SCAN: Wake up your inner trend watcher!

Name: SCAN: Wake up your inner trend watcher!
Rating: 4.1 (16 reviews)

Learn how to spot trends in 3 steps

Created byEls Dragt

Last updated 4/2020

English

What you'll learn

Master the art of trend scanning in three steps: spot, select and document.
Be able to spot changes in society at an early stage.
Understand & execute various trend field and desk research techniques.
Select and curate the most relevant trend spots.
Create a personal trend database and add the trend spots found during this course.

Course content

6 sections • 36 lectures • 1h 12m total length

Introduction to the course1:49
Wake your inner trend watcher and explore future directions by examining why we study trends, knowing we can't guarantee predictions, and map different futures through trend research.
Exercise: create your trend definition0:09
Trend Definition
A definition of a trend2:50
Define what a trend means for you by creating a concise definition and a mind map. Explore how trends reflect direction of change in values and needs driven by forces.
The trend research cycle3:44
Explore the trend research cycle—from scanning to analyse to apply—learning to spot seeds of change early, connect dots, and translate findings into innovative, future-ready strategies.
Exercise: reflect on 'trend research'0:06
Reflect on the domain of trend research.
Reflection on trend research1:29

Introduction on scanning2:50
Exercise: which are your dominant senses?0:08
Reflection on your senses.
Train your senses6:34
Adopt an open, curious, non-judgemental stance to explore change. Use five dimensional trend research that activates all your senses.
Exercise: which are your preferred desk research sources?0:09
Desk research preferences?
Trend Desk Research12:51
Exercise: which are your preferred field research sources?0:09
Trend Field Research7:26
Conduct field research to spot signs of change by visiting areas, locations, streets, events, and venues, and interview frontrunners to uncover drivers for creating or adopting change.
Inspiration sheet for desk & field research0:06
Reflection on scanning1:00
Reflect on your preferences in desk and field research sources, explore the art of looking sideways, activate your senses, and apply the inspiration sheet’s tips to sharpen your scanning.

Introduction on scan plan0:57
Create a scan plan that uses desk and field research sources to specify what to watch, listen to, visits, and who to talk to, alone or with your team.
Exercise: create a trend network map0:08
Map your trend network
Network spotting2:56
Exercise: create a scan plan0:08
Create a scan plan0:52
Create a comprehensive scan plan by detailing every activity, including which exhibition and when you will visit it, and share ideas with colleagues to inspire your own plan.
Inspiration sheets for spotting0:08
Just as a reminder, take a look again at the inspiration sheets on desk & field research for overall tips & tricks to execute these.
You can find them again in the resources to download.
Execute your scan plan!0:55
Exercise: reflect on your trend spotting0:09
Reflect on spotting
Reflection on trend spotting1:01

Introduction on selecting trends spots0:33
Discover how to select trends spots by applying criteria to what you’ve spotted, emphasizing quality over quantity.
Exercise: select your trend spots0:08
Select the most interesting trend spots5:25
Select the most interesting trend spots by applying a criteria-based assessment—evaluating innovation, novelty, inspiration, clarity, reliability, anomaly, and potential impact to curate what to keep or delete.
Practice selecting your spots some more.0:51

Requirements

Be willing to go outside to practice trend spotting.

Description

Did you ever wonder how you can explore the future?

Trend research is a powerful method to detect change at an early stage. It will help you to explore possible futures in the making. Insights in emerging trends provide a much needed kickstart for any innovation process.

In this course you will focus on trend scanning: finding signs of change. The lectures will prepare you to master 'the art of looking sideways' and open up your way of looking at the world. During this course you will activate your senses to become more aware of your surroundings. You will learn where to look for signs of change and execute your own 'scan plan'.

This course will also take you into the nitty gritty of scrutinizing all your trends spots and selecting the most relevant ones using the 'trend spot selection checklist'. Finally, you will also learn about ways to file the information and reflect on which system works best for you.

Are you ready to open up and explore the future? Wake up your inner trend watcher today and enroll in this course.

Who this course is for:

Anyone working on innovation projects, such as designers, researchers, developers, strategists, managers.
Market researchers and user/ux researchers who are new to trend research and want to add trend scanning to their research toolbox
Aspiring trendwatchers, who want to learn more about trend scanning.

SCAN: Wake up your inner trend watcher!

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

Introduction6 lectures • 10min

Trend Scanning9 lectures • 31min

Trend Scan Plan9 lectures • 7min

Selecting trend spots4 lectures • 7min

Document your trend spots5 lectures • 12min

Wrap Up3 lectures • 6min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: