off the grid

"off the grid" was inspired by Barney's brilliant Denim Delight. i highly recommend visiting this "3-D" magazine online. the interaction and animation are beyond inspiring. images from the Denim Delight are included in these mood boards.

i already had the grid images for some time now, and wanted to pull together very 80's inspired Mannequin (the movie) meets Nagel meets modern imaging series. when i visited Denim Delight today...the concept instantly gelled in my mind.

the key with street style is to mash up unexpected elements. by pulling inspiration from the 80's, i complemented this series with the Murakmai Putipanda. i think of Murakami from the (late) 90's because that is when i fell in love with his work. by bringing together these two unexpected, but complementary inspirations...the trend grows fresh and relevant. Murakami's organic (borderline psychedelic) lines juxtaposed with 80's angular is a fresh mix.

long time readers of DESIGN SEEDS know my love for Nixon watches...a perfect fit for "off the grid." a indisputably modern design anchored with an 80's nostalgic swell. only Nixon can make digital inspired watches look so futuristic so well.

the title for this series is also a play on the obvious 80's grid inspiration...mixed with what in modern day "off the grid" means as a value for today's consumer the "radicle." for more information on the radicle, there is information on the MACROSEEDS & MACROSEEDS blog for dimensionalized insights.

found flora

"found flora" illustrates how "slated" transitions from a rich wintry palette into spring color. also inspired by what began with "autumn glow," stencil patterns offer a fresh device to bring tonal texture into patterns and graphics.

new on Fresh Seeds : "nature spun"

click on the image above to visit FRESH SEEDS

orange powered

where as "orange business" is exploration in updating the nineties palette of gray / silver / tech orange..."orange powered" takes orange through an eighties filter. matte finishes and materials such as rubber and neoprene solidify this powered orange's a masculine edge. tonal play and the complement of a slate tinged blue bring relevance to these palettes for coming seasons.

vintage seeds > favorites

"vintage seeds" circa 1996

"vintage seeds" circa 1996

with the interest voiced on DESIGN SEEDS FB for more "vintage seeds," i wanted to share a few of my favorite pages from my journal from 1996. i remember vividly creating these particular ones.

"the soft touch" page is still one of my favorites...a beautiful / fresh / romantic / modern palette.

the second photo documents when i fell in love with the power of combining blue and amber / brown.

back when i use to create these journals, technology was limited. i sketched cars on the most powerful software and computer (Alias Studio Paint powered by an Onyx hard drive). Photoshop and Illustrator were not being used in the large automotive studios. when creating journals and image boards, Xerox was the powerful technology. you can see the car interior image i manipulated on the Xerox to create a blue/brown combo. color boards / image boards were a combination of Xeroxes and gouache painting. Dymo was the standard for labeling. i incorporated a great deal of material cuttings and swatches as well in the journals.

fantastical dada

as mentioned, i will be bringing a more organic and dimensional approach to DESIGN SEEDS > a part of my continuous creative process i have not shared here yet.

those loyal to DESIGN SEEDS have seen dynamic changes as a result of my creative process, as well as direct feedback as to what readers and fans found to be the most inspiring aspects of SEEDS.

having avoided sharing my tracking of direct fashion / accessory / product design trends, i reconsidered limiting this dimension to client projects. as i create these on an ongoing basis, i thought they were an ideal fit to grow DESIGN SEEDS. they will complement and bring dimension to the palettes that have been being received so well received.

this series "fantastical dada" taps a trend that forecasters have had their teeth in for about three years now. we have seen the evidence on runways and in editorial for several seasons. there are still interesting and dimensional ways this trend is evolving.

building on SEEDS forecasting of desaturated palettes grounded with warm and cool tinted neutrals, "fantastical dada" brings an edge with inky black punch. nature meets surreal through imagery. as this inspiration was created while thinking about spring / summer 2012...i chose imaging to stay seasonally relevant. i love Chloe's metallic materials as they remind me of an interpretation of gossamer wings and show the perfect complement of mixing warm and cool tinted neutrals. the insects on the shift dress show how "fantastical dada" can be interpreted in the most subtle of ways. the avante garde designs of Gilles et Dada SS 2010 were found on wearehelsinki.fi. the amazing Sevan rings beautifully capture the hauntingly imaginative opportunities of "fantastically dada"...especially the lizard ring.

my original journals

i have touched on the fact my original journals were the spark for the concept of DESIGN SEEDS. inspired by what is happening with the MACROSEEDS blog, i wanted to share a more casual approach to my creative process and occasionally share some pages from my original journals through DESIGN SEEDS.

these images above are from my journal labeled (with a Dymo label, nonetheless) January - June 1996. during this time, i was working at Ford Motor Company in the Color & Trim department. i was also broadening my skills / portfolio for my ambition to become a footwear designer. i often looked for similarities in color / materials/ textures for these compositions. color chips were Pantone tears and color chips from our paint catalogues. these ideas were to broaden my exposure to global trends (i was working on Ford of Europe programs during this time) as well as develop clear themes for future concept vehicles.

i had access to fantastic archives of Ford's materials, colors, and catalogues...the third image was the beginning of a series rediscovering amazing textiles and color palettes from the early seventies.

i am excited about this new dimension to DESIGN SEEDS...but you can still expect that i will continue the approach to palettes i have begun as they are integral in my continuous creative process.

