Join the Global Trendwatching minor and learn about TRENDS, FUTURING, DESIGN & BUSINESS!

Are you interested in trends?

Are you always on the look-out for something cool, new and interesting and love studying in an international environment with students from all over the world?

Are you creative, ambitious and ready to change your way of thinking?

When you join Global Trendwatching, you will learn how to identify & research trends and to create a concept & business idea based on future scenarios. By merging innovative thinking with future-focused strategies, you'll inspire not just people but also companies, brands and governments. It is a new way of research & thinking, that will give you tools that you will be able to use all through your career: TRENDS ARE THE FUTURE.

The Global Trendwatching minor has been around for 14 years and is an established program for a reason! Global Trendwatching has become a faculty minor (DMCI) which means that in our creative industry, trends & futuring have become the new normal. So what will you be doing during these 20 weeks?

In this program, you'll dive into researching, developing and conveying new possibilities (with the help by for example AI & trend research) for a possible tomorrow. You will work on a real-life international client brief like Philips - SnappCar - Bosch - Volkswagen or the Van Gogh Museum and give advice about possible strategies based on trend research. You will present your work in front of the client at the end. Global Trendwatching is an international minor that collaborates with international experts and guest lecturers who bring the real world into our classroom.

So whether you're an aspiring communication expert, designer, tech guru, business leader or social innovator, this journey equips you with a unique lens to view and solve the challenges in your area of expertise.

So are you ready to enroll? 

Join us at Global Trendwatching!

Goal: The minor Global Trendwatching enables students to develop future visions that are strategically relevant on both a creative and business level.

At the end of the program, the student demonstrates the ability to (learning objectives):

Trends

• Know and apply trend theory

• Conduct and apply trend research (e.g., identifying and analyzing weak signals, trends, emerging developments and global drivers of change) and analyze trends (scanning, clustering, sense-making), to interpret and structure findings.

• Apply futuring/ futures research methods to explore multiple relevant and inspirational future scenarios

• Translate the scenarios into a strategic advise for the client

Design

• Integrate knowledge and perspectives from multiple disciplines into transdisciplinary design solutions.

• Use creative and design-oriented methods (e.g., storytelling, visualization, prototyping) to translate insights into future concepts.

• Communicate future concepts through engaging and interactive visual formats tailored to diverse audiences.

Business

• Learn and demonstrate an entrepreneurial mindset, understand business development stages and application for different business models.

• Translate your future vision into business opportunities for value creation within the context of the assignment (& Snappcar).

• Calculate the prognosed value of a concept to prepare and present a well substantiated investment ask for your proposed future start-up.

• Align trend insights with business models, entrepreneurial insights and market dynamics, providing the client with relevant short- and long-term business recommendations.

You meet the entrance requirements from your own study before you can take a minor (see the Teaching and Examination Regulations for your study).

We would like to point out that each Dutch student should have B2 level of English or higher. Your level of English needs to be sufficient to be able to participate.

How to Research Trends by Els Dragt

We will be in school 3 to 4 days a week.

Contact time: Your study time will be approximately 4 days a week of which 16-20 hours of teaching and 16-10 hours of self study.

Examination: 30ECTS

In groups, you will work on a a final client presentation that includes a professional ppt en hand-out (50% of mark).

To demonstrate your progress on the learning outcomes and receive feedback and feed forward from both peers and tutors, you will work on your process in weekly coaching sessions. Learning outcomes will be assessed through a mid-term assessment (formative) and a final assessment (summative) and a process book (50% of mark).

We foster a safe, inclusive, supportive, and positive learning climate where students oversee their own personal learning trajectory and growth.

Resits: The resits will take place in April 2027. If you fail to pass the resit, you will have to wait till the next round to submit your work again (which will be September 2027).

Costs:
During this minor, we will go to the Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven. Therefore, you will have additional costs (ticket & travel). We will also visit a museum or exhibition in the kick-off week for which you will have to pay entrance. When you choose to enroll in this minor, you accept these costs. This week is mandatory in the program.

Questions about the minor?
Contact Mariska Schaap via m.e.schaap@hva.nl
or Vincent Albers via v.w.m.albers@hva.nl

Questions about the Kies op Maat procedure?

Contact Karin van de Haterd via minoren-co-cb@hva.nl

This minor has 10 places available for KOM students.

Applications will be processed in order of receipt signed learning agreements.