An Exploration Playground in Frankfurt
Heimtextil – the world’s largest textiles fair and the design industry’s first major event each year, held in Frankfurt – invited six major trend forecasting agencies to conceive and realize this year’s Theme Park (an entire hall dedicated to trend forecasts) based on the theme, “Explorations.”
Literally a playground where the main trend themes are brought to life, the Park occupies most of an entire hall at Frankfurt Messe. Immersive, experiential exhibits and a nonstop series of lectures make the Theme Park a major destination for the international design community.
In an era where all the information in the universe is a finger flick away, the satisfaction of discovery seems lost in the process…or more accurately, in the lack of process. Exploration should be adventure, involving planning, effort and maybe even some risk, with the reward being “discovery.”
Admittedly, the only risk many of us may take is the loss of time spent, but then again, the premium for time these days is at historical highs!
It feels like there’s more value in a discovery resulting from exploration. This no doubt triggers the pleasure centers in a designer’s brain. Yet sadly, fewer and fewer of them actually have the luxury to get out to the fairs to do their own digging. Billable time is too precious, and travel budgets are too tiny.
This is why concentrations of discovery opportunities, like Heimtextil’s Theme Park, hold such an attraction for designers from around the world. Not only do they get their “fix” … they also expand their understanding of global influences on hospitality, retail and other design segments, and add to their treasure chest of valuable materials options as well.
