Is It Possible to Predict the Next Big Design Trend?

Designers, fashion influencers, and other people passionate about the world of design are constantly racking their brains to figure out the next big design trend. Being able to anticipate and act upon design trends early can help you get a competitive edge – and always be forward thinking.

Millions of people make constant attempts to predict or even create the next big design trend. But is it even possible to predict this?

The Power of Predictive Analytics

Thanks to the power of AI, predictive analytics has taken a massive step forward. Incredibly sophisticated AI algorithms can pull, process, and understand data from thousands of different sources to make amazing predictions about how the future is going to play out. AI predictive analytics has practically countless applications, and leaders in the industry have undoubtedly already tapped into its potential to better understand how their target demographics might behave in the future.

It’s no longer debatable whether predictive analytics engines are better than humans at predicting outcomes in most areas; they most certainly are. Still, there are some limitations associated with predictive analytics engines and other technologically advanced ways of forecasting the future.

The Possibilities

These are some of the promising possibilities.

• Market research. Even elementary strategies in the world of market research can help predict future trends. The better you understand your target demographics and how they think, the better you’ll be able to predict how they’ll think and feel in the near future. If you have at least some understanding of design and fashion trends that may emerge in the future, you can often predict how your target customers will feel about them.
• Historical analysis. Fashion trends are sometimes cyclical. Although this isn’t a perfect science, there are often ways to accurately speculate about future trends by analyzing past trends. This is especially true with generational clothing, but it can be applied to other areas as well.
• Pattern analysis. It’s also possible to identify and better understand key patterns in your chosen area. Analyzing social and cultural trends can often inform trajectories for design and fashion trends.
• Forecasting. There are many ways a fashion trend can start. It can be introduced by a single influencer, a group of people, or even something in pop culture like a new movie. Once a trend begins to emerge, it can be thoroughly analyzed so that its future can be forecasted.
• Influencing. And of course, there are always people eager to introduce and shape design and fashion trends themselves. Sometimes, people can become more effective at predicting trends by playing a role in shaping them independently.

Limiting Factors

These are some of the most important limiting factors.

• Subjective taste. Even though a demographic cohort may be loosely aligned on a particular issue, it’s very difficult to understand or make predictions about subjective tastes associated with individuals. Demographic groups may deviate from predictions on a whim, and individuals within that group may differ strongly in how they respond to new ideas. Even a handful of individuals, if they have sufficient influence, can shape trends in one direction or another.
• Influence and reach. Design and fashion trends are also contingent upon their ability to reach and influence people. A new trend may be the hypothetically perfect direction within a community, but if it isn’t associated with a prominent person or if it doesn’t reach the right people in the right ways, it might fall flat.
• Trend interference. The 24-hour news cycle is something most of us despise, but that doesn’t stop it from existing. News stories, ideas, and messages are constantly infiltrating our social networks and hijacking our attention, so it’s easy for some ideas to be lost in the shuffle. If a design or fashion trend is interrupted or overtaken by something more sensational or more popular, it could lose all its momentum.
• Economics and politics. Sometimes, design and fashion trends are steered off course by economics or politics. People may be reluctant to buy expensive things or indulge in a new trend if they consider themselves financially burdened or in a time of tumult.
• Duration and intensity. Even if we can predict some fashion and design trends, we face tremendous difficulty predicting their duration or intensity. It’s almost impossible to guess how long a trend is going to last, when it’s going to peak, or how it’s going to roll out.

So is it possible to predict the next big design trend with our modern technology and understanding of the design world? Although we definitely have more potential than ever before, and although it’s possible to make some accurate predictions, the future of the design and fashion industry is still too chaotic to concretely predict.

Images from The Row SS25 Street Style – see full story here.