More Design Trends for 2011

I recently heard on the news that the most googled word this year was "austerity". Interestingly, austerity is a key part of design for 2011: Bare bones, stripped of extraneous decoration, pure, natural, minimal, authentic.

Austerity goes hand-in-hand with classic modernity, a style which symbolizes honesty, quality and consistency.

Austerity is Wabi Sabi, where imperfection, organic individualistic features, and the patina of age are venerated in design.

Austerity is related to the emerging "Slow Movement" which started with Slow Food and has now infiltrated to Slow Fashion and Slow Design. It's about slowing down the pace of trends and emphasizing long lasting quality and craftsmanship.

A new direction is emerging in design, where high tech is combined with old-world craftsmanship, and global know-how is combined with local production techniques.