How

to TRANSLATE

2026 CMF directions

and work with Neo Materiality
?

CMF - Color, Material, Finish

CMF directions guide how these elements are applied to a product or space, influencing its look, feel, and emotional impact.

The need to create unique yet marketable designs can lead to decision paralysis or difficulty in defining a clear direction.

Our session is aimed to infuse you with a fresh perspective on Neo Materiality. Sometimes, all it takes is to be in touch with options you didn’t know they existed

Creatives may have great ideas for CMF, but these might not be aligned with trend directions, which are essential to know even if you are not applying them.

We show you different CMF directions, explain where they come from, how they have evolved, and who (end consumer) will relate.

A CMF direction is only as valuable as its applicability. Understanding its origins and purpose is essential, as simply observing a mood or aesthetic doesn't provide sufficient insight."

Gudy Herder

Get a bespoke offer for your creative team!

THE 3-STEPS PROGRAM

This course is actually not about moodboarding only. But you'll learn how to analyze your visual presentation before you start. Most of the students say, that's their AHA moment."

Gudy Herder

THE 3-STEPS PROGRAM

The CMF trends

A common misconception is that CMF Trends are just about aesthetics.

The reality is CMF trends encompass functionality, ergonomics, sustainability, and emotional resonance. They influence how a product or space feels, performs, and connects with its users.

We believe that any creative and designer has the responsibility in 2025 to know and proactively suggest healthier materials. We’d like to bring you one step closer.

THE 3-STEPS PROGRAM

Neo Materiality

We are in the midst of a materials revolution. It’s hard to keep up if you don’t travel to trade shows or have someone on your team who constantly researches.

Would you like to know how future Material Trends translate into actual palettes?

We will translate the three trends of the previous CMF session (step 1) into material boards so you see an immediate tactile translation, which makes the session so much more memorable and valuable.

THE 3-STEPS PROGRAM

Translating and applying Emotional Materiality

You know which CMF directions are coming and you have interacted with new materials by looking at them, touching them, and maybe smelling them. Now what?

Think about the emotional story you want to tell with a CMF direction.

With individual and group dynamics, we discuss how, where, and why to apply the learnings. This last step leads us to Emotional Materiality and how to work with it.

Kind Words

Material Innovations Masterclass is an invaluable resource for designers like me who continuously monitor cultural changes and their impact on consumer behavior. Each global trend that Gudy shares is supported by specific material samples, providing a tangible aspect and practical context—a perfect balance between theory and materiality. To add to this interactive workshop, participants from around the world contribute diverse perspectives, making this Think Tank an enriching, inspiring, and energizing experience.

[...]What impressed me most about Gudy was her impeccable way of structuring the class, creating a warm and welcoming environment where each of us felt involved in every moment and stage. With her visionary approach and personal methodology, she captured our attention from the very first moment and kept us fascinated until the very end. Thanks to this training, I not only expanded my knowledge of color and material trends but also discovered how to apply these insights to my daily work, enriching my creative process and awakening my desire to experiment and reinterpret the spaces and objects around me from a richer, fuller perspective. It helped me find balance between the personal (emotional) and the objective (material) in a limitless sensory experience. It taught me new ways to observe, think about, and experience color and materials. Without a doubt, it exceeded all expectations.

Gudy masterfully conducts a session in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, educating and sharing innovative materials, Color, Material and Finish trends. We saw fascinating projects told in the first person by their protagonists. From the very beginning, the participation and exchange of experiences among professionals from different design fields and diverse locations flows naturally, making the experience even more enriching for someone like me who comes from the industrial sector. The entire day just flew by!

How can we provide you tangible CMF information that your team actually enjoys in an interactive session?

A few numbers

materials to interact with

color universes to explore

years of teaching & training

trends to explore (Urbanization, Well-being, Neo Ecology)

About

Gudy Herder is the founder of the trend agency Eclectic Trends.

Structuring concepts are the backbone of any trend research, and the most used tool to gain clarity on a trend story is a haptic mood board.

In 2015, Gudy was invited to present mood boards at a trend agency in London. And though she had been moodboarding for two decades already, she felt like she wanted to improve her skills and find a more academic background for that presentation.

It came as a surprise that there was anything on the market that suited her needs. Mood boards had helped her, the team, and clients to gain clarity for years, so she decided to share her knowledge and design the first 4-hours workshop program.

This program has evolved into a business program where students worldwide fly in to spend one day in Barcelona. Companies such as Inditex, Mango, or Akzo Nobel are a few brands that send their teams to learn this technique during the one-day masterclass.

Gudy also teaches tailored content to creative teams at IKEA, Grohe, Mango, or the European Design Institute, among others.

Why offering haptic mood boards to an audience?

Here go a few student remarks and why they believe

I've come to realize that many people are not able to visualize results and go beyond a simple idea.

Lidia Pujol

We wanted to create a mood board to be able to synthesize and capture on one single support all haptic elements of inspiration and materials of a project we currently work on in the office.

Núria Vilallonga

I like my projects to tell a story. I feel I can convey my intention in a much clearer, simpler, and more emotional way.

Estefanía Lusquiños

I was looking for a technique that would help our clients visualize pre-projects, and simultaneously be a facilitator for our team to make decisions. It's a win-win tool for both the provider and the client.

Edith Haussner

ONE-DAY SESSION

3 CMF Directions for 2026

Includes:

A full day of teaching and facilitating by Gudy Herder.

Worksheets.

150+ innovative materials.

A selected provider list so you can order materials of your interest.

Optional: A box packed with innovative materials.

FAQ

If you have further questions, please contact us at info@eclectictrends.com

Do you share your trend presentation?

Depending on your briefing and focus of the session, we can share the complete presentation or an excerpt.

Is there a difference between the one-day masterclass and B2B program?

Yes, a B2B session incorporates the client briefing while staying true to the original program design. We adapt to you teams’ needs and experience.

What materials are included in the session?

The materials boards we share will be dismantled after the session and do not stay at the client’s facilities.

We can prepare you a box of materials depending on your briefing and give you all provider details. We try our best to match your petition and will offer an alternative if a specific material is not available.

We are more sensitive to CMF directions in a post-pandemic era with strong visual, intuitive, and tactile skills in demand as users perceive and interact with a product differently.