FLUID at IFA 2018. 

To meet our clients and get an overview of this year's consumer- and tech trends, we attended IFA again.

We were particularly curious what to expect in the field of #ConnectedLiving: Smart speakers, IOT devices and smart home appliances are shooting up like mushrooms and seek their way into our homes - but are these connected devices easily understood by the user? Is there a common way how to interact with our future helpers? 

We are not there yet. A consistent and standardized mode of interaction is desperately needed and still underway - let`s see how things present at #IFA 2019!

The same goes for voice assistants that are now being integrated in a great variety of devices - but it remains to be seen whether this will help us overcome the unease of talking to our own desk lamp. 

AI and machine learning are being introduced into new fields of application: instead of being integrated into new products and appliances, they are utilized to help solve technical problems - making it a real possibility to enjoy advanced technology and quality on our old devices. If feasable, this is a huge opportunity for a responsible and sustainable living! 

What is going on in the field of audio? Apart from #Connected kitchen, which is also highly relevant for us, we are working for industry leaders in the field, so we - of course - took a very close look!

Soundbars are becoming a “must have” in a home entertainment system, thanks to technological advancements that make it possible to integrate a full surround system in one simple box. #3Dsound

On the other side, the user`s wish for minimalism still prevails. Small, smaller, mini - let's see what we designers will come up with when it comes to condensing incredible sound quality into increasingly little devices. 

We are curious how things will evolve in the next 12 months when the IFA 2019 starts. This much is certain: we will be there.