Every Trend From
The Past 15 Years
Of Research

As we build avatars and digital versions of ourselves across virtual worlds, the identities we create online start shaping who we become offline.

Entertainment is shifting from something audiences watch to something they step inside.

As manipulated content gets cheaper and more convincing, proving what is real becomes urgent for everyone.

Education is escaping the classroom and hiding inside the games, videos and platforms usually dismissed as time wasted.

Loneliness is being treated less as private misfortune and more as a design problem that housing, policy and media can help solve.

Chatbots, robots and virtual influencers are moving from novelty to a genuine source of emotional support, particularly where human care is scarce or stigmatized.

Psilocybin, ketamine and MDMA are moving out of counterculture and into clinical trials for depression, PTSD and obsessive compulsive disorder.

The buildings we live and work in are being redesigned to actively improve health rather than simply provide shelter.

We spend more money than ever on health and wellness, and almost all of it indoors.

Most wearables measure heart rate, a superficial and lagging signal, and most people cannot act on the data anyway.

Generative AI is collapsing the time, effort and skill required to produce writing, images, music and film, cutting work that took weeks down to hours.

The work-from-home shift was decidedly white collar, leaving out anyone whose job could not be done over a laptop and a Wi-Fi connection.

Flexibility is moving past the question of where people work to how a job is divided in the first place, including two people sharing a single role.

Diversity efforts that stop at product tweaks and ad campaigns are running out of credibility while the cost of exclusion keeps mounting.

When most of us picture a company with positive impact we picture something like Patagonia: founder-owned, mission driven and relatively small.

Predictions of the end of the office were premature, but the office is being renegotiated: work is going hybrid, footprints are shrinking, and real estate is still the biggest line…

Synthetic used to mean cheaper, worse and dirtier.

We count steps, compare calories, measure resting heart rates and track sleep, because data makes us feel in control.

People say they want to buy responsibly and then routinely take the easier, cheaper or more convenient option, because our desire is there but our actions are inconsistent.

Buying used has shed its stigma and become a signal of taste, thrift and environmental awareness, and resale platforms let sellers show off their own entrepreneurialism on top of it.

Cooperatives, mutual societies and credit unions are centuries old and enormous, yet they remain rare among the fastest-growing digital startups even though those business models are…

Faith in government keeps eroding, and Edelman’s Trust Barometer of 36,000 people across 28 countries ranks it the least effective institution for solving social problems, behind…

Cities are being redesigned so that everything people need sits within a short walk, cycle or ride of home, and electric micromobility keeps stretching how far 15 minutes reaches.

Drone delivery has moved from far-fetched to routine, with Alphabet-owned Wing passing 350,000 deliveries across three continents and Zipline completing over 400,000 missions carrying…

Trees and plants are being treated as infrastructure rather than decoration, because they cool streets, capture carbon, cut noise and increase biodiversity.

Food production is being decoupled from farmland through fermentation, vertical farming and insect protein, all of which need far less land, water, energy and labor.

Products and their packaging are being redesigned so that disposal is not somebody else’s problem later, using compostable materials, seaweed-based packaging and marketplaces…

Aging centralized grids are failing more often just as extreme weather makes outages more damaging, while the cost of solar has fallen more than 80 percent in a decade and battery…

Deliberately modifying weather is one of the most contested ideas in climate science, and the danger lies in what changing one region’s ecosystem does to another.

Carbon neutral is becoming the floor rather than the ambition, with a growing cadre of businesses aiming to leave the environment better than they found it.

Creators, corporations, and governments use virtual creations to shift public perception, sell products, and even make fantasy into reality.

B2B brands use non-traditional methods to embrace their humanity and reach decision-makers along with a broader audience.

As tech-enabled products become overbearing, consumers opt to “downgrade” to simpler, cheaper, or more functional versions instead.

Empathy becomes a driver of innovation and revenue, and a point of differentiation for products, services, hiring, and experiences.

To simplify daily life, people shed their excess “stuff,” and seek pared-down experiences and ways to unclutter their digital identities too.

Consumers get weary of innovations claiming to be the “next big thing,” and assume none will last long.

The urgency of the problems facing humanity is inspiring corporations, entrepreneurs, and individuals to find ways of doing good (and generating results) faster.

Fear leads entrepreneurs, businesses, and institutions to envy competitors and approach innovation with admiration or desperation.

The rising empowerment of women and reevaluation of gender itself are causing widespread confusion and angst about what it means to be a man today.

Growing income inequality leads to more guilt among the affluent, leading them to seek more ways to give back.

As switching from brands becomes easier, companies reevaluate who is loyal, who isn’t, and how to inspire true loyalty

Often unsure of whom to trust, consumers look back to organizations and experiences with brands that have a legacy, or those with which they have a personal history.

