Architecture & Spaces | Stylus | Innovation Research & Advisory

We use cookies to give you the best personal experience on our website. If you continue to use our site without changing your cookie settings, you agree we may place these cookies on your device. You can change your cookie settings at any time but if you do , you may lose some functionality on our website . More information can be found in our privacy policy.

OK I Agree.

Please provide more information.

Stylus no longer supports Internet Explorer 7, 8 or 9. Please upgrade to IE 11, Chrome, Safari, Firefox or Edge. This will ensure you have the best possible experience on the site.

consumer
lifestyle

consumer
product

consumer
engagement

topics

view all
reports

events
calendar

about
stylus

Food, Beverage & Hospitality

Colour & Materials

Media & Marketing

Designed for quick exploration of trending topics and emerging key themes from across Stylus.

Innovation Platforms

Luxury Perspectives Digital Worlds Sustainable Futures Fast Consumption Wraparound Wellness Diversity Outlook

Demographics

Seniors (age 73 - 90) Boomers (age 54 - 72) Gen X (age 38 - 53) Gen Y (age 24 - 37) Gen Z (age 9 - 23) Gen Alpha (age 0 - 8)

Advertising & Branding Architecture & Spaces Art & Design Automotive & Transport Beauty Community & Education Consumer Electronics Craft

Digital Commerce Ethics Family Fashion Financial Services Food & Beverage Gaming Home & Interiors Hospitality & Service Influencers Male Grooming Media & Entertainment Mobile Music & Sound Packaging & Graphics Pets Retail Science & Technology Social Media Sports & Leisure Travel UI/UX Visual Merchandising Work

Why Stylus?
Summits Advisory Partnerships Experts
Contact us Careers T&Cs

stylus trends

Consumer Lifestyle

Food, Beverage & Hospitality

Fashion

Beauty

Product Design

Colour & Materials

Retail

Media & Marketing

topics

view all reports

events calendar

blog

about stylus

T&C

careers

contact us

login

Topics

Tiny Off-Grid Holiday Homes Tap Micro-Living Trend

Tiny Off-Grid Holiday Homes Tap Micro-Living Trend Tiny Homes Tap Micro-Living Trend A rising number of consumers are banding together in essentialist communities, with the shared desire for a more intentional, minimalist way of living. New York start-up Klein is set to appeal to these consumers with its affordable, self-powered micro-cabins that can be erected in remote locations within weeks.

Consumer Lifestyle

Consumer Attitudes

LA Retail Update: Summer 2018 Openings

LA Retail Update: Summer 2018 Openings LA Retail Update: Summer 2018 From cult independent brand flagships to streetwear outposts, 2018 brings an energetic mix of retail concepts to LA. We select the highlights.

Sustainability Turns Smart: Manufacturing a Clean Future

Sustainability Turns Smart: Manufacturing a Clean Future Sustainability Turns Smart Intelligent solutions are changing sustainability as we know it, creating new commercial opportunities and a landscape where waste pioneers will rise to the top. Powered by machine learning and artificial intelligence, robots are upgrading recycling processes, while big offenders such as diapers and coffee cups are receiving a complete overhaul. The most revolutionary cradle-to-cradle practices are the ones that can reverse manufacturing, proving that the circular economy is here.

Retro Reboot: Nostalgia's Role in Hospitality & Travel

Retro Reboot: Nostalgia's Role in Hospitality & Travel Retro Reboot Nostalgia can create deeper connections between consumers and the spaces and activities they participate in whilst travelling. Hospitality brands are looking back to the heydays of travel to inspire interior design and marketing campaigns, tapping into memories to revitalise iconic destinations that have fallen out of fashion.

Food, Beverage & Hospitality

Kanye West to Develop Low-Income Housing

Kanye West to Develop Low-Income Housing Kanye West's Low-Income Housing Expanding beyond his fashion label to enter the world of architecture, US musical artist Kanye West has announced Yeezy Home, a new creative branch of his brand that’s promising to develop affordable housing.

Architecture & Spaces

New Design Concepts Play with Natural Light

New Design Concepts Play with Natural Light Concepts Play with Natural Light Consumers are feeling a greater disconnect from natural environments as the world becomes increasingly urbanised. As an antidote to the lack of natural light in urban spaces, designers are finding innovative ways to enhance or artificially replicate daylight in our homes and built environments. Here are three exciting examples.

