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6 Biggest Design Trends To Watch For In 2018

July 23, 2018

Innovation never stops. Business owners everywhere need to stay on top of the curve and understand today’s changing design trends. Knowing what’s on trend—or even better, where the trend is headed—is an absolute necessity if you’re operating a business and you want to stick out from the crowd. Otherwise, customers will leave your business behind for other companies that embrace change, innovate new ideas, and (as a result) create better products. A business owner who knows what’s happening is a business owner who can change and expand their business model as needed in response to consumer demand. All business owners should also be aware of disruptive changes in their fields.

The Food Hall

Foodies continue to look for new adventures where they can. Daring retailers want to bring it to them. Many urban areas have replaced the boring mall and the tired food court with the contemporary food hall. The food hall is a space devoted to inviting many new restaurants and food stalls to a single space that has been set aside solely for this specific purpose. Food halls offer everything from a fast nosh during the day to a four-course gourmet meal. They also bring together vastly diverse types of cuisines from Thai to Haitian. This is the place to go for a meal in a large city that will satisfy everyone in your party.

New Packaging Materials

Retailers are just as eco-conscious as their consumers. They’re increasingly turning to new materials to reduce landfill waste and cut down on costs. Organic packages come in light colors with simple, easy to read labeling. They’re compact and portable. Users can take them anywhere and dispose of the packaging in the nearest garbage can no matter where they are. Green packaging enables the food to stay hot or cold as needed, making it even more portable.

Brick and Mortar is Back

While online shopping is still hot, people want to touch and feel things as much as ever before they buy them. Brick and mortar stores will continue to expand in certain industries. For example, while consumers may be just fine buying coffee they’ve already tasted before, they want to see the new flooring for their home in person before they make the commitment to install it.

Urbanization Made New Again

Cities are thriving. People who left for the suburbs are now anxious to return. Seniors who find themselves with large houses they don’t need are flocking back to smaller apartments in convenient urban areas. With higher housing costs in some areas, urban planners now look to make use of every single space in the city. New housing developments with less space make it easier for any twenty-something to afford the urban housing of their dream as they start their careers.

Brighter Colors Everywhere

A bright shade of purple is this year’s hot color. Other colors are just as bright. Consumers today look for designs that stand out in a crowd. Designers are responding with outrageous shades everywhere people look. Airport signs in neon yellow allow people to avoid getting lost even in the world’s largest airports. Lime green, turquoise, hot pink, and intense shades of red are all over the place from rugs to sofas to public spaces. Just as kids love the playground even more when the colors call to them, adults feel the same way today.

Authenticity Takes Center Stage

Authentic and local experiences are at the center of many trends across many industries. In the travel industry, vacationers coming to a new region want to experience the best that the locals have to offer. In the food industry, modern restaurant owners base their menus on food that is locally sourced; supermarkets are moving in the same direction, with many offering seasonal food grown by local farmers. In the hospitality industry, hotel owners want to provide their customers with rooms that show off the local culture. In the design industry, decorations are designed to look handmade and authentic (if they are not directly produced by hand in the first place). Any move you can make to push your company in a local, authentic, natural direction will be favored by customers.

These trends are likely to continue in the coming years. Savvy retailers should keep a close eye on what’s going on right now. This can help them identify new clients and open new markets for their products all over the world.

Resources:

https://www.eater.com/2017/8/30/16181016/food-hall-boom-2017

https://www.insanevisions.com/8-food-packaging-trends-to-watch-out-for-in-2018

https://doyleresearch.com/urbanized-seniors/

https://blog.euromonitor.com/2017/08/authenticity-top-consumer-trend-2017.html