What's Next? Trends 2019

A look at what’s ahead for the future of business, technology and design. The first part of the Fjord Accenture report visualises a gradual shift from bigger to better, from more to relevant. [e-mail]

Today, we stand at a technological, political and environmental inflection point. Two decades of rapid technology growth and innovation have generated enormous physical and digital clutter. The steep demand on our planet’s resources mirrors the demand on our time and attention. Digital is now facing a big springcleaning: a time when we decide whether something still has value and relevance to our lives. This is a question about the long term, not just the sugar high of instant gratification.

As you read through the trends, you will see that they raise plenty of fundamental questions. Does the brand deserve a space in my life and in the world? Is the value exchange twoway? Is it doing something more than straining the planet? If the answer is no, then unsubscribe or delete. It has never been easier to do so. In 2019, success will lie in providing value relevant not only to individuals, but also to the world.

Value creation will not come from simply growing bigger, but by being better. In busy lives and on a crowded planet, only the relevant will remain.

SILENCE IS GOLD

We’re seeing a dramatic escalation in the rate at which people disconnect, unsubscribe and opt out to stem the barrage of content and messages that clutter daily life. As consumers, we’ve come to realise that it’s no longer simply a lifestyle choice, but a serious mental health issue. As we put up more barriers between ourselves and digital technologies, organisations must learn how to offer value to users who crave quiet in a noisy world.

What’s going on?

In 2018, the rise of alerts, notifications and voice services directed our attention toward fears that digital technologies could have a lasting negative influence on our mental health.