Colour & Materials

Materials Focus S/S 2020

Materials Focus S/S 2020 Materials Focus S/S 2020 The most influential materials innovations from across the creative and technology sectors are presented in our S/S 2020 Materials Focus. This season's themes are Land of Plenty, Botanical Modernism, Augmented Space and Hands of Time.

Colour & Materials

Materials Focus S/S 2020

Land of Plenty: Materials

Land of Plenty: Materials Land of Plenty: Materials Land of Plenty is an uplifting and youthful direction that brings joy to everyday environments through energising bright colours and inviting tactility.

Soft and squidgy surfaces cushion the hard edges of modern technology and give warmth to interiors and communal spaces designed to encourage social interaction and unleash creativity. Kitsch materials reminiscent of childhood are stacked and layered in eclectic formations, creating a maximalist aesthetic that speaks of nostalgia, youth and material abundance.

Through dreamlike visual filters, flora and fauna become obscured into surreal and otherworldly projections. Chromatic and shiny finishes give products a digital quality that challenges our perception of reality.

For colour directions relating to this theme, see Land of Plenty: Colour from our Colour Spectrum S/S 20.

Colour & Materials

Materials Focus S/S 2020

Botanical Modernism: Materials

Botanical Modernism: Materials Botanical Modernism: Materials The positive impact of plants and natural materials on our physical and psychological wellbeing comes together with the stripped-back simplicity and utopic clarity of the digital realm. Designers are inspired to integrate botanical features into our surroundings so that future spaces will nourish our bodies and minds as they evolve and mature.

Minimal interiors and clean, graphic lines are layered with the subtle tactility of botanical flecks and fibres. Wild and unruly natural materials are manipulated into controlled, engineered forms which are tailored to our built environment and products. Raw tactility is brought to surfaces using gestural pattern and machine-made imperfection, and cast materials such as concrete, clay and jesmonite are warmed with pigments and matt finishes that are inviting to touch.

For colour directions relating to this theme, see Botanical Modernism: Colour from our Colour Spectrum S/S 20.

Colour & Materials

Materials Focus S/S 2020

Augmented Space: Materials

Augmented Space: Materials Augmented Space: Materials The 50th anniversary of the first manned moon landing incites us to take stock of how far technology has brought us in the last half a century and explore new material resources on our planet and beyond.

By looking out beyond our planet, we regain perspective on what it is to be a human, living on Earth. A woke generation of designers and scientists optimise material usage and give familiar materials unusual properties. In our built environment, digital interfaces are overlaid onto inert surfaces, and patterns which trigger augmented reality are incorporated.

As sensors and microprocessors become smaller and technology evolves to become emotional and unobtrusive, intriguing and tactile materials define future devices. Dramatic textural contrast between high-shine and rough-hewn finishes imbue products with an elemental feel and produce awe-inspiring illusions.

For colour directions relating to this theme, see Augmented Space: Colour from our Colour Spectrum S/S 20.

Colour & Materials

Materials Focus S/S 2020

Hands of Time: Materials

Hands of Time: Materials Hands of Time: Materials Artists are reviving traditional craft and repurposed materials as a means to explore identity and memory. Cultural heritage and skills from a broad and global audience come together in a rich and resourceful aesthetic that celebrates human diversity and the histories that make us unique.

Honest materials and sustainable manufacturing processes reflect a consciousness of our natural environment and the need to preserve what already exists. Discarded plastic waste and raw materials such as straw and wicker are handworked into modern constructions, while heritage textiles are interwoven in contemporary ways. Age-old character and original features from historical architecture are preserved and updated in a considerate manner.

For colour directions relating to this theme, see Hands of Time: Colour from our Colour Spectrum S/S 20.

Colour & Materials

Materials Focus S/S 2020

Overview: Materials Focus

Overview: Materials Focus Overview: Materials Focus The most influential materials innovations from across the creative and technology sectors are presented in our S/S 2020 Materials Focus. This season's themes are Land of Plenty, Botanical Modernism, Augmented Space and Hands of Time.

We highlight the essential and inspirational projects influencing materials development and design aesthetics, and provide actionable insights for cross-industry application. Our Materials Focus is closely aligned with the Colour Spectrum S/S 2020, so that each theme has a practical yet progressive colour palette.

