My earliest memory of 3-D is from childhood. I remember getting my blue/red 3-D glasses from the store in anticipation of watching “The Creature from the Black Lagoon” in 3-D on television. As I recall, it wasn’t as cool as I had hoped it would be. I was actually pretty bummed out when the creature failed to reach through the TV into my living room. But 3-D has come a long way since then. Today’s 3-D movies are pretty remarkable. I honestly can’t imagine seeing “Up” or “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” in 2-D. The technology has gotten so good you actually feel like you’re part of the action. So, is 3-D a passing trend or is it here to stay?

In my opinion, it’s not going anywhere. In fact, you’re only going to see more of it. You may have noticed that the topic of 3-D has been in the headlines a lot lately, especially during the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Last year, everyone was talking about 3-D televisions and programming – wheareas this year, manufacturers like Sony and Samsung are actually showing 3-D products. Sure, it will take time for the technology to be affordable and widespread; that was the case with color television and more recently, high-definition television, but I would bet it will take hold. You can even expect to see 3-D make its way into other products such as hand-held devices like smartphones. Last summer, 3M announced a new film that will let people view 3-D images on hand-held devices without using special glasses. Efforts are even underway to make video games a true 3-D experience.

3-D technology is exciting because it raises the level of realism by virtually eliminating the divide between audience and action. It’s interesting to think about the possibilities for advertising. To be able to feel as if you can reach out and touch a product or walk into a destination. It simply comes down to engaging the audience and 3-D will always initiate a sense of wonder. Even low-tech 3-D can be extremely entertaining. The 2009 Go East holiday card used anaglyph 3-D photographs which helped underscore the overall message and made the viewer feel as though they could reach into the card. It was fun, engaging and it initiated a lot of positive feedback.

I think the prospect of an enhanced entertainment experience in the home and on-the-go is truly exciting. Personally, I don’t like messing with classics, but a part of me can’t help but wonder what “The Creature from the Black Lagoon” would be like if created with today’s technology. Perhaps someday that Creature will invade our living rooms again.

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Businesses of all shapes and sizes are jumping on the social media bandwagon and justifiably so. Many no longer view social media as simply a “nice-to-have,” but rather a “must-have,” and are incorporating social media plans into their 2010 marketing efforts. But, as exciting as social media seems, many businesses still wonder about the best way to approach it. They question which social media is the best fit and wonder how they can leverage it to engage their customers. Many experts have blogged about 2010 social media trend predictions, but one in particular caught my eye.

Business Week recently featured an article by Dave Armano, a respected social media expert. He identified six social media trends for 2010. Here they are, along with some of my personal thoughts around his insights.

1. Social media will begin to look less social because users have the ability to filter out clutter and get more value out of their networks.
I think this is an interesting trend for businesses to consider as they begin to engage, or continue talking to, their customers through social media. It’s more important than ever to deliver compelling messages that are relevant and provide value to the recipient. This sounds cliché, but you really do only have one chance to make a first impression.

2. Corporations will look to scale their social media initiatives beyond the norm.
As more and more big companies leverage social media, they will enlist their most passionate employees to take on implementation and management tasks. Social media will no longer be the responsibility of one person, but rather many people — if not everyone — will get involved. I think it will be important that companies not only empower their employees, but also guide them by setting measurable goals and objectives, and give them the right tools to meet them. Organizations will benefit from enlisting those with their eyes open and ear to the ground; people who are keeping tabs on new and developing trends. Ultimately, this can help an organization grow organically at a much faster rate than it would had it built  and followed a roadmap. One project I hear a lot about is Twelpforce (@Twelpforce), an initiative by Best Buy. It’s essentially an online team of over 2,300 Best Buy employees that offer tech support and advice via Twitter.  They have done an excellent job of getting their employees involved and, to date, have answered over 18,000 customer questions. (Full disclosure: My husband works at Best Buy and leads the project.)

3. Social business becomes serious play.
New networks, like foursquare, are bringing some friendly competition to the game. As new social network sites are born, it will be important for businesses to leverage what they can. The challenge for businesses in 2010 will not only be to figure out how to play nice in the sandbox, but also how to monetize and determine the ROI of their investments. To play for play’s sake will not cut it any more.

4. Companies will outline and enforce a social media policy for their employees.
Guiding behavior online is a tricky proposition, but when an employee is participating in social networking they often become a voice of the brand. They need to understand that it can’t just be a free-for-all. Policies might outline which social network sites can and cannot be viewed during work hours, or companies could simply explain what type of behavior is expected, especially if current or prospective customers are within the network.

5. Mobile becomes a social media lifeline.
With many businesses and organizations banning personal use of social networking (kind of like banning use of the Internet a few years back) employees will find new ways to talk to their social networks. It will likely be via their smartphones. Sales of smartphones have significantly increased recently and adoption is steadily on the rise. This should be a consideration for 2010 as more people in the U.S . invest in smartphones. More user-friendly and innovative mobile versions of our favorite social networks will evolve in 2010. Using mobile marketing tools can be an effective and creative way to reach an audience anywhere and at any time.

