are a few of the companies and their websites that are really good for this:

• Colour trend forecasting: Pantone
• Fashion trend forecasting and analysis: WGSN
• Fashion trend forecasting: Trend Stop
• Design trend forecasting: stylesight
• Interior design trend forecasting: Inrerior design

Lots of different things effect how trends are influenced and change and all areas of design complement each other for example whats on trend in terms of interior design or colour will reference whats on trend in fashion or illustration. For example i looked on Trendstop and i noticed that in the trend briefings for spring/summer 2015 Pantone's colour of the year (Radiant Orchid) was referenced a lot. Here are some images to back up my findings. 

In this Trend briefing mood board for Spring/Summer 2015, the hat to the left and the petal jumper in the centre use pantone's colour of the year.