Alongside these four directions, we also provide a Materials Focus Evolution, which highlights three key material innovations that will have a strong resonance across the design industries for S/S 2020. Here, we track important advances and analyse how they are impacting structure, finish, texture and material composites.

Colour & Materials

Materials Focus S/S 2020

Retail City Guide: NYC, June 2018

Retail City Guide: NYC, June 2018 Retail City Guide: NYC, June '18 In June, New York City preps for summer with playful brand flagships prizing personalisation, escapist drinking destinations that exude a holiday atmosphere, and stimulating exhibits probing everything from the history of internet video to fashion's Catholic imagination. We share the don't-miss destinations.

Retail City Guides

Retail City Guide: London, June 2018

Retail City Guide: London, June 2018 Retail City Guide: London, June '18 This June, London's retail scene welcomes a co-working beauty hangout, Harrods' discovery-centred wine rooms, and a residential-style flagship by The Shop at Bluebird. Art highlights include the opening of the Royal Academy of Arts' extension by architect David Chipperfield, and a showcase of Frida Kahlo's personal belongings at the V&A.

Retail City Guides

Letter from the Editor: Edition 005

Letter from the Editor: Edition 005 Letter from the Editor: Edition 005

Beyond anticipation for the millennium, 2020 is the milestone year that has always denoted ‘tomorrow’s world’. Now, our global colour specialists have forecast the trends that will land in real life for this once-futuristic year.

Consumer Attitudes

Christmas 2019 Design Directions

Christmas 2019 Design Directions Christmas 2019 Design Directions Our Christmas 2019 Design Directions present the emerging visual trends to inspire product, packaging and spatial designs geared to the festive season. Legacy offers an update on family traditions, Magnify adopts a microscopic perspective of the natural world and Reset reinvigorates mindsets with a technicolour palette.

Christmas 2019 Design Direction Legacy

Christmas 2019 Design Direction Legacy Christmas 2019: Legacy Representing the past and the present, Legacy serves up a montage of traditions and rituals both old and new. Bold brights are paired with greyscale tones and patinated gold, while an eclectic material mix tells of personal histories for the festive season.

Christmas 2019 Design Direction Magnify

Christmas 2019 Design Direction Magnify Christmas 2019: Magnify Inspired by organic structures and processes, Magnify appreciates the architecture of nature, as if observed through a microscope. Materials that change and improve with age inform a palette of luxe metallics, while otherworldly accents find the alien in the natural.

Christmas 2019 Design Directions Reset

Christmas 2019 Design Directions Reset Christmas 2019: Reset At the darkest time of year, Reset stands out as a technicolour haven, reinvigorating mindsets by saturating spaces in colour and light. In a refreshed take on Christmas, low- and high-value materials are layered up for a playful effect and a joyous spirit.

Christmas 2019 Design Directions: Colour

Christmas 2019 Design Directions: Colour Christmas 2019: Colour Evolving from our Autumn/Winter 2019-20 Colour Spectrum, these palettes underpin the aesthetic of our Christmas 2019 Design Directions – Legacy, Magnify and Reset.

Colour & Materials

Thrill of Exploration: The Shop at Bluebird’s Flagship

Thrill of Exploration: The Shop at Bluebird’s Flagship Wonder Reigns: Discovery-Led Retail British luxury concept store The Shop at Bluebird has opened a hybrid retail emporium based around the idea of exploration in London's buzzing Covent Garden district.

The Future Workplace: Worktech 2018

The Future Workplace: Worktech 2018 The Future Workplace: Worktech 2018 Worktech's 2018 conference in New York (May 17) gathered architects, engineers and thought leaders to discuss innovations shaping the future of work. We share the key takeaways.

Consumer Lifestyle

Science & Technology

Convergence: Eobuwie.pl’s Blended Retail

Convergence: Eobuwie.pl’s Blended Retail Footwear Focus: Blended Retail In a demonstration of ground-breaking retail design, Polish footwear e-commerce giant Eobuwie.pl has blended online and offline within its new physical store in Zielona Gora, western Poland.

Retail’s New High

Retail’s New High Retail’s New High Historically a black-market product, cannabis is evolving into a legal and thriving industry. Stylus reports on this highly regulated market’s transition, highlighting discovery-focused e-ventures, digital tools bypassing bureaucratic challenges, and contemporary dispensaries with a social twist.

