March 2021 / Material Matters


Located throughout the world, the Trendease Team continues to deliver our subscribers around the globe must-know market information and inspiration straight to their computer screens.

Keeping fingers on the pulse of the global environment, technology, culture, society, and beyond help to refine insights into future designs and innovation. Tune into this month’s content to see visions of the future. Major themes to note are the circular economy, sustainability, material innovation, community, connectedness, well-being, and nature. The Anthropocene is once again in the design spotlight. Genuine experiences tie into products and places. Experimentation breeds commercial viability. Get inspired with the March edition!

We (usually) attend over 100 design events a year on your behalf to bring you trend insights and design movements to help you maintain cutting-edge knowledge of the lifestyle and design markets. Currently we keep readers within 173 countries/territories in the know! Are you reading Trendease.com?

Show us what you’ve got! For editorial consideration please email editorial@trendease.com with your latest original designs. Upcoming Trendease Market Edge PowWows and Trendease.TV information can be found on the homepage.

REPORTING TO INSPIRE,
Jennifer Castoldi,
Chief Creative Director

Download our informative tri-fold brochure as a PDF file here.

Features and Articles

Housing Interior: Beach Home, Alamein

Jennifer's March Marvels

London — This year’s Surface Design Awards attracted 113 entries from some 15 different countries. The award categories included the best commercial building interior, commercial building exterior, housing interior, housing exterior, light + surface interior, light + surface exterior, public building interior, public building exterior, public realm, temporary structure, workspace interior, workplace exterior, and the supreme award. The winners and finalists can be seen here.

2nd Prize - Dirk Vosding

Giving New Talent a Platform

Cologne — “The imm cologne’s Pure Talents prize presentation also raised the subject of the precarious situation that many young designers currently find themselves in. There’s a lack of platforms where they can present themselves and their work and network with the business world,” says Sebastian Herkner. Although the 2021 show was canceled, we hope to give a platform here.

Jefferson Memorial Forest-Bee Lick Creek

Trend Drivers and Color Futures for 2022

Worldwide — During the Colour Hive presentation given at this year’s (virtual) Surface Design Awards, creative director Hannah Malein discussed the global trend drivers and color overview for Spring/Summer 2022. A summary can be found here with ten motivational categories that embrace what is happening from an international perspective; shifts that will affect us all.

RR Interieur and Philippe Demeyer

We Change in 2022

Worldwide — This Spring/Summer 2022 trend embraces Collectivism, Socially Good, Craving Nature, Protectionism, and Uncertainty, some of the global trend drivers mentioned in the previous article. During her presentation last month, Hannah Malein of Colour Hive outlined the buzzwords, color palette, patterns, materials, and finishes of this design direction.

Jullia Guenther for Chaccra

Harsh Environments Breed Design

Worldwide — This Spring/Summer 2022 trend combines many surprising elements from sea glass to terrazzo to rubber, architecture to textiles, and bold patterns across unusual product categories. Dive in to this gallery to see this design direction’s fluid color palette, material innovations, and inspiring imagery reflecting the coming seasons.

Recycled ceramic and glass 'stone' material from Hand & Eye

Circular Economy & Curious Innovations

London — ‘Beauty of Scrap’ is a trend direction presented by Sally Angharad in a special screening prior to the Surface Design Awards last month. See what some of the designers we regularly report on are up to now, as well as find material inspiration for the coming years that whole-heartedly supports the circular economy, biomaterials, and curious innovations.

Bio iridescent sequin by Elissa Brunato

Adding Color to the Future of Design

London — In this gallery find a number of colorful materials with dynamic designs and sustainability at the top of the list of priorities. ‘Colorful Moments’ is the second trend direction given by Sally Angharad in a special presentation prior to the Surface Design Awards in February. Plastics, ceramics, textiles, glass, and biomaterials take on a look that inspires.

Jiani Zeng and Honghao Deng

Dichroic Materials and More...

London — Experimental texture and surface interest break ground to fresh aesthetics for use in design products and architecture. From innovative digital processes to traditional elbow grease, the techniques utilized to produce the pieces seen here are guaranteed to bring about new ideas. Layered, iridescent, undulating…