We had the pleasure to co-design a stand concept for a dear client who attended the Interzum fair (surface design for the furniture industry) in Cologne after a three-year hiatus. This trade show asked for innovative concepts, we’d love to share what we learned by using Artificial Intelligence for trend translation.
Our trend report for Lamigraf usually covers the three Macro Trends we work with at Eclectic Trends: Urbanization, Well-Being, and Nature/Sustainability. The brief was to translate the current direction within each trend onto the stand and show Lamigraf’s new collection. They specialize in a printed decorative paper that goes on furniture and flooring.
One of the features of Urbanisation was Tiny Houses. In Well-being, we discussed the idea of a mental spa and a surrounding where you could cocoon and reset. The third Macro Trend shows how using bio-based materials can combine raw nature and life in the city.
All three concepts were translated into images created by Artificial Intelligence and presented on the stand in three trend corners. We worked with a group of creative studios to bring all concepts to life; please see all credits at the end of the post.
1. Macro Trend Urbanisation – Tiny House
A Tiny House to be considered as such can not extend more than 36 sqm. We believe seeing the first roof constructions won’t be a utopia. With the help of Artificial Intelligence, we created an urban landscape that would represent that idea.
The second image shows a possible interior of that Tiny House translated into one of the three trend corners Lamigraf exhibited at the trade show.
2. Macro Trend Well-Being – Mental Spa
Curvy design and cave-like designs are here to stay. Shouldn’t we all have a Mental Spa space? Free of wifi, surrounded by an infinite horizon and an intriguing play of light and shadow.
With the idea of less is more and living in an uncluttered space, we developed the idea of this image below and a trend corner on the stand with Lamigraf’s collection displayed on similar curvy shapes.
3. Macro Trend Nature/Sustainability – Urban Green House
In previous years, we concentrated much on life in nature and surrounded by nature. We looked at blending raw growing nature with new urban models for this edition and trend report. The outcome is a moss facade on a building built with bamboo—Biophilia at its core.
The trend corner has picked up the same idea of growth with stunning pieces from Zena Halloway made from grassroots shaped into sculptural pieces.
We also developed a couple more images of how the interior of this building could look and hung these depictions of a kitchen (with two surface designs on the kitchen counter and cabinets from Lamigraf) and a living area on the wall inside the sustainable trend corner.
Here is what we learned by using Artificial Intelligence for trend translation:
1. Work with an expert.
Yes, we all can get on Midjourney and try to get a fancy result by playing with prompts, but we recommend you look for someone who makes a living out of it. It involves experience and a lot of time, and it’s always a better choice to trust those who are experts. Also, ask them what is possible and what is not. This is not a rendering process where you can fully control the outcome (see below). We worked with Gaudism.
2. AI does not accept negative prompts.
For now. In other words, if you have given the machine instructions on what to create, you can not tell the computer to remove that specific flower vase you didn’t like and maintain the rest of the image the same. This blew my mind. If you want to take something out of the created image, you have to start all over again, introducing the same prompts, and the program will make a new and different idea.
3. Your image is not protected by copyright.
As long as a machine or AI platform creates the images, even though you gave the briefing or instructions, the current law says you are not the original creator. Copyrights apply if you alter that image afterwards through Photoshop or any other application. Please note this is information valid where we live (Spain).
4. You can not control the outcome a 100%
Yet. That will change. But for now (knowledge May 2023), you get an interpretation from a platform that has stored millions of images and tries to give you an answer to the briefing (prompts) you are introducing. The machine attempts to be as specific as possible but works with existing material. You are not creating anything from zero.
CREDITS:
Client: Lamigraf
Trend ideation, Co-Art Direction & design of Sustainable Living corner: Eclectic Trends
Co-Art Direction, Stand Design & Tiny House corner: MUT Design
Meaningful Living corner, AI coordination & texts: Enric Pastor
Food Design: Elsa Yranzo (her work is not depicted here, please check the website)
Artificial Intelligence: Gaudism
PD: Come over to our IG feed these days; we will publish the entire stand if you are interested.
