Trend Research Resources I Use For Surface & Product Design Inspiration
As a surface and product designer it’s important to stay up to date with the latest trends to bring innovative and creative ideas that will sell. Here are a list of some of the resources I use to find inspiration in trend research.
1. Pinterest Predicts
As you know, Pinterest is a huge hub for inspiration. Millions of people are searching for ideas on Pinterest everyday. These searches lead to trend data that Pinterest collects. Pinterest pulls trends out based on specific search data found. For instance, 2023 there was a 310% increase in searches for western bedding ideas and a 145% increase in searches for western gothic which leads them to believe that the western trend will continue and evolve from 2023. I love the hard statistics given from Pinterest and that you can explore more pins from a trend they’ve identified.
2. WGSN IG
WGSN is a trend forecasting company. To gain access to WGSN’s trend reports you have to pay top dollar and at this point in my career I don’t 100% need it so fiscally it doesn’t make sense for me to pay the high premium for their subscription. So I turn to their Instagram for sneak peeks and little snippets of their trend forecasts. This gives me just enough inspiration and awareness I need for trend researching.
3. Trend Bible IG
Trend Bible (like WGSN) is a leading trend forecasting agency. You also need to have a subscription to gain access to their trend reports which cost a lot of money. I use my same tactics for WGSN as I do for Trend Bible and I peek around on their instagram for the latest trends. You can also sign up for a free account, you wont be able to access and trend reports but you will be able to see top level images and one line about trends. Any thing helps, right?
4. Design Boom
Designboom is a daily web magazine covering the fields of industrial design, architecture, and art internationally. Although they do not directly report on the surface and product design industry, the categories they do cover influence and relate to trends seen in other industries. There’s lots of inspiration to be seen here, especially when it comes to texture, shape and color.
5. Etsy Marketplace Insights
Like Pinterest, Etsy pulls data based on their search feature to create a Trend Report for their Etsy Sellers. Their reports are general per the time of year but it gives some insight on what people are looking for. It’s a quick, easy to read free resource with lots of inspirational photos.
As an artist at my core, inspiration strikes at anytime. Having these resources provides me with trend research but also can just spark a new creative idea or color palette. It’s always good to surround yourself with inspiration from different places, next time when you’re looking for trends start here!
