Understanding trends, the emerging values and needs of groups in society provides you with a foundation to innovate and create change. This book gives you a candid and unbiased overview of the trend research process. lt brings a structured, research-based approach to the table instead of a crystal ball.
'How to Research Trends' is practical, hands-on and offers multiple perspectives on researching trends for professionals and trend students around the globe. lt shows you that researching trends is a skill that combines the intuitive and the analytical.
This book is written for everyone interested in human-centred innovation and for everyone interested in learning more about trend research. Trend research includes so much more than just hypes, styles and the latest gadgets. It studies change and provides an analysis of emerging shifts in people’s needs and wants. These trend insights are essential during any innovation process as a foundation to create future proof concepts that improve people’s quality of life.
Based on a 3 step method, you will learn in a hands-on way to scan your environment for signs of change, analyse your trend spots and apply your trend insights to kick start innovation. This book synthesises existing theories, concepts and ideas on trend research. The interviews with experts and students will guide you on your trend journey. This will help you to innovate and create change in the short and long term and execute your own trend research.
As a 10-year old girl Els devoured Agatha Christie’s detectives and wanted to be like Miss Marple: observing and snooping around other peoples affairs. After she discovered that seeing a drop of blood made her faint almost instantly, she had to change her future job perspective. So, she became a researcher which is just like detective work!
Nowadays Els monitors trends 24/7, analyses and translates these societal shifts into brand strategies and consumer insights for various clients at Amsterdam based agency MARE Research. She displays the rare ability to communicate these trends without using fancy marketing lingo. As a lecturer she shares her trend expertise with future trend professionals: her students at Fontys International Lifestyle Studies.
Els is on a mission to take trend research to the next level, where organisations perceive trends as an on-going dialogue rather than a yearly purchase of a trend report as a nice little add on. She believes it’s up to trend researchers to empower organisations to produce innovative policies, strategies, concepts, products and services that in turn empower people.
Education:
Applied Communication Sciences, University of Twente (Master)
Applied Didactic Science, University of Twente (Beachelor)
Interests: People | Research | Trends | Innovation
Skills: Research | Writing | Lecturing | Public speaking
Awards:
• Speaker of the day | Trend presentation ‘New Engagements’ | 2013 | MIE (Marketing & Insights Event) | The Hague
• Best presentation award | ‘How we became curators of cool’ | 2015 | ESOMAR | Paris
https://www.esomar.org/events-and-awards/events/global-and-regional/global-qualitative-2015/global-qualitative-2015_overview.php
Member:
• Dutch Future Society - http://dutchfuturesociety.com/
