"While you can't afford to be in denial about the recession, you don't want to fully participate in it, either," reminds DesignIntelligence Founding Editor James P. Cramer. Cramer co-chairs the Design Futures Council, an interdisciplinary network of design, product, and construction leaders who explore global trends and challenges.
Look beyond the challenges of the current business landscape and you will find opportunities for success, he notes. This is one promise of the 2009 Trends Forecast of Architecture and Design published in the January/February issue of DesignIntelligence.
The annual trends forecast uses an approach that solicits the opinions of design's most eminent thought leaders as well as the wide-ranging experience of the Design Futures Council's think tank. A number of bright spots are revealed in the analysis. According to Cramer, these opportunities will be won by design firm leaders who resist the vortex of cynicism and doom, instead coaxing their energy to where it can make a difference. "You can get on top of today's opportunities. You can focus on the new and satisfying horizon, and you can get ahead of the curve," he says.
Of the 25 trends highlighted in the January/February issue of DesignIntelligence, some are surprising only by virtue of the current economic scene. For example, while green issues were once considered something of a luxury, sustainability has become a value-adding aspect to nearly every type of product and service. That won't change even in the face of current recession, predicts DesignIntelligence.
Non-traditional services and innovation are also trends cited at worth attending to in 2009 and beyond. This falls right in line with the need to be distinctive in a bland economic landscape.
"Leadership is defined during times when challenges are greatest," Cramer reminds readers. "In your firm you can be leading the way to a more hopeful future."
ABOUT DESIGNINTELLIGENCE
Included in the January/February issue of DesignIntelligence:
* 25 Trends Transforming Architecture and Design Practice
* 16 Design Econometric Trends
* 10 Residential Design Trends
* Architecture and Design Services Forecast
* Forecasts by Project Type
* Trending of the Trends: What's Gaining Significance, What's Losing Significance
Plus, penetrating feature articles from top architecture and design firm leaders:
* 2009 Unfolds: Stand Your Ground
* Infrastructure Improvements Will Boost a Struggling Economy
* Planning for Trouble: Contingency Planning Advice
* Integrating Project Management and Design
* Marketing When Times Are Tough
* A Minor Proposal: Designers As Leaders
Published by Greenway Communications LLC
ISBN: 978-0-9818989-
Print edition: $69.99
PDF edition: $69.99
68 pages
To order: www.di.net/bookstore or (800) 726-8603
REVIEW COPIES AND INTERVIEWS
Members of the media may obtain review copies of the January/February issue and interviews with DesignIntelligence Founding Editor James P. Cramer by contacting Jane Gaboury, jgaboury@greenway.us, (678) 879-0932.