Kengo Kuma Sculpture Absorbs Pollution

Kengo Kuma Sculpture Absorbs Pollution Fabric Sculpture Absorbs Pollution Japanese architect and designer Kengo Kuma’s latest work of art, titled Breath/ng, is an impressive fabric sculpture that can absorb the emissions of 90,000 cars per year.

Colour & Materials

Flavour Immersion: Harrods’ Wine Rooms Entice Connoisseurs

Flavour Immersion: Harrods’ Wine Rooms Entice Connoisseurs Luxury Alcohol Retail Revisited London's luxury department store Harrods has reopened its wine and spirit rooms as part of the store's ongoing refurbishment. Aiming to entice alcohol connoisseurs, the art deco-inspired space features immersive exploration-based installations, interconnected rooms and VIP shopping services providing in-depth product information.

Medly, NYC: Painless Pharmacy Retail

Medly, NYC: Painless Pharmacy Retail Medly, NY: Painless Pharmacy Retail US prescription app Medly's first brick-and-mortar store in Brooklyn, NYC, is aiming to entice time-strapped New Yorkers with omnichannel retailing in a calm and relaxing setting.

Colour Spectrum S/S 2020

Colour Spectrum S/S 2020 Colour Spectrum S/S 2020 We identify primary influences for S/S 2020 by collating the latest directional projects from across the creative industries, art, technology and science. Research from the Stylus team and contributions from our global colour specialists is compiled and distilled into four directions.

This season's directions are Land of Plenty, Botanical Modernism, Augmented Space and Hands of Time. Each theme highlights influential projects and features an edited colour palette and mood board, which are supported by quick-reference keywords and guidelines for colour application.

The Stylus Spectrum is a palette of 48 inspirational yet practical colours, including metallics and lustres, for application across the design industry. To trace the development of these hues and tones over several seasons, see our Colour Spectrum Evolution. Here, we also underpin key colour themes that will have a strong resonance across the design industries for S/S 20.

Colour & Materials

Dimore Studio's Cultural & Historic Room Sets

Dimore Studio's Cultural & Historic Room Sets Dimore Studio's Historic Room Sets As part of Milan Design Week 2018 (April 17-22), Milan-based designers Dimore Studio created an exhibition dedicated to classic 20th-century design. The theme ties in with a growing appreciation of cultural heritage, history and age-old character, as explored in our latest design direction Hands of Time from our S/S 2020 Colour Spectrum.

Colour & Materials

Land of Plenty: Colour

Land of Plenty: Colour Land of Plenty: Colour A vibrant, playful and positive aesthetic emerges that seeks to invigorate the everyday through stimulating bright colour. Land of Plenty looks to an imaginary nostalgic world where colourful, carefree expression and creativity are boundless.

Psychedelic dreamscapes are filled with abundant materials and childlike obsessions. Digital filters and colour effects are layered to create enchanting and refreshing new perspectives. Nature is amplified in a spectrum of otherworldly pastel hues to challenge our perception of reality.

A whimsical palette of rainbow brights celebrates diversity and youth. Sugary-sweet artificial food colours that evoke childhood excess, such as Blue Slush, Grape Soda and Cotton Candy, are balanced with warm synthetic pigments like Flame, Pink Panther and Radiant Yellow. Cool tones of Avocado Crush, white Talc and Vapour Grey instil a sense of calm, while Neon Peach brings a heightened vibrancy to the mix.

For materials directions relating to this theme, see Land of Plenty: Materials from our Materials Focus 2020.

Colour & Materials

Colour Spectrum S/S 2020

Botanical Modernism: Colour

Botanical Modernism: Colour Botanical Modernism: Colour Botanical Modernism is a contemporary utopian direction that seeks to balance utilitarian design and creativity. The physical and psychological need for tactility, plants and imperfection is brought together with the clarity of digital spaces that we experience in virtual reality and on-screen.

Architectural lines and mathematical structures are brought to life with living colours and materials that grow and evolve, nurturing our mind and body as they mature. Surfaces, textiles and spaces are tempered by biophilic design that conceals the technology helping to streamline our lives.

