* THIS INTERVIEW WITH WILL FIRST APPEARED IN ‘FAST COMPANY’ *

If you go to work every day in a soul-sucking cube, we have some good news. Office chairs that adjust to your body based on biofeedback. Walls that slide, shift, and change color according to worker needs. Three-dimensional printers that produce food and replicate office […]

* THIS INTERVIEW WITH WILL FIRST APPEARED IN ‘MEDIA WEEK’ *

William Higham, founder of consumer trend analyst Next Big Thing, who also worked with the London Paper on Generation Free, says free is not just about value, but also convenience. He reports: “One thing that came out of the focus groups was the fact that […]

* THIS INTERVIEW WITH WILL FIRST APPEARED IN ‘THE EVENING STANDARD’ *

“The rise of extreme sports took place among Generation X, born 1979-1994,” says William Higham, managing director of trend forecasting agency The Next Big Thing and author of a trends guide of the same name. “Now that they’re growing up and are seeking opportunities […]

* THIS INTERVIEW WITH WILL FIRST APPEARED IN ‘DRAPERS’ *

The rise of Generation Y will accelerate the trend for shopping for clothing on mobile phones, according to William Higham, founder of consumer research consultancy The Next Big Thing.

Following the recession, time-poor consumers expect brands to “fit around their lifestyles”, which includes being able to shop […]

* THIS INTERVIEW WITH WILL FIRST APPEARED IN ‘THE DAILY MAIL’ *

‘We believe that the rise in holidays with friends is being driven by another trend,” says futurist William Higham. “The increasing importance of friendship. Today, more and more people have a close group of friends that they consider to be a surrogate family (a […]

* THIS INTERVIEW WITH WILL FIRST APPEARED IN ‘THE INDEPENDENT’ *

Emo is camp, androgynous even. If anything it’s the women who are stronger than the men. But emos are not cynical – they believe in open displays of strong emotion. “The lyrics are very emotional, all about personal issues,” says trends forecaster William Higham. “They’re […]

* THIS INTERVIEW WITH WILL FIRST APPEARED IN THE EU’S ‘FUTURE MEDIA LAB’ *

During the “Understanding Disruption” conference in April 2013, the EU’s Future Media Lab. had the opportunity to sit down and talk about the future of media with William Higham, Consumer strategist, futurist and author. William is the managing director of The Next […]

* THIS INTERVIEW WITH WILL FIRST APPEARED IN ‘THE DAILY MAIL’ *

Holiday companies will increasingly be looking to attract single parent and multi-generational families, a trends forecaster has predicted.

William Higham, founder of consumer trends company Next Big Thing, said the rise of ‘jigsaw families’ meant that escaping for a break is no longer just about […]

* THIS INTERVIEW WITH WILL FIRST APPEARED IN ‘THE REGISTER’ *

Questions of security and privacy hovered in and out of view. Consumer trends forecaster, the engaging William Higham, didn’t think surveillance dystopia would come about as he can’t get his printer to talk to his laptop most of the time. … Last week I was […]

* THIS INTERVIEW WITH WILL FIRST APPEARED IN ‘THE DAILY MAIL’ *

William Higham, of consumer trends consultancy Next Big Thing, says: “In difficult economic times families often come together. We’re seeing the beginnings of a Happy Families trend, where the ‘we’re all in this together’ mantra is becoming very real.” …

Grandparents are increasingly bearing the […]