👶 Don't bombard youngsters into change makers, 😵💫 Focusssss & 🗣️ Talking to strangers.
Hello my trend buddies!
How are your new year’s resolutions going (if you have any at all)? 💥 Curious to hear about your focus points for the upcoming months. Drop them in the comments if you like…. 🫶
I’m back from my 5-week Winter hibernation and have done some thinking about where to put my attention. It boiled down into 3 things:
👩🏻🎓 KEEP LEARNING
I like to learn so I decided to sign up for 2 classes, which are quite different: a semiotics class (thanks to Kees van Duyn) and a head-and-neck massage workshop. 😂 Will keep an eye out for other classes. So please share the classes, workshops and trainings that you enjoyed doing in the comments section. 👇
🛠️ 90 DAY PROJECTS
I also value self-direction and creativity (as shared in the previous newsletter) which means I don’t like to only do commissioned work but also create my own projects. Will be experimenting with working on a topic/idea independently for 3 months and hope to deliver ‘something’ after this period and share it with you all. 😅
👀 EXPLORE MORE
I’ve started reading the Artist’s Way (thanks to Livia Santos Germano). It advises to go on an artist-date with yourself every week. Which feeds into my desire to focus more on exploring, as I find this the most interesting and inspiring part of the trend research process (and of life!). So I will plan more ‘going elsewhere, clicking elsewhere, reading elsewhere, listening elsewhere’ this year. ➡️ My first artist-date will be to go the Amsterdam central public library (OBA) and drown in their magazine section.
You will be my accountability partner ! 😆 Want to stay updated of my failings or progress? I’ll be sharing more about my activities via Insta.
Onwards folks!
/ Els
Heard elsewhere
❝ Hope is optimism with a broken heart.❞
Nick Cave, musician & poet
Love the newsletter by Nick Cave called The Red Hand Files in which he answers a question of a reader in a very poetic and personal way. (Thank you Jani De Kock for recommending it!) The quote came from a recent answer to the question “What is hope?”, read Nick’s full answer.
Go elsewhere
🌟 recommendations for trend sources
💬 interview - Don’t bombard young people into change makers - a conversation with Dutch sociologist Micha de Winter about the downsides of the label ‘change maker’, change not being a neutral concept and the full meaning of agency (“Agency also means that you realise that you don't always get your way everywhere.”). Dutch text, translate it in your browser.
🛠️ tool - Tripetto - I filled in a survey recently and the experience was different, like I had an online chat conversation. Much better feeling than filling in a Google Form. Found out it was made with Tripetto.
💻 course - Teaching Students to Ask Their Own Questions by The Right Question Institute. I followed one of their online workshops on the ‘QFT’ / Question Formulation Technique and still use it in some of my workshops. Will be useful for your research work, also when you are not a teacher.
🗄️ resource - HOLO - an editorial and curatorial platform for emerging trajectories in art, science, and technology.
📝 article - How to see the humanity in anyone. It’s kind of a practical guide on how to practise ‘deep curiosity’ by Scott Shigeoka (who is apparently a ‘curiosity expert’). When you scroll down in the article to ‘links & books’ you can find more material by Scott on this topic.
📲 account - Velvet Coke - this is a very addictive Insta account for me. 🤗 All about nostalgia and pop culture where ‘Velvey’ spits through old archives on the Internet and forgotten fan sites.
🏟 live events
💥 🇳🇱 Future Friends Amsterdam is happening again! On Friday morning January 31st Stefanie Schillmoller and moi are hosting the second Amsterdam edition of FF. A gathering of future minded professionals with super short presentations on random things on the radar. Get your tickets now before they sell out. 💥
& also:
💻 How Rob Hopkins fell in love with the future..., free online session on January 15 in which Rob gives a sneak peek of his upcoming book (“How To fall in love with the future: A Time Traveller’s Guide to Changing the World”).
🇨🇦 Mois Multi - A multidisciplinary arts festival in Quebec, Canada with various events and exhibitions from January 30 till February 28.
🇬🇧 Semiotics and Cultural Insights 2025 - Conference on how to apply semiotics to business challenges with loads of case studies by brands and agencies. Held on February 13 in London.
🇪🇸 Usana Design Festival from June 5-7 in Usana in the Spanish Pyrenees by the Life-Centered Design School. They dub it the ‘the smallest design festival in the world’ with space for only 50 participants. They are now looking for speakers and workshop hosts.
🎥 video
When was the last time you talked to a stranger? In this special from Dutch program Tegenlicht you learn from a conversation specialist and a journalist how to connect with other human beings through short, informal interactions and conversations. 👇
/ Loads of footage is in English and also English subtitles available.
Explore More!
Want to get inspired and update your skills in 2025? Join me at the following events:
Immersive DesignThinkers Bootcamp for Professional Innovators. In this 5-day highly interactive LIVE training you will EXPERIENCE the Design Thinking Process. On the first day I will give a masterclass on EXPLORING. Runs from April 7-11 in Amsterdam.
Researching trends to navigate the future. Together with Service Design College and BIS Publishers I’m launching an ONLINE course on trend research. Join me for 4 online sessions running from May 8 - June 5. Introductory price now available!
/ Interested in in-company trainings or on-the-job trend coaching? More info here.
Work Elsewhere
💼 trend related jobs
⚡️ Kickstart your career in trends with the job postings below!
🔍 Even if you’re not looking to switch roles, the vacancy descriptions provide a glimpse into the ways companies work with trends.
Senior roles
🇿🇦 Senior Futurist at Stellenbosch University Business School in Stellenbosch, South Africa. Conducting futures research, managing grants and moderating future sessions are part of this role.
🇺🇸 Senior Researcher Consumer Insights Film at Netflix in Los Angeles, USA. In this role you represent consumers on all things related to film and create understanding how movie viewing habits are changing.
Junior/Medior roles
🇺🇸 Strategic Foresight Consultant at Future Today Institute, remote role but you must be located in USA. This role requires a blend of deep research, scenario planning, consulting and creative thinking to deliver insights that shape business strategies and innovation initiatives.
🇮🇳 Speculative Designer at QUEST Alliance in Bengaluru, India. Join their Youth Futures Studio and bring together research, design and storytelling to imagine alternative futures education industry.
🇿🇦 Product Trend Analyst at SMD Technologies in Johannesburg South Africa. Conduct in-depth research to identify emerging product trends and opportunities in consumer electronics and related markets mainly via data analytics.
🌏 Qual and quant insight managers at Human8 in Ghent, Rotterdam, Paris, London, Taipei and Manila.
Internships / residencies / fellowships
🇬🇧 Trend Research Industrial Placement/Internship at Nissan in Cranfield, UK. Investigate electrification and zero-emission mobility trends. Join and cover conferences and industry events.
🇱🇺 Open Innovation Intern at Chanel in Luxembourg. Business and finance focused research work, such as competitor analysis and market analysis.
🇩🇪 Internship/Praktikum Trendmanagement at Audi Business Innovation in Munich.
/ Let me know when you are trend hiring or spot an interesting trend vacancy. Or when you landed a job because you saw it here.👇
Sticky statement
👁 straight from the streets into your inbox
First time one of you send in a photo! Thank you Julius Tami for this wonderful reminder to stay playful. 🛝
/ Did you spot an interesting sticky statement and want to share it? 👇
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