out and about :: trend spotting at 100% design

A very large and well-scribbled upon blackboard at 100% Design posed the question; “what is the future of design?”

What is the future of design? (Photography: Philip Vile)

So with that question in mind, at my last big LDF event for this year, I thought I’d try my hand at a little bit of trend spotting……both based on what I’d seen here and also thinking back to the other events I’ve attended. Here’s what I found:

John Miller chair

There was a lot of grey about this year, reflecting a similar trend in fashion – which is great news, because grey is one of my two favourite colours!

Camilla Meijer wallpaper

Inspiration from nature featured across all disciplines from Kristine Bjaadal’s innovative Underfull Tablecloth that reveals a butterfly pattern only when something is split on it, to Camilla Meijer‘s beautiful hand-drawn wallpaper, above.

Sarah Blood's Cariboo!

Another theme that was present across 100% Design and the wider LDF was fun; perhaps in response to gloomier times in the economy; from Sarah Blood‘s light-hearted Cariboo! (above), to bold, colourful, positively joyful textile designs from Corita Rose.

Twig Cube by Pinch

Perhaps also in response to uncertain times, there seems to have been a real retreat into natural materials and in particular; wood. People seem to be moving away from gimmicky, self-consciously modern design and towards good-quality, long-lasting products that keep their users in touch with the natural world.

Overall; a thoroughly enjoyable event with lots of great work – I’m counting down to next year’s event already!

Additional reading for the especially geeky: