# CE TREND RADAR

**Purpose:** Proactive intelligence system that makes CE the sharpest trend machine. See what's coming before competitors notice what's happening.

---

## Source Intelligence Matrix

### Tier 1: Award Intelligence (Check daily during award seasons)

| Source | URL | What to Extract | Update Frequency |
|--------|-----|-----------------|------------------|
| D&AD | dandad.org/awards | Winners, shortlists, jury comments | Annual (May) |
| Cannes Lions | canneslions.com | Grand Prix, Gold winners across categories | Annual (June) |
| Webby Awards | webbyawards.com | People's Voice + Jury winners | Annual (April) |
| One Show | oneshow.org | Best in Show, Gold Pencils | Annual (May) |
| Brand New | underconsideration.com/brandnew | Daily rebrand coverage | Daily |
| The Dieline | thedieline.com | Packaging design winners | Ongoing |
| Communication Arts | commarts.com | Annual winners | Annual |
| Graphis | graphis.com | Gold + Platinum winners | Ongoing |

**Extract:** Winner name, category, agency, client, jury rationale, visual screenshots

### Tier 2: Design & Culture Publications (Daily scan)

| Source | URL | Focus | Method |
|--------|-----|-------|--------|
| It's Nice That | itsnicethat.com | Creative work, studio profiles | RSS/web |
| Eye on Design | eyeondesign.aiga.org | Design thinking, trends | RSS/web |
| Dezeen | dezeen.com | Design, architecture, interiors | RSS/web |
| Creative Review | creativereview.co.uk | Advertising, branding | Web |
| Design Week | designweek.co.uk | UK design industry | Web |
| Brand New | underconsideration.com/brandnew | Identity work | Daily |
| BP&O | bpando.org | Branding, packaging | Web |
| Mindsparkle | mindsparklemag.com | Digital, branding | Web |

**Extract:** Project name, studio, visual approach, what makes it notable

### Tier 3: Business & Strategy (3x/week)

| Source | Focus | CE Angle |
|--------|-------|----------|
| Harvard Business Review | Strategy, management | Macro trends affecting brands |
| McKinsey Insights | Industry analysis | Sector-specific context |
| Strategy+Business | Business strategy | Positioning frameworks |
| AdAge | Advertising industry | Agency/brand moves |
| Campaign | Marketing/advertising | Creative industry trends |
| Fast Company | Innovation, design business | Design's business impact |
| Bloomberg | Economic signals | Macro context |
| WSJ | Business news | Industry shifts |

**Extract:** Trend name, evidence, implications for brand/positioning

### Tier 4: Social Signals (Daily passive, weekly deep scan)

**Key Accounts to Monitor:**

*Creative Directors:*
- @jessicawalsh, @stefansagmeister, @pentaborrego
- @collins_, @wolffolins, @landor

*Strategy Voices:*
- @markritson, @bobhoffman, @garyvee (contrarian signal)

*Design Twitter/X:*
- #brandidentity, #rebrand, #visualidentity
- Design studio accounts

*LinkedIn:*
- Agency leadership posts
- Brand executive moves
- Industry commentary

**Extract:** Sentiment, emerging conversations, backlash/praise patterns

---

## Cron Schedule

### Daily Scan (9:00 AM UTC)
**Duration:** 15-20 minutes
**Focus:** Brand New, It's Nice That, social signals
**Output:** Quick captures in `/strategic-intelligence/signals/YYYY-MM-DD.md`

```markdown
# Daily Signals - YYYY-MM-DD

## Notable Work
- [Project]: [1-line why it matters]

## Conversations
- [Topic]: [What people are saying]

## Flags
- [Anything urgent for active clients]
```

### Weekly Analysis (Monday 8:00 AM UTC)
**Duration:** 45-60 minutes
**Focus:** Pattern synthesis, award updates, business context
**Output:** Update `/strategic-intelligence/patterns/` if new pattern emerges

**Process:**
1. Review week's daily signals
2. Check Tier 3 sources for macro context
3. Look for connections across signals
4. Document any emerging patterns
5. Flag anything relevant for active projects

### Monthly Intelligence Brief (1st of month, 10:00 AM UTC)
**Duration:** 90 minutes
**Output:** `/strategic-intelligence/briefs/YYYY-MM-brief.md`

