iF Design Trend Report 2023

 

iF Design, organizer of the iF DESIGN AWARD, describes the importance and influence of social trends on developments worldwide. Through a detailed statistical analysis and by comparing their findings with product and service performance, the iF Design Trend Report 2023 showcases this impact. Zukunftsinstitut Frankfurt worked in cooperation with iF Design to identify the six megatrends that have majorly affected the design world, from mental health to urbanization. By better understanding the power of these trends, designers can formulate solutions and strategies which help face today’s greatest challenges.

 

Want to be informed on the megatrends that shape the design world? Order the trend report – here.

iF design reports the impacts of social trends on design
the WWF metaverse exhibition OceanDetox | all images courtesy of iF Design

 

 

connectivity

 

Due to the advancement of digital technologies, we are more connected now than ever before. As physical and virtual worlds merge, new spaces for innovation regarding the design of hybrid living environments are being created. With the ‘Non-Fungible Animals’ campaign, WWF Germany uses NFTs to generate awareness about the preservation of species and to raise funds for protection projects. The metaverse exhibition ‘OceanDetox’, allows users to playfully explore a virtual parallel world, created by the Savespecies artists.

iF design reports the impacts of social trends on design
at the residential district Fremtidens Sølund encounters between users and generations is facilitated.

 

 

Silver Society

 

Between 2015 and 2050, the proportion of the world’s population over 60 years will nearly double from 12 % to 22%. The impact of the shift in demographics towards an older society presents us with both challenges and opportunities for a new sociocultural vitality. The residential district Fremtidens Sølund offers meaningful experiences for people of all age groups. The architectural structure of the project attempts to design the public spaces to promote urban activities, light, views, human interaction and nature.

iF design reports the impacts of social trends on design
the in-home health checkup ScreenVitals by Samsung allows users to record and manage health status

 

 

Health

 

Health is a fundamental value in the societal consciousness and is synonymous with quality of life. The market for products that measure and interpret body data has grown massively in the 21st century. Previously, wearables worn directly on the body measuring physical health were most common but the product range is constantly expanding. For top performance, mental wellbeing plays as powerful of a role as physical strength, and this is something that is being explored by Samsung Electronics with ScreenVitals. The self-heath monitor enables users to measure their vital signs by looking into the camera connected to their TV/monitor for just one minute.

iF design reports the impacts of social trends on design
at Superkilen, over 100 objects from 60 cultures were selected to broaden diversity of public space

 

 

Urbanization

 

Third places are everywhere between being home and work. A wide range of different public spaces fall under this definition, such as; parks, libraries, university grounds, pedestrian zones, shopping malls, co-working and maker spaces. Third places offer room for encounters making them especially important for demographics who would otherwise have little points of social contact. Superkilen in Copenhagen has set the bar for the design of third places with their multicultural neighborhood taking all wishes into consideration.

iF design reports the impacts of social trends on design
Dong Jin Hyun, VP Hyundai; ‘In the future, people will no longer move objects, objects will move around people.’

 

 

Mobility

 

The mobility world is in transition where the shift to renewable energy, digitization, and new lifestyles are driving a wave of innovation. Emerging technologies such as AI and autonomous driving break boundaries between vehicles and robots. The PnD Mobility concept by Hyundai hypothesizes how to advance transportation to the next level with access to metaverse platforms.

iF design reports the impacts of social trends on design
The Novartis Pavillon, in Basel, is a place of learning and exchange

 

 

Neo Ecology

 

New infrastructures for production and business makes holistic product planning possible, providing a sustainable strategy for a material’s entire life cycle. The zero-energy media façade of the Novartis Pavillon combines organic photovoltaics and LEDs to create a communicative building skin. With 10,000 solar modules and 30,000 embedded LEDs, this multi-layered membrane consumes only energy that it produces. This design is used to screen the works of three international artists, Daniel Canogar, Esther Hunziker and Semiconductor.

 

 

project info:

 

name: iF Design Trend Report 2023
published by: iF International Forum Design GmbH, Hannover/Germany | @ifdesign

year of publication: 2023
language: English
edited by: Zukunftsinstitut GmbH, Frankfurt am Main/Germany
layout: Melville Brand Design, Munich/Germany
format: Digital, landscape format 16:9
pdf file size: 65 MB
price: EUR 199.00 incl. VAT / EUR 149,00 incl. VAT for iF DESIGN AWARD winners