Jacky Verhulst

I want to eat, sleep, play, work and live in a loft!

I’m Alice, a movie by Sander Burger.

Can technology replace human skin and blood? Alice is a care robot a keeps elderly company. The documentary fascinated me, because i’m skeptical about robots interacting with humans. But in this case it really seems to work. The goal of this project is to help lonely elderly out of their isolation they live in. 

In Holland there are a lot of demented elderly people and this number is only going to get bigger and bigger. We(Holland) don't have the resources (money and people) to take care of all those people, robots seem to be a possible solution to this problem. 

I highly recommend this documentary! 

source: http://www.ikbenalice.nl

Luna: Bring the moon along with you

A project started on Indiegogo and has funded almost 2000% of the needed amount.

 I love the moon, so i love this project.

I love the fact that such a dreamy project is supported by so many people.  This project triggers creativity and shows us that art is still being made. Not every product  has to do good or help people. This is something for you to forget your daily worries and lets you take a deep breath and think about the life you are living. 

STRONG IS THE NEW SKINNY

A new trend among girls now, is to be strong and not perse skinny (to skinny)

Where girls wanted to be super skinny two years ago, sometimes even underweight , they now want to be strong en have muscles showing. 

When i compare strong tot (to)skinny i of course choose strong, but strong is also being taken to the extreem by a lot of girls. I’m a big believer of working out three times a week and eating healthy. But I also skip a workout when i don't feel like it and ik eat french fries, candy en cookies when I want to.  Some of the girls take it too far. The workout five times a week and eating almost no sugar and other so called bad stuff. The workout routine takes over their life. I think this is not the way to live your life, although it seems te work for a lot of people. 

SUPERFOODS

Everyone is talking about it and everyone is eating is. "Superfood" is a popular term in the health food industry. It refers to foods that are low in calories and high in nutrients. 

I also eat them, but i don't only eat them. I think people here again are taking it to the extreme by forgetting what everyone else eat before their were superfoods. 

It’s a big hype in 2015 but i am curious if this hype is here to stay or will be put in the background by yet another food hype. 

source: http://www.livescience.com/34693-superfoods.html

‘Cristal Clear’ a macrotrend that can be explained by these characteristics.

1. The truth is almost never told to consumers

2.Transparancy

3. Clarity

4. Honesty

‘Live’  is a macrotrend that can be explained by these characteristics.

1. Enjoying life

2. Being the best you, you can be

3. Strong is the new skinny

‘In terms of content’ a macrotrend that can be explained by these characteristics.  

1. Durability

2. Products with values behind them

‘Best for everyone’ a macrotrend that can be explained by these four characteristics.  

1. Individual society --> collective society

2. Working together to achieve a (personal) goal 

3. Not fighting against each other, but with each other

‘Creative solutions’ a macrotrend that can be explained by these characteristics.

1. Accepting change 

2. Seeing chances instead of obstacles. 

3. Creativity

4. Letting go of the common way we think

Kayla Itsines

It’s almost summer and every girl(some of the boys) is freaking out. “I’m not ‘bikini ready!”

I also feel like this before the summer, but then I found Kayla Itsines. Kayla, a girl for Australia, made a bikini body guide to get you back in shape. 

She also has a Instagram account were you can see the results of here bbg (bikini body guide) https://www.instagram.com/kayla_itsines/

I am not a fan of diets and crazy two moths schedules, but this really seemed to work. So once a friend gave me a copy of the bbg I began to work out. 

The workouts are really intense almost HITT (high intensity interval training) but also really effective. I think this guide is challenging your body without damaging it. I am used to working out, but is was extremely hard for me to finish the exercises. I wouldn't recommend this for a beginner. 

Foodtrucks(festivals), is see them popping up everywhere.

Someone told me that for the dutch foodtruckfestival ‘Rollende keukens’ only 300 spots were available, but 5000 food trucks applied for a spot.

This showed me that it is almost not special and original anymore. 

I really like the concept, but because it is becoming so mainstream the authenticity is fading away. 

The innovators and  early adopters are the ones who implemented the concept into our society, but i don't think they wil support it much more longer. 

Authenticity is fading and the laggard are almost loving it. By then end of 2016 the foodtrucks wil be a lot less popular and only the real and good ones will be there for the long run. 

‘Like the old days’,  a macrotrend that can be explained by these characteristics.

1. Leaving things as they are

2. Going back to where we started

3. Local

4. Craftsmanship

‘Minimal, less is more’ a macrotrend that can be explained by these characteristics.

1. Over consuming

2. Specialism

3. Clean and simpel

‘Mental age’ a macrotrend that can be explained by these characteristics.

1. Elderly stay fit and healthy for a long period of time 

2. Kids grow up faster/kids dress like adults

3. Mental age over physical age

AVOCADO!

They are everywhere, the avocado. 

Suddenly everyone seems to only want to eat avocados. Now i’m absolutely no foodie(girls who eat healthy but delicious food) but even i got caught up in this hype. It’s good for your skin, it eventually tastes good after a lot of salt and pepper en it goes with everything. 

Social

This is one of the four focus points for having a good retail store. Social consists of Offline, Multi/Omni channeling and Online.

Offline, what can you do offline these days?

1. Offline marketing?

2. Offline promotion of online store?

3. Social co-creation (collaboration between different parties)

Multi/Omni channeling

1. Make sure your customer can reach you in all possible ways

Online, what do you use? 

1. Monthly newsletter

2. Social media