I devour books. Mostly non-fiction, but also fiction that reflects the times. I browse the web for inspiration, both on mainstream Media social Media get a sense of what people are talking about right now. I always bring my curiosity with me to the supermarket, out on the streets, while traveling, and when meeting other people.
At the same time, my clients are a goldmine of inspiration. What do they ask about? What sparks their interest? Together, we develop new ideas and solutions that then become part of my mindset. I often go home and research a topic if someone has pointed out a new angle or challenged my perspective. It’s a mosaic of theory and practice and an open, curious vibrancy that I always carry with me and can hardly let go of even in my sleep.

It is important to work on understanding the behaviors and needs that will emerge in the future in order to ensure the survival of a business or, for example, a public organization. After more than 20 years of working on this, I am still surprised by leaders’ lack of interest in understanding where things are headed. I honestly can’t understand how they can sleep at night. Isn’t that a leader’s primary responsibility?

When I first began exploring the trend process, the word “trend” was used and understood only within the fields of statistics and design—albeit, of course, in two very different ways. But fundamentally, both disciplines used—and still use—the word to refer to the same thing: a process of social change, that is, an innovative process in which something—such as style—is transformed by people. So trends are about human behavior. Regardless of how one might otherwise work with trends, and whatever one might call oneself, trends are about people drawing inspiration from one another, and creative companies drawing inspiration from trendsetters, because the latter set the agenda for future consumption.

A trend is the combination of various innovation data points, which allows us to conclude that a critical mass of change is underway. Springwise is a collection and compilation of those data points. Our Springwise access database categorizes the data by industry, geography, and timeline. This means we can track change—and thus trends—in a variety of ways, leading to both insights and validation of ideas for our clients.

My sources of information are quite diverse. I travel a lot, which is an excellent way to gain new insights. Books and articles are also important sources for staying up to date—especially when working with macro trends. The internet is, of course, an important source, but it takes a very long time to find reliable sources online—and those that provide relevant content. The sheer volume of information on the internet is both the medium’s strength and its weakness. Ninety-nine percent of all information is irrelevant. As an experienced trend researcher, over the years you build up a network of people with whom you share experiences. This network is also an important source.