Cover page
GENERATION BETA 360 Book
contents
introduction ....................................................................................................................................................... pg. 1-2 gap in the market .............................................................................................................................................. pg. 3-4 generation beta research ................................................................................................................................. pg. 5-6 fixing the gap .................................................................................................................................................... pg. 7-8 why is it a good fit for contents me ............................................................................................................................... pg. 9-10 what will it look like ....................................................................................................................................... pg. 11-12 prada runway ................................................................................................................................................. pg. 13-14 market research ............................................................................................................................................. pg. 15-16 digital zine or print publication .................................................................................................................... pg. 17-18 inspiration ...................................................................................................................................................... pg. 19-20 ikeuchi hiroto ................................................................................................................................................. pg. 21-22 planning ......................................................................................................................................................... pg. 23-24 timeline ........................................................................................................................................................... pg. 25-26 collaboration .................................................................................................................................................. pg. 27-28 promotion ....................................................................................................................................................... pg. 29-30 gaming ............................................................................................................................................................ pg. 30-31 minority report ............................................................................................................................................... pg. 32-33 tokyo streetstyle ............................................................................................................................................ pg. 34-35 models ............................................................................................................................................................ pg. 36-37 styling ............................................................................................................................................................. pg. 38-39 bloom magazine ............................................................................................................................................ pg. 40-41 location .......................................................................................................................................................... pg. 42-43 set design // IKEA visit .................................................................................................................................. pg. 44-45 croquis ........................................................................................................................................................... pg. 46-47 tate liverpool .................................................................................................................................................. pg. 48-49 layout design ................................................................................................................................................. pg. 50-51 tim walker ....................................................................................................................................................... pg. 52-53 conclusion ..................................................................................................................................................... pg. 54-55
introduction
This 360 book is a documentation of my journey through the second half of the Concept Direction & Development module. Based on my understanding of my brand I was able to come up with a creative concept that represents my skillset and fills a gap within the fashion market. Our 360 personal campaign launches us into our final major project, in which we are asked to create tangible outcomes that respond to our own personal briefs. What I intend to do for my FMP is to create a digital zine that provides brands with information on a Generation Beta target market from a trend-led perspective. Within my Generation Beta Buyer’s Guide I have already established what the subject of these three separate publications are going to look like using secondary images. All three of these aesthetics must be explored with my own primary sourced visuals in this next part. The experimentation of layout design, locations, fonts and themes were all carried out to ensure that my final major project is fully realised prior to its production. I have decided to treat this 360 book as a vision board into what I am going to do next with directing my own creative campaign. I found it highly useful to test out some of the processes I had in mind for my trend reports. Those are represented by the primary source imagery within this book. The secondary mood images serve a different purpose, contextualising my vision with fashion media that dominates the youth market currently.
visual
Gap in the market
Generation Beta marks the demographic born between 2025 and 2039. The youngest individuals belonging to this peer group are going to turn 20 in 2045, 23 years from now. Children of mostly Generation Z individuals, they are predicted to be real changemakers, disrupting industries and reshaping our world as we know it with their optimistic vision for the future. Despite their crucial importance to the future of business, the analysis of Betas’ traits and habits have not been completed yet with the most far-reaching reports covering only their predecessors, Generation Alpha. Discussing this target market will allow employers to gain an understanding of my future forward thinking as well as my ability to collect and interrogate data in a multitude of different ways. On the corresponding page you will find the visualization of my 10x10x10 research, in which I have established some of the key characteristics of Betas.
visual
INDIVIDUALITY ROCKS!
SUPER SENSITIVE HYPER-RAPID JUSTICE 4 ALL
ZERO JUDGEMENT
BORN CREATIVES GENDER WHO? SCHOOL = COOL
LONG LIVE BETA
DIGI-TOGETHERNESS
I have already pre-empted some of the key characteristics of the Beta generation in my response to the 10x10x10 research method. From what I have learnt about the work that demographers produce is that when it comes to studying generations, we are able to identify some characteristics from an early age, but their real defining features won’t be visible until they reach young adulthood. Responding to this I have conducted a survey prior to the making of this book. In this questionnaire Generation Z individuals were asked about their general outlook on life and their attitudes towards raising Generation beta reserach children.