The core palette of warm Concrete, Ash and mineral Blue Shale provides a bedrock for verdant Green Teal and Reseda Green. Botanical hues are complemented with the earthy, human symbolism of Venetian Red. Fresh floral mid-tones in Yellow Peony and Pink Dahlia provide uplifting accents, while lighter chalky pastels in Ming Green and Rosaline soften and soothe.

For materials directions relating to this theme, see Botanical Modernism: Materials from our Materials Focus 2020.

Colour & Materials

Colour Spectrum S/S 2020

Human-Centric Spaces: Smart Buildings 18

Human-Centric Spaces: Smart Buildings 18 Smart Buildings 18 Wellness-boosting workplaces, luxurious self-driving spaces and autonomous floating factories are set to reshape our cities. Industry experts at this year's Smart Buildings 18 conference in London (May 9) revealed how.

Consumer Lifestyle

Science & Technology

Augmented Space: Colour

Augmented Space: Colour Augmented Space: Colour 2019 marks the 50th anniversary of the first manned moon landing, which not only signified a huge technological accomplishment, but also impacted design and aesthetics. Half a century later, designers are revisiting the symbolism of the moon and celestial formations in a modern context.

Sensing technologies being built into future spaces, products and apparel lend a modern mysticism. By looking out beyond our planet, we regain perspective on what it is to be a human, living on Earth.

The palette is grounded in polarised neutrals that extend from Eclipse to Bright White. Linear and radial gradients that shift between bright tones of Dark Windsor and Retro Pink add energy and movement. Pastel tints of Milky Way and Cosmos are used as solid or translucent layers, while Meteor Flare adds a fiery, lustrous accent.

For materials directions relating to this theme, see Augmented Space: Materials from our Materials Focus 2020.

Colour & Materials

Colour Spectrum S/S 2020

Hands of Time: Colour

Hands of Time: Colour Hands of Time: Colour This rich and resourceful direction honours diverse backgrounds and draws influences from a broad and global audience. Colours from found and repurposed materials are assembled and reworked into new layers that convey history and age-old character.

A newfound appreciation of cultural heritage and skills is leading an exploration of traditional craft. Time-honoured techniques such as embroidery and weaving are invigorated for a bright, modern future through contemporary construction.

A natural palette celebrates materials in their raw form, combining earthen mid-tones such as Coconut Shell, Auburn and Red Oak with stripped-back hues of Cream and Vanilla. Deep primary colours of Indigo Ink, Oxide Red and Dried Primrose are energised by Emberglow and Bright Orange, while Bright Copper introduces a luxurious hint.

For materials directions relating to this theme, see Hands of Time: Materials from our Materials Focus 2020.

Colour & Materials

Colour Spectrum S/S 2020

Overview

Overview Overview We identify primary influences for Spring/Summer 2020 by collating the latest directional projects from across the creative industries, art, technology and science. Research from the Stylus team and contributions from our global colour specialists are compiled and distilled into four directions.

This season's directions are Land of Plenty, Botanical Modernism, Augmented Space and Hands of Time. Each theme highlights influential projects and features an edited colour palette and mood board, which are supported by quick-reference keywords and guidelines for colour application.

The Stylus Spectrum is a palette of 48 inspirational yet practical colours, including metallics and lustres, for application across the design industry. To trace the development of these hues and tones over several seasons, see our Colour Spectrum Evolution. Here, we also underpin key colour themes that will have a strong resonance across the design industries for S/S 20.

Colour & Materials

Colour Spectrum S/S 2020

Ssense’s ‘Slow Retail’ Montreal Flagship

Ssense’s ‘Slow Retail’ Montreal Flagship Ssense’s Montreal Flagship Echoing the rise of stores as brand playgrounds, Canadian e-commerce fashion platform Ssense has opened an explorative bricks-and-mortar flagship in Montreal’s Old Town. Unveiled in May, the five-storey, 13,000 sq ft space blends online shopping with gallery-like installations to entertain today’s plugged-in consumer.

Retail Design Expo 2018: Slow Retail

Retail Design Expo 2018: Slow Retail Retail Design Expo '18: Slow Retail New retail and brand spaces are promoting a sense of wonder and exploration, drawing inspiration from exhibition design and showrooms. All this – and much more – was on the agenda at London’s Retail Design Expo (May 2-3). We sum up the highlights.

