Can you incorporate these to your work?

Each year, different trends emerge, influencing many industries from fashion and interior design, tech, lifestyle, and travel.

To marketers, designers, and business owners, predicting these trends ahead of time is crucial to anticipating the future desires of consumers – and to their overall success.

Nature-centric Aesthetics

For the past few years, our interior décor has taken more and more inspiration from nature as hype for houseplants boomed, particularly in the wake of the pandemic and the lockdowns that kept us from nature.

We’ve all heard HGTV designers and science-backed articles urging us of the benefits of bringing nature indoors. This idea is not slowing down, especially with people spending more time indoors. The popularity of biophilic design has continued to soar as our rooms imitate outdoor spaces and are ornamented with more plants. It doesn’t have to be as grand as ivy walls or staircase gardens walls. Think about how you can incorporate natural materials in your work, such as rock, sand, and seashells.

The nature-centric design trend will also extend to fashion this year, with pearl and sea-inspired textures sure to influence some of the hottest outfits of 2022.

More than creating a nature-inspired space for ourselves to enjoy, animal-centric aesthetics will also dominate the realm of architectural design this year as we renovate our homes with our furry friends in mind. I like to think of this trend as “a cat tree but make it luxurious.”

Expect to see more modern cat walkways built along the walls of the homes we visit and plush under-stair bedrooms for the dogs.

Celestial Inspirations

Driven by the younger generations’ obsession with the sky, night, and all things astrology, millennials and Gen Z’s love of all things celestial are set to influence everything from fashion to travel trends and events. Etsy sellers may do well to hop on this bandwagon.

With this in mind, galaxy and space-inspired nails are sure to dominate, while celestial-themed parties will become even more popular this year. Current trending searches include “star-themed party” and “moon party decorations.” This is a trend just ready for the taking for people creating party products.

This love of darkness and the night – known as nyctophilia – is also set to affect travel trends. More people want to experience the places they visit at night, so night-time events and ‘experience the city by night’ style tours are sure to be a big hit with travelers this year. Anyone selling experiences: DIY kits, picnic sets, puzzles, and games can hop on this trend.

The hex color in case anyone wants it: #676aa7

Periwinkle is Set to be the Color of the Year

Pantone announces their ‘Color of the Year’ after analyzing the color influences emerging worldwide. In turn, the color chosen by the organization influences design sectors from fashion to interior decorating and even product development.

This year, that color is Very Peri – the successful result of Pantone’s experiment to create an entirely new color, as advancements in digital technology presented them with the capability.

According to the Pantone Color Institute, Very Peri is an intense periwinkle blue, with undertones of red and violet. This color seeks to emulate the dynamic and transforming state of the globe. To me, it has a softness that encourages creativity and self-expression.

Social Media Will Continue To Dominate

The most valuable platform for businesses to connect with their audiences will be social media. Social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok will continue to play an even more prominent role in consumer-business relations this year.

Particularly with the advent of TikTok (which has more than double the number of users of other social media platforms such as Twitter), consumer preferences are influenced by this new form of social media.

The app centers around different “trends” which develop throughout the year – so much so that Amazon has a page called TikTok Amazon Finds. Etsy sellers are bound to benefit from following Amazon’s lead here. TikTok is where it’s at right now- especially when connecting with Gen Z.

2022 Trends of Classical Antiquity Are Coming Back (Again)

The Ancient Greeks must have gotten something right as – for the second time – the world is bringing back the Greek aesthetic.

First revived by the Renaissance in the 15th and 16th centuries, the Greek aesthetic is back again, with trending searches including “Ancient Greek jewelry” and “Aphrodite wallpaper.”

In certain forms of popular media – including literature and film – Greek traditions have become a staple over the past couple of decades, so it was only a matter of time before the Greeks started influencing our aesthetic preferences, too.

In particular, the popularity of the dark academia aesthetic is surging among Gen Z, which, in addition to harnessing elements of the gothic tradition, places importance on subjects such as literature and history, in which Ancient Greece occupies a vital place and leaks into the aesthetic as a result.

Overall, I think this is a time of dreaming

An easy way to sum up these trends is the overall feel of reconnecting with more down-to-earth values with nature, the dark academia/Greek aesthetics. This is a time of re-evaluating our lives, slowing down, and seeking more personal, authentic outlets.

People are moving on from the shiny Instagram pinks to more creative, maybe, moody vibes in the purples and night-time experiences. Supporting this thought is how people are opting for TikTok (videos) over Instagram (photos). I think, however, we can all agree that we are dreaming for a better year than the last two. Best of luck this year everyone!