**Template:**
```markdown
# CE Intelligence Brief - [Month Year]

## Top 3 Patterns This Month
1. [Pattern]: [Evidence + Implication]
2. [Pattern]: [Evidence + Implication]
3. [Pattern]: [Evidence + Implication]

## Award Cycle Intelligence
- [Any recent winners worth noting]
- [Jury trends, category shifts]

## Macro Context
- [Economic signals]
- [Regulatory changes]
- [Cultural moments]

## Client Opportunities
- [Client]: [Opportunity based on intelligence]

## Competitive Movement
- [Agency/competitor moves worth noting]
```

---

## Pattern Recognition Framework

### What Makes a Pattern (vs. Noise)

**Signal → Pattern Criteria:**
1. **Repetition:** Seen in 3+ unrelated sources
2. **Acceleration:** Increasing frequency over time
3. **Award validation:** Recognized by juries
4. **Business evidence:** Companies investing in it
5. **Cultural resonance:** Social conversation growing

### Pattern Documentation Template

```markdown
# [Pattern Name]

## Evidence
- Source 1: [Example]
- Source 2: [Example]
- Source 3: [Example]

## Confidence Score
[High/Medium/Low] — based on evidence strength

## Trajectory
[Emerging/Peak/Declining]

## CE Application
- When to use: [Client types, contexts]
- How to apply: [Specific recommendations]
- What to avoid: [Pitfalls]

## Related Patterns
- [Link to related pattern files]
```

---

## Tools & Automation

### Web Fetching
```bash
# Fetch and extract readable content
web_fetch --url "https://example.com" --extractMode markdown
```

### Screenshot Capture
```bash
# Capture visual reference
playwright screenshot --browser chromium "https://example.com" output.png
```

### Notion Integration
- Add refs to Inspiration Library with strategic fields populated
- Tag with Use Case, Strategic Insight, Positioning Lesson

### Cron Jobs
```
# Daily scan reminder
Schedule: Every day 9:00 AM UTC
Prompt: "Run daily trend scan. Check Brand New, It's Nice That, social signals. Document in /strategic-intelligence/signals/"

# Weekly analysis
Schedule: Every Monday 8:00 AM UTC
Prompt: "Run weekly trend analysis. Synthesize this week's signals, check business sources, update patterns."

# Monthly brief
Schedule: 1st of month 10:00 AM UTC
Prompt: "Generate monthly intelligence brief. Top patterns, award intel, macro context, client opportunities."
```

---

## Folder Structure

```
/strategic-intelligence/
├── TREND-RADAR.md              # This file - system spec
├── PROACTIVE-INTELLIGENCE.md   # Intelligence mechanism
├── README.md                   # System overview
├── signals/                    # Daily captures
│   └── YYYY-MM-DD.md
├── patterns/                   # Documented patterns
│   ├── institutional-trends.md
│   ├── infrastructure-aesthetic.md
│   └── [pattern-name].md
├── zeitgeist/                  # Time-stamped macro signals
│   └── YYYY-MM-topic.md
├── awards/                     # Award cycle tracking
│   └── YYYY-[award-name].md
├── briefs/                     # Monthly intelligence briefs
│   └── YYYY-MM-brief.md
└── sources/                    # Source ratings & notes
    └── source-ratings.md
```

---

## Success Metrics

**Leading Indicators:**
- Signals captured per week (target: 10+)
- Patterns documented per month (target: 2-3)
- Pre-work briefings delivered (target: every strategy project)

**Lagging Indicators:**
- Client says "you already knew about X"
- Intelligence leads to expanded scope
- CE positioned as strategic partner, not just execution vendor
- Trend prediction accuracy (did our patterns play out?)

---

## Implementation Checklist

**Phase 1: Week 1**
- [ ] Set up cron jobs (daily, weekly, monthly)
- [ ] Test source access (can we fetch all Tier 1-2 sources?)
- [ ] Create signals/ and briefs/ folders
- [ ] First daily scan run

**Phase 2: Weeks 2-4**
- [ ] Build pattern library from existing knowledge
- [ ] Refine source list based on signal quality
- [ ] First monthly brief generated
- [ ] Integrate with project pre-work process

**Phase 3: Month 2+**
- [ ] Full operational rhythm
- [ ] Pattern prediction tracking
- [ ] Source rating refinement
- [ ] Quarterly system review

---

*System designed: 2026-02-21*
*Maintainer: Julia (Research & Cultural Intelligence)*