MethodKit with Trends

Description

About MethodKit with Trends

We wanted to create a smart device that highlights the most important bits and pieces for understanding trends. Not another trend report, but a simple tool to spark new ideas. Trends are interesting because they question status quo. They can add new aspects of strategic thinking into your work – may it be an organization, a company, a project or just an idea. Something you have not yet thought about can shed new light on the problems you are trying to solve and lead to innovative solutions.

Trends as phenomena are multifaceted. A trend can be:

• Something becoming hip that was unknown or was not cool before (e.g. Kombucha in Europe).
• Temporary tendency (e.g. memes, for instance Ice Bucket Challenge)
• Longer ongoing tendency (e.g. religiously motivated wars).
• Process changing the situation permanently (e.g. exhaustion of world’s resources).
• General direction in which something is developing or changing (e.g. more user generated content).

In MethodKit with Trends (Vol 1+2) we have been taking 100 interesting trends (mostly social, technological and environmental) and made them into a card based tool. Cards can be played around with, rearranged, stacked and used in never ending combinations. They are dynamic and modular.

We have been trying out the optimal format to teach, facilitate and lead group discussions with. The A6 or iPad mini format has the benefit of being visible on distance (e.g. displayed on a wall) but the convenience of being portable and not taking too much space laid out on a table for group discussions.

The Cards

The Icons

How to use

We see trends as discussion starters: How will they change what you do? How can they be included or taken into account? Use MethodKit with Trends to ideate and brainstorm around new solutions, by combining them with technologies, sensors, places and your target group.

The cards can be used for individual idea generation as well as for hackathons and workshops. We have collected some examples and instructions for how MethodKit with Trends can be used in Hackathon.

Tech Specification

A6 cards
Number of cards: 100
Size (WxH): 168×110 mm
Paper: Uncoated heavy paper 350 g/m3
Package: Transparent zip bag
Included: Matte coated sticker