As robots adopt more human-like interfaces and micro-personalities, they are raising new questions and issues about how we relate to technology.

A global shift toward individualism drives people to follow their passion, start a side business, and appreciate quirks in one another.

Brands and creators intentionally use spectacles to capture attention and drive engagement

Luxury is no longer defined by scarcity and privilege, but rather through more down-to-earth authentic human experiences.

Organizations are using the power of stories to share relatable heritages, missions, personalities and reasons for existing.

Reacting to a polarized media atmosphere, more brands feel compelled to take a stand and highlight their core values.

Organizations invest in tools that help them draw actionable, practical insight out of data that can mislead as easily as it informs.

Creators and makers find ways to cut out middlemen and build more direct connections with fans and buyers.

Empowered with more information, people demonstrate their values through how they buy, work, consume, and invest.

As automation increases, people put a premium on advice, services, and interaction involving actual humans.

The road to mastery of any topic comes through bite-sized learning modules that make education faster and easier.

Media and advertising combine to incite rage or, at the very least, a strong reaction in the media.

Organizations segment audiences too narrowly and unintentionally abandon potentially lucrative customers.

Intuitive products, services and features help protect us by improving our health, keeping us safe and protecting our finances.

Overwhelmed by digital, consumers turn back to products and experiences that they can touch, feel and sense.

As a consequence of eroding trust in media, people are engaging in a personal quest for the truth based on direct interaction.

Shifting definitions of gender lead some to reject the notion of gender while others mask gender from products and experiences.

Immersive experiences increase empathy by helping people see the world through foreign and unfamiliar eyes.

A new generation of creators use social media to grow personal brands, attract fans and become famous for being themselves.

Despite shorter attention spans, people choose to engage deeply with topics or experiences they find interesting.

As technology, media clutter and gadget overloads make life increasingly stressful, people seek moments of reflection.

Over the past few years the fierce, independent woman has emerged, redefining femininity and reimagining gender roles.

As technology becomes more sophisticated, more products will seamlessly provide protection and anticipate our needs.

Consumers value true authenticity and appreciate the minor imperfections found in products, personalities and brands.

The business community embraces mindfulness in all its forms: yoga, meditation, quiet contemplation and even sleep.

A new generation of entrepreneurs are running companies centered around world-changing missions.

A mix of innovative and shocking ideas come from outsiders whose unconventional quirks disrupt entire industries.

A new understanding of loyalty is challenging brands to get smarter about how they can generate brand enthusiasts.

In a digital world the interactions we have with items in print become more luxurious, personal and valuable.

Innovation in how we can preserve history helps change the way we record, experience and learn from the past.

As robots’ utility moves into the home and the workplace, they adopt more human-like interfaces and even adopt micro-personalities.

Algorithms and artificial intelligence enable real-time analysis, moving from input to insight to action without human intervention.

A global shift toward individualism has led to a surge in side businesses and a renewed appreciation for what makes people unique.

Traditional assumptions about gender, culture and lifestyles shift as the ways we define ourselves becomes more inclusive.

Technology automates the many "adulting" tasks twenty-something millennials encounter on their roads to independence.

B2B brands embrace their humanity and refocus on marketing to customers as people first and B2B buyers second.

Brands use their content to provide useful answers and helpful promotions for consumers.

Volumes of data are increasing at an exponential rate, creating a demand for practical and ethical tools that make sense of it all.

In a quest for more authentic experiences, consumers are willing to "earn" opportunities to buy exclusive products and services.

Mobile devices in retail stores allow for real-time marketing opportunities and encourage more impulse buying decisions.

Design is taking a front seat in innovating and modernizing the ways we plan our cities, homes, and futures.

Companies try a new model of "intrapreneurship" modeled after business incubators to bring innovation in-house.

As communities across the world become more diverse, brands are comfortable celebrating multiculturalism in the workplace.

As people become reliant on devices, they become obsessed with saving time and optimizing every interaction.

People embrace aging with optimism thanks to the promise of longer lifespans, better health and more purpose in life.

Companies use behavioral data to better understand customer motivations and segment them by personality.

In a backlash against unnecessary tech, consumers choose simpler, cheaper, and more functional versions of products instead.

Immersive experiences increase empathy by helping people see the world through foreign and unfamiliar eyes.

Companies build stronger connections with consumers through their commitment to charitable causes.

Creators and makers find ways to cut out middlemen and build more direct connections with fans and buyers.

Designers and engineers get better at creating addictive experiences that capture consumers’ time, money and attention.

Consumers expect personalization and VIP experiences from brands … whether they are paying for it or not.

Content creators use real life interactions to study human behavior and build more realistic and entertaining narratives.

Thanks to lower attention spans, marketers increasingly turn to "bite-sized content" to attract engagement.

As personalization tools grow, content and experiences become more adaptive to consumer moods and emotions.

