What do you think?
Rate this book
On Trend: The Business of Forecasting the Future
Trends have become a commodity—an element of culture in their own right and the very currency of our cultural life. Consumer culture relies on a new class of professionals who explain trends, predict trends, and in profound ways even manufacture trends. On Trend delves into one of the most powerful forces in global consumer culture. From forecasting to cool hunting to design thinking, the work done by trend professionals influences how we live, work, play, shop, and learn. Devon Powers's provocative insights open up how the business of the future kindles exciting opportunity even as its practices raise questions about an economy increasingly built on nonstop disruption and innovation. Merging industry history with vivid portraits of today's trend visionaries, Powers reveals how trends took over, what it means for cultural change, and the price all of us pay to see—and live—the future.
232 pages, Hardcover
Published October 16, 2019
8 people are currently reading
87 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 26, 2019
The idea of "trends" is so wide ranging that it's somewhat unsurprising that this book felt disjointed. It really had two main halves: an analysis of the corporate trend industry and a look at the afrofuturism community to imagine alternate, more just, futures.
For the section on the corporate trend industry, I think the author did an excellent job researching the trend industry, but I don't actually think she found anything interesting. This is yet another industry in which creative outputs are shaped by the logic of capitalism and trend reports serve to perpetuate the importance of the trend industry. But nothing, even the look at the global reach of the trend industry, spoke to me about what made it interesting or different form the rest of the economic system.
The afrofuturism section was much shorter but it was interesting to see different ways communities are thinking about the future and using wildly creative techniques not only to imagine the future but to change how the community thinks about the present.
For the section on the corporate trend industry, I think the author did an excellent job researching the trend industry, but I don't actually think she found anything interesting. This is yet another industry in which creative outputs are shaped by the logic of capitalism and trend reports serve to perpetuate the importance of the trend industry. But nothing, even the look at the global reach of the trend industry, spoke to me about what made it interesting or different form the rest of the economic system.
The afrofuturism section was much shorter but it was interesting to see different ways communities are thinking about the future and using wildly creative techniques not only to imagine the future but to change how the community thinks about the present.
December 30, 2019
I received this book in return for an honest review. Thanks to Netgalley for linking me up with the publisher! have read 'On Trend' and while I enjoyed the integration of stories and the 'history' of some trends, there seemed to be a certain something missing from it. Interesting enough, from a business point of view, but there are a few points that I'll have to research more to fill in the gaps. A good starter book, however.
April 23, 2025
Rating: 3.5* of five
The Publisher Says: Trends have become a commodity—an element of culture in their own right and the very currency of our cultural life. Consumer culture relies on a new class of professionals who explain trends, predict trends, and in profound ways even manufacture trends.
On Trend delves into one of the most powerful forces in global consumer culture. From forecasting to cool hunting to design thinking, the work done by trend professionals influences how we live, work, play, shop, and learn.
Devon Powers' provocative insights open up how the business of the future kindles exciting opportunity even as its practices raise questions about an economy increasingly built on nonstop disruption and innovation. Merging industry history with vivid portraits of today's trend visionaries, Powers reveals how trends took over, what it means for cultural change, and the price all of us pay to see—and live—the future.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.
My Review: As I began chapter four for the second time, I realized that I do not need this book's in-depth analysis and its erudite information sourcing. I'm an old man blogging about books to a few hundred loyal souls. I've done it for thirteen years and counting. I'm not likely to become "cool" at this late stage of the game.
Footnoted to a fare-thee-well and clearly in conversation with major figures in the marketing sphere, this is a framework for thinking through one's placement and one's purpose in marketing...whatver. I recommend it for seekers after that information. I vouch for its clarity of purpose and felicity of prose.
University of Illinois Press, one of the best academic outfits going, $9.99 for an ebook. If you're in need of a text to refine your ideas about how and why to make marketing choices, that's cheap!
The Publisher Says: Trends have become a commodity—an element of culture in their own right and the very currency of our cultural life. Consumer culture relies on a new class of professionals who explain trends, predict trends, and in profound ways even manufacture trends.
On Trend delves into one of the most powerful forces in global consumer culture. From forecasting to cool hunting to design thinking, the work done by trend professionals influences how we live, work, play, shop, and learn.