6. Sharing no longer means email.
As we’ve already begun to see, Web sites are supporting the function to easily broadcast articles via Twitter or Facebook. We will see more of this in 2010, to the point where consumers will expect it. Today, a shopper is likely to email a product of interest to a friend, but very rarely do you see an option to post that information to a network to share with your all your friends. Businesses that either sell products online or publish information online should consider implementing this option in 2010. If not, they could lag behind.

I think 2010 will be an interesting year as it relates to social media and how people are engaging in and embracing it. I would love to hear what your 2010 social strategies are and how they fit into your full marketing plan.

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While there are numerous sources predicting trends on the Internet, sometimes we need to see what is trending on a microlevel. With all the information out there, it is important to quickly cull or illustrate the information available and get an immediate impression of what topics might be trending. There are many awesome apps available that let you quickly see what’s popular.

Wordle

If you want to create a quick tag cloud of any Web site or copy deck, check out Wordle. Wordle is an online app that takes a URL, a del.cio.us user name, or any bit of writing and creates a tag cloud from your input. You can use it to get a quick sense of the important topics for a brand audit or Web site redesign. Above:  a wordle of Go East’s blog.

Google Fight

Sometimes, just to make a point, you need to compare topics. Google Fight is an online app that compares two terms in Google and gives a simple bar graph. Its simplicity is helpful and leads to some good conversations about search techniques. It also spurs philosophical trend questions like, “Why would ‘go west’ be searched more than ‘go east’?”

Spy

Spy is a social media visualization tool that pulls information from a variety of social media sites and feeds results to you as they appear. It pulls from Twitter, Flickr, blog comments, Google Reader and more. It is a completely spontaneous look at the what people are saying online about your topic right now.

My Year in Status

When it comes to highlighting trends in my own life, I like this Facebook app. It aggregates my status updates and pulls them into a cute collage that posts to my Facebook profile. I used it to pull all my statuses out and added them to a log I keep for future use. Now I can see my own trends in 140 characters or less.

Googlism

Finally, if you want to have some fun looking at what the Web is saying about a person, place or thing, you can try Googlism. Googlism is a fun tool that provides a random overview of searches related to your key word. Ever wondered what design is?  According to Googlism, as you can see above, “design is not a therapy session.”

What tools do you use to illustrate microtrends?

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In researching top trends for 2010, I found trends for everything from fashion (ripped jeans and jumpsuits are back), to colors (turquoise, tomato puree and pink champagne are gonna be hot), to “value is the new black.” How did I narrow down these lists to the top five trends? I started by picking five that are relevant or interesting to me.

Sorry, but that means no turquoise jumpsuits made my list.

1. Facebook replaces personal email
Facebook has so much appeal (share photos and thoughts and keep up with long-lost pals). When you can write on someone’s wall or send a message through Facebook, why use personal email? Is this a new trend? I wouldn’t use Facebook for long, personal emails, but for quick exchanges – why not?

2. Targeting
We all get direct mail pieces that are specifically targeted to us, or are intended to be targeted to us. I immediately think of a magazine insert with my name printed on it. Whatever it is, chances are it was sent to you because of your age and gender. A new trend is to target consumers based on their  personality and individual needs. A recent article in Deliver magazine explained how a travel company named Backroads uses automated marketing engine technology from Nimblefish to mail postcards to past customers with photos of places these customers have visited. Not only will the message speak specifically to the recipient of the postcard (with their name) but it will also remind them of a past trip and suggest other trips they may like based on their history.

3. Smaller workspaces
I’ve heard about a trend toward smaller office spaces. Are private, enclosed offices going away? According to Executive Travel Magazine, more and more people are working in teams rather than solo. As a result, companies are making bigger common areas. Bigger common spaces mean more places for collaboration. More places for collaboration, means smaller personal offices spaces (most are now 7′ x 7′, down from 8′ x 8′).

4. Embedded generosity
People feel good about donating but sometimes it takes more effort than they’d like. Embedded generosity makes giving and donating virtually painless. Buy a pair of TOMS Shoes online, and the company will donate a pair of shoes to a child in need. Buy a pack of Pampers with a “1 Pack = 1 Life-Saving Vaccine” logo, and Procter & Gamble will donate the cost of one vaccine to UNICEF.  How easy is that?

5. Clean and simple
One of my favorite design blogs is Brand New. Something I’ve noticed on the blog this past year is the refinement of logos. Cleaner and simpler refinements. I hope it’s a trend that continues into 2010. Which do you prefer: the before or the after?

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While researching trends, I came across this top 21 list of things in danger of extinction (or already dead) due to advanced technology and the Internet. I have to confess that I, along with my iPhone, am guilty of helping to erase several things on this list. For example, instead of mailing Christmas cards to my friends and family this year, I wished them all a “Merry Christmas” by way of my Facebook status. I know, pathetic. But so darn quick and easy!  Below, 10 items that will soon be things of the past.

