D&AD has released its annual Industry Insights Report exploring the political, societal and cultural influences impacting creativity today. Researched using 2018 D&AD award-winning work, the report identifies changes and patterns in consumer behavior, brand and businesses' responses, and the role of technology as an influencing force and enabling tool for advertisers, communicators, and creatives.
Within the 2019 report, the key trends fall under three themes:
- What it means to be human
- The impact of increasingly fractured societies
- How technology is changing the way we access and share information
Trends emerging from these themes include how brands and businesses are increasingly participating in mindfulness and mental health, the differing ways advertisers are responding to political, social and environmental issues, and the role of human creativity in leveraging technology as a platform and tool to create ideas that reach and engage audiences with impactful, creative communication.
The trends conclude with opportunity takeaways designed to act as guiding principles and thought starters for people to apply to their own work.
"Our research identifies the movements and forces that are having the biggest influence on current creative work," commented Dave Birss, creative consultant and author of the D&AD Insights Report. "It's not about showing the bandwagons and hip design trends that are sweeping the industry. Instead, it's looking at what's happening in the wider environment and showing how these developments are creating opportunities for impactful work. The report showcases great examples of this and talks about the opportunities that are still relatively untapped. As always, changes, threats and new developments in technology offer a world of creative opportunities for those willing to put in the work. We hope that the report inspires creatives to respond to the world around them in imaginative ways to offer powerful solutions that enhance people's lives in 2019 and beyond."