The integration of technology into our daily lives creates demand for intuitive products and services that protect and prepare us.

Marketing departments are increasingly informing their organizations’ product development and research.

Rather than a tool for narcisists, selfies are increasingly appreciated as a modern way to encourage and boost self-esteem.

As consumers generate streams of accessible data through their online activities and connected devices, brand-owned big data will become less valuable.

Traditional assumptions about gender, culture and lifestyles shift as the ways we define ourselves become more inclusive.

Brands realize that useful content generates loyalty and increases sales.

Empowered by technology, people are able to design more efficient, collaborative sales models and products.

Online “news” portals are abandoning traditional journalism in favor of smart curation and sensational stories to drive traffic.

As the web changes how we learn, expertise becomes more inclusive, less academic and more accessible.

Better support, incentives and tools for entrepreneurs reduce the risks associated with failure and make starting a business easier.

Consumers value true authenticity and appreciate the minor imperfections found in products, personalities and brands.

On-demand programming is designed to be addictive as consumers develop an appetite for “binging" on their favorite content.

The increasingly visual way that we present information and ideas creates a demand for efficient design and imagery.

Fueled by social media savvy self-help gurus and time-saving apps, staying productive becomes an obsession.

As tracking devices collect all sorts of data, brands and organizations struggle with how to make the best use of it.

Data breaches and online tracking lead to increased unease about what governments and brands know about us.

With engagement as the ultimate goal, social media marketers make their content more human and emotional.

Businesses and retailers are making use of subscription models to bring just about anything to consumers' doorsteps.

Audio content delivered via innovative technology helps brands generate deeper consumer engagement.

Brands use awe and inspiration to connect their products to big ideas in order to increase their perceived value.

Thanks to developments in e-learning content, more students look for alternatives to traditional university programs online.

As more travelers share reviews from their travel experiences online, a modern travel guidebook is generated on the Internet.

Healthcare organizations of all kinds aspire to truly empower their patients with more useful information about their health.

Banks aim to win trust by reinforcing a human presence in all of their products and services.

New services and better geolocation make it easier -- and wiser -- to keep some investments and purchases local.

Platforms enable public fundraising efforts for anything from from taking a trip to funding college.

Companies create “on-the-side” consulting models to help others duplicate their successes.

Thinking small becomes popular as seemingly insignificant adjustments to features or benefits create significant added value.

Content creators and publishing professionals team up to create more collaborative publishing models.

As pop culture promotes strong female characters, the world starts to imagine a world run by women.

The interactions we have with items in print become more luxurious, personal and valuable.

New apps and startups focus on optimizing the purchase of everything from fashion to prescriptions.

Data visualization gets more personal as people create visual representations of their social lives and conversations online.

People collaborate to bring about social change through using the power of crowdsourcing ideas and action.

Charities combine fundraising with engagement to inspire loyalty among supporters.

Technology offers citizens new ways to become more active in their communities and governments.

Technology allows people to pool their expertise in order to curate more effective content and insight.

Companies make an effort to humanize their approaches to company culture, hiring, and marketing.

New tools help people create online memorials and manage the logistics associated with a loved one's passing.

Using ethnography to derive insights about human behavior and culture inspires better products.

Tracking tools and wearables offer personalized data to monitor and measure daily activities.

Insight from a variety of disciplines is being used to make marketing more engaging, creative and useful.

As video creation tools become more user-friendly, filmmakers are making use of the growing stream of user-generated video content.

Data and online conversation is used to inform and update supply chain and logistics in real-time.

Retailers develop interactive and engaging in-store experiences to compete for increasingly demanding customers.

Artists use social media to make powerful statements and support social causes that matter to them.

People with busy online social lives feel an increasing sense of loneliness in real life.

People use keywords and tags to better connect virtual content with physical objects and locations.

As consumers are drawn into stories about unusual topics, organizations engage audiences through more varied subject matter.

Innovative apps allow consumers to bypass the web for transactions and leisure activities.

Social media allows direct access to previously unreachable celebrities.

As consumers demand transparency from brands, marketing campaigns take on a more honest, "real" tone.

Brands turn to crowdsourced platforms to collect ideas from consumers.

Certain retail brands enjoy unprecedented levels of loyalty from customers that want a connection with the brands they buy from.

Information overload leads consumers to seek simplification in all aspects of their lives.

Companies demonstrate their humanity by celebrating their employees' achievements, quirks, and personalities.

Marketers use data to inspire better integration across channels and platforms.

Real-time communication transforms essential business functions.

Geo-targeted marketing opportunities escalate as consumers broadcast their locations through their devices.

Brands and entrepreneurs collaborate to build innovative new models for giving back.

Brands win trust through content that truly helps consumers.

Complex data becomes a marketing asset through the power of design and visualization.