Chloe Muir 
Photo by Chloe Muir
Editor’s note: this blog is the eighth in a series discussing trends and insights into the world around us.
“People are looking to creating a unique identity; they want to put together their own story rather than have someone else tell them.”—Allen Adamson
Cadillac House. Photo: Eric Laignel.
If 2016 taught us anything, it was that change is inevitable. As we kick off a new year and reflect back upon 2016, let’s take a look at some of the top retail trends we saw take shape last year, and how some retailers are embracing everything from augmented and virtual reality to artificial intelligence, robotics and unconventional partnerships in order to draw consumers, customize offerings and stay ahead of the curve.
Image © Sara Hill
Editor’s note: this blog is the seventh in a series discussing trends and insights into the world around us.
People’s attitudes towards labels of gender, sexuality, family, diversity, and career are becoming more open and undefined. We now know that ‘Gen Z is the most ethnically diverse generation in US history, eventually comprising of 47% ethnic minorities’, according to Jaclyn Suzuki, creative director of Ziba Design as well as the fact that 81% of them feel like they are negotiating multiple identities’ (Stylus, 2016).
‘In five years, cognitive AI will impact every decision we make’ - Ginny Rometty (IBM CEO). Image © IBM
Editor’s note: this blog is the sixth in a series discussing trends and insights into the world around us.
IBM CEO Ginny Rometty’s prediction at the annual Code Conference earlier this year isn’t too hard to believe. With the AI market estimated to grow from $420 million in 2014 to $5.05 billion by 2020, thanks to the rising adoption of machine learning, AI is no longer the stuff of science fiction. IBM’s cloud-based cognitive computing engine Watson, in particular, is involved in everything from healthcare research to teaching robots how to speak Japanese, and playing a key role in transforming the retail customer experience (CX).
Tony Wilks 
Kodak's new logo, designed by Work Order, is a perfect example of how brands are using nostalgia for the recent past to forge powerful connections with consumers. Image © Eastman Kodak Company
Editor’s note: this blog is the fifth in a series discussing trends and insights into the world around us.
Think back to your childhood and to all the things you ate, drank, and played with. Think Action Man, Twister, Cola Bottles, The Chopper, or the Mini—a collection of memories that sits within your emotional psyche. Even at our most tender ages, we are exposed to the power of brands, and we subconsciously form a connection to them without any awareness of what’s taking place. Back in the 70’s and 80’s, brands solely relied on advertising to garner exposure and to instill a desire, on the part of consumers, to be involved with their products or services. So it’s fair to say that brands have always played a key role early in our childhood and helped shape the memories we made of those indelible early years.
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