1. Memory
So 2009. Check your Sent Mail or your web browser’s History if you can’t remember what you did yesterday.

2. Privacy
Googled your name lately?

3. Experts
Who isn’t an expert these days? Anyone without a blog. And that’s like, two people.

4. Boredom
There’s an app for that.

5. Listening to a whole CD
Gotta love iTunes Genius.

6. Punctuality
This one is sort of ironic, but so true.

7. Telephone directories
Although my Favorites and list of Contacts reads like one.

8. Letter writing
See #7, above.

9. Printing photographs
Instead of boxes of photos, I now have hard drives of photos.

10. Paper statements
If you haven’t signed up for e-statements, you might want to make sure you aren’t getting charged for the paper kind.

What technologies have made your life easier? Do you feel any guilt for hastening the extinction of any of the items on this list? Are you going to miss anything on this list?

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Ty Pennington has selected Post-it® Notes designed by Go East for his “Decor Picks” in Ty Pennington at Home Magazine.

The notes are part of the 2009 Post-it® Specialty Notes EcoSmart collection, designer notes created in a palette of earthy brights and neutrals.

Go East has been designing Specialty Notes for about five years. Inspiring, quirky and pretty, the notes are a cornerstone of our product design practice area and we produce one or two collections a year.

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Many of us spend a good portion of our discretionary dollars celebrating the holidays. The Christmas season, particularly, is filled with items specially designed, by people like me, to prompt your impulse to purchase a little something new for the holidays.

Buying something new is a holiday tradition that draws upon fond memories of Christmas fairs, window displays, fanciful dioramas and visiting the department store or mall to see Santa. Picking up a little something special for this Christmas is one of life’s little pleasures.

As designers, we take into account contemporary design and holiday trends, visual nostalgia hooks and our own memories when creating new products for the season. Whether we are creating point-of-sale or impulse purchases, designing specifically for the holidays has its own special set of demands. The temptation to resort to clichés is strong. Clients often ask us to clearly communicate Christmas without religious imagery. Creating new characterizations of familiar holiday figures without overstepping copyrights is a constant concern.

At Go East, we try to create new takes on the holidays. Creating contemporary, fresh imagery and new ways of saying “Happy Holidays” are key to the success of a holiday design. When we worked with Amy Cartwright on the holiday illustrations for Post-it® Notes, we sought someone with a fresh style that would be a perfect match for the brand. The topics are nostalgic — Santa, Snowman, Penguin — but the style is fun and functional.

My recommendations for holiday designs:

1. Embrace the traditions but push the design. While we celebrate the holidays in the present, the past is always top-of-mind, and the designer needs to take both into consideration. How can you recreate the North Pole? What’s a new way to say “Happy Holidays?” I like to mash up new trends and old celebrations, so I imagine a lot of Twitter tags on presents, Facebook holiday cards and “Bing” White Christmas take-offs.
2. Red and green have been done. Use other colors for a Christmas design that really say “21st-Century celebration.”
3. Know your audiences’ tolerance for “Christmas” versus “holidays.”  Some audiences are OK with Christmas trees; some want you to stick to snowflakes. The retail channel will have a lot of influence here and it is best to communicate any limitations early on in the project.
4. This season, it really is the little things that will count. Whether the gift item is small, the wrapping paper is more minimal or the cards are homemade (or just look that way), look to the small to say something big. From a design perspective that means simple by design, which is a Go East design principle. However, this season it’s more meaningful than ever — and isn’t that what everyone is looking for anyway?

What is your plan to socialize your brand this holiday season? Where will you be and what do you think your customers what to see? Let me know and I’ll friend/follow/group/contact/yelp/link-in you and see what you’ve come up with. I’ll be keeping tabs this holiday season and report back with my favorites at the end of the year.

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Designing for an upcoming season, whether it’s the holidays, back-to-school, a particular sport’s season or any other season, is a little tricky and sometimes nerve-racking. The cool thing about designers, though, is that we have the power to determine how the future looks.

Figuring out what the upcoming season will look like is a combination of observing the past, then combining or modifying those ideas and concepts, given current and other  forecasted trends. Back in 2008 you may have thought it was strange to see mushrooms on that back-to-school header, but in 2009, you’ve seen them everywhere; those mushrooms are hot, hot, hot! (In furniture design, too!)

Businesses spend millions — probably billions — of dollars and countless hours researching and forecasting trends. At Go East, we take that information, put it in the context of a client’s brand and let the two bounce around in our heads for awhile before creating our concepts.

The process should start as early as possible: six months to a year before the targeted season. We want an early start so that we have time to research what’s going to be “hot,” develop our concepts and have time to execute them well before they’re needed. I’ll admit that it is little strange going to work in June humming carols and dreaming of sugarplums when it’s 90 degrees outside, but it’s worth it in the end.

Remember, design is a process that takes time, sometimes more than you might think. In the meantime, take a break from the present and see what’s happening in the future at these sites:

• Trendcentral
• Smallbiztrends
• Trendwatching
• Google Zeitgeist
• Yahoo Buzz Index

What current trends are you crazy about? Which ones could you do without?

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