Every year has its own trends and predicting them is just as difficult as predicting the coordinates of your opponents submarine in a game of “Sink the ships”.

Colors

Last year it was honeysuckle (some kind of pink I would say) and this year it is Tangerine (red-orangish…) colors that we are recommended to stay stylish in according to the market leader in color definitions Pantone.

The trend is to use soft pastel colors such as light wooden colors or green in combinations with stronger “neonic” colors such as “tangerine” (orange) or yellow (also coming back strong) with the softer pastel color as background and neons as accent coloring in for example stripes or floral patterns which are also trendy.

Materials
Trends in materials varies throughout different business, but a trend seem to be that that modern and cheaper materials such as plastic now makes way for more classic and natural materials such as stone, canvas, steel and wood.

Ethics
The material trend although not as easy to foresee as the color trend is in line with the phenomena to consume less and to purchase durability and quality rather than quantity and to live an environmentally correct, yet urban, lifestyle.

Products
When it comes to solid product forecasts it is not easy, we believe in the trend to buy less flashy gimmicky products and instead buy quality. Out goes USB-cup warmers, underwater clock radios with flashlight functionality and in comes long life products such as a genuine leather products like wallets, iPhone pouches and belts and long life (and assembly) do it yourself products as well as small and clever recycled/recyclable giveaways and premiums.

Products that integrate digital life into reality such as for example iPhone protective plastics that comes with a matching welcome screen background and products that use old recycled parts with developed patina with newly produced parts.

(not our production – but we like them)

About Mikael Hansson

Mikael.Yourlink2asia.com

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@MikaelHansson

Originally from Sweden, Mikael co-founded Yourlink2asia in 2006  and a year later moved the company's headquarters to Hong Kong. With university studies in diverse subjects such as economics, marketing, design, production and law, Mikael represents the company in its legal and business matters. His interest and experience in product and packaging design has also made him a sought-after design and development consultant with a large product development portfolio. Mikael also spearheads the company's legal consulting, specialising in intellectual property protection. A native Swedish speaker, and fluent in English, speaks intermediate French and German and has foundational knowledge of Cantonese.