DesignHorizons is the Design Council's knowledge resource on trends, design challenges and design's role in the society of the future. New trends are emerging all the time, find out through these links how they affect you and your business.



Innovation culture
"The benefits of innovation are easy to celebrate but it is important to explore how a company can create a culture to enhance and nurture innovation. This section will look at some of the organisational strategies companies can adapt to encourage an innovative culture. Read on..."

Smart products 
Products which adapt to our own, personal requirements through the highly innovative use of embedded microchips will eventually replace mass market, one-size-fits-all products. Designing more personalised products enhances end-user/product interaction allowing for leading edge customisation and more powerful customer loyalty. Read on...

Sustainable future
Experts believe that resource consumption has to reduce by a factor of up to 20 if we are to sustain life. Profiting from future growth and development without simultaneously destroying the foundations of life on this planet is a fundamental challenge for everyone. Design can help your business to integrate new sustainable solutions with product and service development. Read on...

Living longer
Only 29% of the UK FTSE 100 companies think that the ageing population will significantly affect their businesses (Design Council 1999). However, by 2020, half the adults in the UK will be aged 50 or over and by 2050, the UN projects a rise of 65-84 year olds from 400 million to 1.3 billion. Grow your market share through inclusive design for the whole population! Read more...

Flexible working
Approximately two million people now work wholly or partially from home in the UK. In the USA there are already an estimated 11 million teleworkers and 31 million mobile worker. Learn how design enables effective work at home and on the move, how it enhances the quality of domestic life and morale and creativity in a rapidly changing office environment. Read more...

e-futures
In the UK, e-commerce revenues are expected to be $47bn by 2002 (International Data Corporation), yet only 24% of UK businesses have appointed an executive sponsor to manage the introduction and adoption of e-commerce. Design will have an increasingly critical role in shaping and communicating new businesses, technologies and digital environments in the digital age. Read more...

The latest updates, stories, facts and figures on trends
Are you ready for the future? - Find out what the future will bring!
Design of personal technologies - Call for submissions

Share your views with us
'Consumer centered design'
'What about the children?'
'Problems with e-commerce'

Browse through Design Council research reports as well as articles on trend-related topics. Download them now!

An A-Z of the campaigners, researchers and consultants involved in the trends.