Fjord has released its annual Fjord Trends report, highlighting designers' predictions on seven emerging trends that will shape design, technology and business.
This year, futurist Mark Curtis, Accenture's Head of Innovation and Thought Leadership, has been working to develop this outlook with 2,000+ creatives across the world, finding that people have become at-home innovators to design new experiences in dealing with our strange and unbidden circumstances.
"Fjord Trends 2021 - the fourteenth in a series of annual reports from Accenture Interactive's global network of designers and creatives - found that organizations will have the opportunity to map out new territory as they embrace new strategies, services and experiences to meet evolving human needs.
"Throughout history, after a global crisis, a new era of thinking begins," Curtis stated. "As we look to the future, a wealth of potential worlds opens up in front of us. Some are scary, some are exciting, and all of them are largely unexplored. What we do now will define the rest of the century. Businesses have the ultimate permission and space to think and do differently."
The annual report found that the pandemic has brought clarity and surprises alongside its chaos and tragedies. It has highlighted what is important to people and inspired community spirit and at-home innovators.
As a result, a brand new set of challenges has emerged for businesses: how to respond from operational as well as communication perspectives; how to meet consumers' constantly changing expectations; and how to stretch their empathy - all while fighting for survival in a precarious economy.
"Innovation doesn't start with technology, but as we've seen over the past year, it can be a powerful tool to augment human ingenuity - even out of chaos," said Brian Whipple, group chief executive of Accenture Interactive. "The next year should be one defined by hope. We've witnessed - and been part of - great changes in our society. These trends are a blueprint for how we think and what we do next - what we take with us and what we leave behind. We can do better and people deserve better."
Image: Courtesy of Fjord
more: accenture.com (197)