It's about humanity, stupid.

Both the daunting broadness and the echoes of past presidential campaign strategy invoked in my title are intentional. The reason that I was so strident in my last post, (http://designmattersmore.blogspot.com/2013/02/you-are-not-seeing-warning-signs.html) and in my recent private communication with my friends who are also fashion brands is because I can so clearly see that the internet is changing dramatically and more importantly the pace of change is accelerating at aircraft carrier launch speeds. Humans are fond of sayings that indicate that we don't actually change much generation to generation. It was one of the very first things that I recall thinking was absurd when it was offered to me as "wisdom" in my early teenage years. We are constantly evolving. There is a roaring edge of voracious expansion into new concepts and new approaches. Hot on the heels of that come new technologies and systems that because they were born from a superior understanding of where human desires are heading seem to explode and utterly transform the world in a few years. Planes, trains, and automobiles anyone? Once all of the pieces of his life were in place it took Karl Benz less than three years to create the automobile. That the world was that close to a massive transformation, plus the fact that there were dozens of other visionaries working on the same idea should have meant that smart people saw it coming. But those in authority/power who are supposed to be our best & brightest, turned out to be our dullest & dimmest. We all understand about institutional blindness and what it takes to stay ahead of these massive upheavals but it happens anyway. It occurs with frightening regularity and taken as a symptom can only mean we are suffering from a global mental illness. 

Now it is happening again. The pieces are in place, the desires of humanity are crystal clear, there are tons of intelligent & respected people talking about what's about to happen. Then you look at those that are discussing the future of the fashion industry and they're not talking about it at all. They're droning on about, "more, better, and different" versions of the what currently exists. It's really not that hard to figure out what's coming, just take a survey of your friends. Ask them what they want from their internet experiences that they are currently not getting. Ask them what they wish they could do. Then understand, that's what's coming. Again if you want specifics you have to hire me, or by all means wait, and then you'll understand.