ECONOMY—Miraculously stable, with slow, slow growth. In the past, that would have been a bit of a yawn, but these days it has us jumping for joy. Deeper down, though, we’re still worried. Both interpretations explain the rather escapist surrealism and happy color palettes. The good news for designers is that early-stage deals are back (in other words, startups are getting funding again). More logos, please.

GLOBALIZATION—In case you haven’t heard, the world is flat again. Outsourcing, insourcing, connectivity, and collaboration have commoditized many services, including design. Design practice today has to be very, very good to survive. That explains the smartness and gorgeousness of this collection. Expect more.

SOUTH KOREA—Leads style trends for all of Asia. (I would have thought Japan, but The New York Times says otherwise.) It seems that Asians from the Philippines to China look to Korea for the latest in hip-hop and American style. It seems that our stuff is too strong for Asian family values. For instance, a Korean rap lyric might be “Mom and Dad, you’re really sitting on my head. It’s tiring.” Instead of “(Bleep) the (bleeping) (bleeps).” If you’re involved in Pacific markets, check Korean trends.

CONNECTIVITY—As competition drives prices down and online tools are ever more expert, peer-to-peer sharing, networking, blogging, and life-caching (as in online journals and photo sites), continue to expand, and will only grow. You can use more connectivity to improve collaboration and workflow in your practice. Or you can use existing peer-topeer sites to track trends (and entertain) yourself. I recommend youtube.com.

NICHE MARKETS—With a flat world, even niche markets are big. Smart firms are skirting the commoditization problem by positioning themselves—either as value-added practices, which stress strategy and brand, or as unique specialists.

LIFESTYLE—Complexity in everything from gender identity and family schedules to life stages and sources of income. This is good, because complexity requires more specialization. See “Niche Markets.”

SNOBBIFICATION—Luxury goods are way up, and the middle class wants ultra-gourmet everything. That explains the lushness. Give them more.

DEMOGRAPHICS—Marketing experts tell us to address everyone as though they’re 35. Young adults are more mature in their thinking and behavior, and us old boomers want to stay young.

YOUTH—Soon to be the largest demographic, heavily weighted toward Latinos. If you don’t know this market yet, learn it. Your clients need you to. By the way, youth would rather use alcohol and illegal drugs than cigarettes, by a large margin. I guess some substance abuse is OK, some is not. And, to my surprise, half of high school students claim to be virgins. I have no idea how you can use that information.

SMARTNESS—The smarter, the better. Youth aren’t the only ones who are thinking more maturely. I suppose, in a world where commoditization threatens everyone and “value-added” spells success, people want to be smarter. Look at what we’re reading— most of the top sellers are nonfiction, and even the fiction is exercising brains (or souls).

RELIGIOSITY UP AND RISING—Maybe Boomers are starting to want to get in shape to meet their maker (I’m one of them). Maybe people want God’s help in a crazy world. Maybe people who live in a mass society built on consumerism seek to create deeper meaning in their lives. In any case, don’t fight it. Use more inspirational and ethical messaging, with inspirational and spiritual imagery.

With that, I say Amen. Good night, God bless, and stay on your toes.