looking forward to your comments both here on the blog and DESIGN SEEDS FB!

orange business

in culture obsessed with nostalgia, the 90's are a treasure trove for the latest forecasting. gray has spiked to be extremely relevant in the coming seasons. to modernize and update gray...putty and slate tinged neutrals are mixed with gray. as discussed, layering tones and complementary colors is very important.

in the 90's...modern often meant gray, silver, and tech orange. revisit this inspiration and give it an edge. matte surfaces and tonal plays bring orange from 1997 to looking at 2012.

being green

as i have mentioned before, one of the things i love most about having the consultancy is working on multiple seasons at the same time. i wanted to touch on this as i just posted forecasting for AW yesterday.

through SEED...i just finished SS11 for one client, am looking to start SS12 for another, and have started working on AW12 for MACROSEEDS. living in so many seasons at the time is exhilarating. i find that more organic concepts are inspired and it keeps me on my toes as a designer. i am also able to offer dimensional concepts to clients by being active in so many seasons, and able to absorb insights from many inputs that were not available when designing in-house at brands.

"being green" is looking at the spike in trend of kelly green. the green shifts to have a neon edge. grounded unexpectedly with brown, umber, or dusted violet...it is easy "being green."

autumn glow

"autumn glow" illustrates trending grunge texture with a twist on traditional autumn palettes. shifting neutrals from traditional ambers, umbers, and ochre...shades of putty modernize while still offering a familiar autumnal warmth. stencil patterns offer a fresh device to bring tonal texture into patterns and graphics. the campy edge of a deer stencil brings a tongue in cheek twist that plays well in streetwear.

maps

with the same exploration of "similars" in "fields," i had connected these two images for "maps."

when i discovered this room image not only did the color of the glass green tinged teal capture the color forecasting i wanted to create...it also instantly called to mind this map image (which i have had for many month now). the pealing of the wall looks like a continent to me. i "grunged up" and shifted coloring of the map image to complement the room image and capture the worn / tattered trend DESIGN SEEDS has been forecasting.

regarding color forecasting, teal continues to trend as relevant...desaturated and grounded with rich earthy neutrals.

fields

i was struck these two photos are essentially the same. "fields" illustrates how i see palettes...making the abstract literal, and the literal abstract. additionally, the palettes capture the strong trend in olive and mustard tinged hues. the pop of poppy red is the perfect complement to these colors. expect to see more "similars" regarding imaging in the future.

slated

"slated" is color forecasting for autumn / winter. as DESIGN SEEDS has been reporting, desaturated and tonal plays of color are trending. to bring richness and texture, layer warm and cool charcoals / sepia / grays / black / and...slate.

select color pops with the most subtle of choices. slate blue, patina green, and mustard work well with this palette forecasting.

provence perfection

inspired by Marta's photos i just received > these images from Provence i recently came across came to mind. colors combined for the final glow of the summer sun as transitional palettes into fall. these palettes would also work well for early spring / resort.

new on City Seeds : "next to the beach with Marta"

click on the image above to visit CITY SEEDS

macroseeds blog

the follow images are from a post on the MACROSEEDS blog discussing the process of creating DIGITAL forecasting read the entire post by clicking HERE

inn of the seventh ray

skirball cultural center > noah's ark exhibit

clip from DIGITAL forecasting video

please visit the MACROSEEDS blog for insights on how MACROSEEDS volume one was created. i have already started work on volume two and will be updating with insights, research, and photos from the journey.

blog.macroseeds.com

MACROSEEDS FB launched today > please visit and "like" to keep up to date on research, inspiration, my process, and insights. although volume one just launched > work on volume two has begun!

red redux

"red redux" explores ways to freshen up red as shifting into autumn forecasting. powdery textures, patinaed finishes, and textural effects bring a depth and richness to red. finishes have minimum shine to allow the rich red pigment to glow.

digital > video preview

this is one of three excerpts from the MACROSEEDS preview videos on macroseeds.com > visit to explore more macro trend and design forecasting.

MACROSEEDS has launched!

MACROSEEDS has launched!!!

after several months of research, travel, design, and creation...it is a thrill to have officially launched MACROSEEDS.

there are three distinct aspects to the MACROSEEDS site :

1) the MACROSEEDS site > www.macroseeds.com

this is the home site. explore here to understand what MACROSEEDS are about, how they can be utilized, and preview VOLUME ONE.

2) the MACROSEEDS blog > blog.macroseeds.com

check in regularly for dimensionalized insights + VOLUME TWO has already begun! check in on my journey of research and inspiration creation.

3) the MACROSEEDS shop > shop.macroseeds.com

the MACROSEEDS shop is the only place to purchase MACROSEEDS. purchase securely via PayPal, and download the book and video instantly to your desktop.

you can navigate and explore these sites seamlessly as they all integrate into one...well...macro site.

earthen glow

"earthen glow" color palettes study the effect of palettes grounded in taupe with an interesting effect of adding lavenders and shifted brights strategically. these combinations offer a fresh way to transition pastels and other soft seasonal colors into relevant autumnal palettes.

mod mocha

"mod mocha" palettes are inspired as transitional palettes for autumn. "mod" is a play on both modular and mod in a hipster sort of way. taking liberties with the color range that can be inspired by mocha...blue tinged browns cool like the change of the season.