From this data assumptions about Betas were made with their future living environments in mind. Generation Betas represent the second age group to grow up surrounded by social media since birth. Their lives are set to be impacted by this, as they will be constantly connected to their peers through various social media channels. They will grow up in households that will have a thorough understanding of the importance of social justice and equality. Being taught about social activism, gender and mental health awareness at school from an early age will allow Betas to have a good scope of life around them. As digital natives this generation will be used to quick responses, meaning that they will have high expectations for all services to keep up with the speed that they dictate to them. The subject of my FMP, Generation Beta will be discussed in further detail in the outcomes produced for the following module. The methodology used to investigate the age group is one that involved research into industries that have had significant growth in recent history, product innovation and tech predictions. Additionally, interests expressed on social media channels were also taken into a count.
Fixing the gap
The aim for my outcomes of this 360 is to create a zine that describes the future of the youth market and explores newness in culture and design through the use of highly inspirational imagery, all from a trend-driven perspective. During ‘Brand Me’ we have identified that publications that best relate to me are contemporary fashion magazines such as Dazed, LOVE and AnotherMan magazine. The inspiration for my trend reports came from these publications and what Dazed would look like if it was a trend forecasting journal. My fix for the gap in the market is taking everything I have learnt about magazines and layout and infusing that with traditional trend content. With the hopes of creating a new approach to fashion communication, I intend to shoot all the original content that is featured in the digital zine.
Why is it a good fit for me?
Within fashion I feel most passionate about change, particularly changes that are being made in youth related markets. As discussed in my ‘Brand Me’ book, I find new ideas proposed by younger generations much more engaging than some runway presentations of well-established fashion houses. This meant that contributing to this part of the industry would be the best route for me to take as we work towards creating our final major project. My dream is becoming a fashion editor after graduation, so creating this set of trend publications will serve as a great tool to launch me into industry. Throughout the preparation stage of the concept development my focus was to stay ahead of the game with both the themes discussed and the way those themes are presented to readers.
What will it look like
The page that is displayed here is an insight into my points of reference that have inspired my original creative concept. From previously conducted market research I have found that there seems to be plenty of solutions provided to a commercial market within the trend forecasting industry, as well as plenty of solutions for a more visionary, aspirational market. What I have learnt about myself during the Concept Direction & Development module is that I do not belong to either of those markets, I sit somewhere in the middle. The type of visual language that I am planning to introduce to the traditional trend report will demonstrate newness and create an entirely new product that does not exist on the market yet. I am hoping to discuss fashion through a lifestyle angle. Within this report colour charts, key item breakdowns, styling choices and design details will be highlighted for each forecast. My intention is to create a visual exploration of the future of youth culture. Sources that have provided me with inspiration during the process include flatlay artists, Dazed magazine, bloom magazine and trend documents developed by FutureLand forecasting agency.
Prada runway Prada’s runway shows have previously been discussed in my ‘Brand Me’ book, but the Prada look applies to my forecast detailed in my FMP project, so I wanted to reflect on the aesthetic further. I believe Miuccia Prada to be a visionary designer who has always evidenced her forward thinking through fashion design. As futurism is a constant theme in my own work, reflecting on the collections Miuccia Prada has created as co-creative director felt highly relevant.
Prada runway collage
Market research
A pivotal part of the journey following ‘Brand Me’ was conducting extensive market research, looking at different companies that specialize in creating trend-focused content. Within this module we were asked to showcase our ability of introducing newness to our selected part of the industry. I knew that prior to this I had to familiarise myself with what big players of the fashion trend forecasting business were doing currently. From my research I have learnt that just as the world around us, the purpose of trend reports is also changing. In the past these documents focused mostly on colour and key items, broken down into seasons. Today, brands are keen the learn about the why, not just about the look of the end product. Trend reports that are most popular amongst clients are ones that offer real insight into the minds of the future consumer.