D&AD Awards 2018

D&AD Awards 2018 D&AD Awards 2018 The 56th D&AD Awards and Festival in London (April 25-26) highlighted outstanding work in design and advertising. The Black Pencil Award – specially reserved for groundbreaking work – was given to three honorees this year. We highlight the innovative strategies behind their campaigns, as well as related winners from other categories.

Media & Marketing

Advertising & Branding

Smart to Future Cities 2018

Smart to Future Cities 2018 Smart to Future Cities 2018 Designers of smart cities need to put people, not machines, at the heart of their vision, according to speakers at Smart to Future Cities (London, April 25-26) – an event that brought together innovative companies and councils to find out what it will take to improve the lives of future citizens.

Consumer Lifestyle

Science & Technology

Active Lives

Active Lives Active Lives We explore a new active brand landscape driven by consumer desire for extreme experiences, urban adventures and immersive digital content. The Work/Life Revolution looked at how fast-paced lifestyles and new tech have impacted the work environment – Active Lives shifts focus to consumer leisure time.

Insight & Innovation

Designing Amplified Experiences

Designing Amplified Experiences Designing Amplified Experiences Fusing exercise and entertainment, cutting-edge technology is shifting views on what it means to be active. High-performance product design grants superhuman powers to people of all abilities, while stadium architecture switches gear to suit the cities of the future. We demonstrate how to banish boredom for the competitive consumer seeking thrilling experiences.

Activated Materials

Activated Materials Activated Materials The active sector drives material innovation that inspires applications in many other markets – from performance-enhancing options that sense, adapt and react to changes in the body, to super-strength surfaces revolutionising sports equipment. We round up the most extraordinary material developments and progressive products and spaces influencing the fitness industry.

Colour & Materials

Retail’s Spirit of Adventure

Retail’s Spirit of Adventure Retail’s Spirit of Adventure The influence of sports and active lifestyles has the potential to transform and reinvigorate retail. From extreme challenges to community hubs and competitive socialising, we explore how the retail experience is being recalibrated through a spirit of active adventure that builds and reinforces consumer trust and loyalty.

Insight & Innovation

Instant Eco-Beauty: Store as Factory

Instant Eco-Beauty: Store as Factory Instant Beauty: Store as Factory Sustainable London beauty brand Ainsel emphasised its eco credentials with a pop-up shop that doubled as an on-demand lipstick factory (April 23-28). Titled Lip Lab, it produced made-to-order lipsticks on-site within 15 minutes.

Retail City Guide: NYC, May 2018

Retail City Guide: NYC, May 2018 Retail City Guide: NYC, May 2018 A rejuvenated retail scene makes for a dynamic May in New York, packed with a stimulating roster of must-visit destinations. They include a long-awaited legacy department store's menswear debut; workwear concepts optimised for networking; restaurants that treat patrons to art-filled spaces; and immersive exhibits packed with photo ops.

Retail City Guides

Retail City Guide: London, May 2018

Retail City Guide: London, May 2018 Retail City Guide: London, May 2018 London is on a roll with a wave of retail, hospitality and art openings for May 2018, including a luxurious Mayfair flagship by the late master couturier Azzedine Alaïa; a minimalist sneaker-cleaning boutique; a hip vegan Covent Garden fast-food joint; and the Victoria & Albert Museum's exploration of a sustainable fashion future. We select the highlights.

Retail City Guides

Milan Design Week 2018

Milan Design Week 2018 Milan Design Week 2018 As the leading event in the design calendar, Milan Design Week unites major brands, upcoming talents and engaging tastemakers with an international audience hungry for innovation and spectacle. We report on the key opportunities and trends that will inform the multifunctional, responsive and sensory spaces of the future.

Product Innovation

Milan 2018: Lifestyle Trends

Milan 2018: Lifestyle Trends Milan 2018: Lifestyle Trends With the presence of leading brands, cutting-edge designers and innovative manufacturers, Milan Design Week offers a bevy of international and cross-industry insights. This year, brands showcased creative concepts for the responsive home, catered to consumers’ desire for a less wasteful lifestyle, and wooed snap-happy visitors with unique hospitality concepts and Insta-worthy installations.

Product Innovation

©

PANTONE®TPX
COATED
RAL
RGB
HEX
NCS