At the heart of our methodology lies the intersection of Basic Human Needs, Macro-Trends, and Innovation.
When enduring human needs — like community or self-expression — collide with shifting macro-trends, such as the climate crisis or ageing societies, tension emerges.
Innovation resolves that tension, giving rise to new consumer trends and expectations.

We now operate in an expectation economy that transcends industries, borders, and price points.
You’re competing with the most expectation-setting experiences anywhere — from TikTok’s algorithm to Patagonia’s sustainability standards.
Developing a cross-industry mindset and understanding how consumers transfer expectations across brands enables you to set expectations, not merely meet them.

Focus requires structure. That’s why we built a multi-layered trend framework:
Macro-Trends map the long-term forces shaping consumer behaviour across society, technology, economy, ecology, and politics.
Mega-Trends translate those forces into points of tension with basic human needs.
Sub-Trends reveal the concrete opportunities and innovations emerging from that tension.

Now, let's face it, without meaningfully applying trends and insights, all of our work is useless.
Hence our focus on truly sustainable and purposed trend-driven innovation. 

For over 20 years, we’ve continuously scanned the world for emerging trends and innovations — combining human insight, AI, and a global network of spotters.
We track how fringe ideas go mainstream, how expectations spread, and where the next opportunities are forming. Making sense of the overwhelm is what we do best.