Devon Powers' provocative insights open up how the business of the future kindles exciting opportunity even as its practices raise questions about an economy increasingly built on nonstop disruption and innovation. Merging industry history with vivid portraits of today's trend visionaries, Powers reveals how trends took over, what it means for cultural change, and the price all of us pay to see—and live—the future.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.
My Review: As I began chapter four for the second time, I realized that I do not need this book's in-depth analysis and its erudite information sourcing. I'm an old man blogging about books to a few hundred loyal souls. I've done it for thirteen years and counting. I'm not likely to become "cool" at this late stage of the game.
Footnoted to a fare-thee-well and clearly in conversation with major figures in the marketing sphere, this is a framework for thinking through one's placement and one's purpose in marketing...whatver. I recommend it for seekers after that information. I vouch for its clarity of purpose and felicity of prose.
University of Illinois Press, one of the best academic outfits going, $9.99 for an ebook. If you're in need of a text to refine your ideas about how and why to make marketing choices, that's cheap!
March 29, 2022
Interesting tidbit:
Trends raise adjacents- such as yoga will increase tea drinking over coffee.
Several points I liked about this were right around page 160. Raising points that outrageous topics make for outrageous followings- that does not necessarily mean a legitimate trend. Trends can be broken (or maybe a better word is 'taken over') by bots and fake news, trends can be manipulated. Caution, some Trends are pushed by algorithms.
Trends are enticing because they seem to be a reflection of ourselves. We are then curious- what are we saying and doing? What is the community thinking, standing up for, bemoaning? We react to trends. Trends predict and they can also prescribe.
Page 165- use trend watching for public good was excellent. Wealthy influence trends, one dominant world view- should that be so? Elite interest perpetuate inequality. Mentions book "Winners Takes All: Elite Charade of Changing the World"- to summarize: when the elite are in charge of social changes- they are able to reshape how they please- so they still win. The very rich shape the world- through what they sell and their philanthropies they serve, their solutions, and also set future agenda.
Devon calls for more open trend watching- where reports are made free, where more people volunteer in the trend watching collection and gathering to ensure representation. See FutureGood: How To Use Futurism to save the World.
Trendsters to watch:
La Futura, Future Hunters, Sparks & Honey, TrendWatching, Wunderman Thompson.
Trends raise adjacents- such as yoga will increase tea drinking over coffee.
Several points I liked about this were right around page 160. Raising points that outrageous topics make for outrageous followings- that does not necessarily mean a legitimate trend. Trends can be broken (or maybe a better word is 'taken over') by bots and fake news, trends can be manipulated. Caution, some Trends are pushed by algorithms.
Trends are enticing because they seem to be a reflection of ourselves. We are then curious- what are we saying and doing? What is the community thinking, standing up for, bemoaning? We react to trends. Trends predict and they can also prescribe.
Page 165- use trend watching for public good was excellent. Wealthy influence trends, one dominant world view- should that be so? Elite interest perpetuate inequality. Mentions book "Winners Takes All: Elite Charade of Changing the World"- to summarize: when the elite are in charge of social changes- they are able to reshape how they please- so they still win. The very rich shape the world- through what they sell and their philanthropies they serve, their solutions, and also set future agenda.
Devon calls for more open trend watching- where reports are made free, where more people volunteer in the trend watching collection and gathering to ensure representation. See FutureGood: How To Use Futurism to save the World.
Trendsters to watch:
La Futura, Future Hunters, Sparks & Honey, TrendWatching, Wunderman Thompson.
July 29, 2019
** Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with the digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review **
Interesante, de fácil lectura. Para los conceptos, brinda el trasfondo histórico, lo que facilita su comprensión. Con un mundo siempre avanzando, es importante comprender y estar al tanto de las tendencias, lo cual le da un valor educacional importante a este material. Esta bueno como el autor va incorporando historias en el libro, también son parte de lo que facilita la comprensión.
Interesante, de fácil lectura. Para los conceptos, brinda el trasfondo histórico, lo que facilita su comprensión. Con un mundo siempre avanzando, es importante comprender y estar al tanto de las tendencias, lo cual le da un valor educacional importante a este material. Esta bueno como el autor va incorporando historias en el libro, también son parte de lo que facilita la comprensión.
July 28, 2019
Educational book on trends that you may read to explore history, present and future of trends. I liked the stories incorporated n the book. It leads you from the roots of trends and historical background of the concept.
February 6, 2020
Fascinating, accessibility, well researched. I love this book.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews