Background & Key Issues

Due to the growing prevalence of technology in product design, industries across the world are looking to increase research and development (R&D) in tailored towards that exact convergence; Korea is no exception. As the market is predicted to continue in growth, it was time to predict future market demands and directions, and to create a new smart appliance market through joint research in fields such as technology, humanities, and design.​  

Approach & Solution 

​To predict the upcoming society, we analyzed factors of change in the prospective economic/social/environmental/technological environment and drew implications on the developing consumer needs. In addition, we analyzed trend patterns to figure out the future trends of 12 macro and 97 micro societies in 2020. In combination with multi-area cluster analysis, which further identified specialized groups, the aggregate analysis concluded in the creation of nine personas representing future society. 

The project continued with concept sketches for more than 180 appliances using implications deduced from the above analyses using a Delphi method proceeded with Seed, as well as in collaboration with technical experts, university students, and power bloggers in each field. These ideas were then visualized across the nine created personas. Amongst these, three ideas were singled out and redeveloped via amateur and export evaluation groups and finally full 3D rendering.​ 

Main Task 

Predicting the trends of the future society in 2020 

Creating future characteristics and smart appliance scenarios 

Visualization of the concepts for three main products 

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Process & Methodology 

Discover > Define > Develop > Deliver 

Mega Trend Analysis 

Industry Analysis 

Data mining 

In-depth Interview 

Survey 

Delphi 

Mobile Dynamics 

Photo Observation Ethnography 

Facilitation 

Check-list 

Affinity Diagram 

Brain Writing 

Related Worlds 

NM 

Nonsensical Convergence Map 

Morphological Analysis

Design Benchmark​

Process for conducting

Process for generation of report

Final Deliverables

8 elements of change in the macro environment / 14 Value Drivers in the future

Determined 12 macro and 97 micro trends for 2020

Determined lifestyle and signature characteristics for 2020

Created smart appliance scenarios

Visualized the concept of the main products in 3D

RFP of subjects for research on future designs converged with humanities-technology

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