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Search our database of 481,166 cutting edge ideas.
 Keynote Speaker

Susan Read

n/a
Articles
56
Views
323,000
Location
Toronto, ON
Member Since
Jul 2009
I am a writer, photographer, and blogger living in Toronto. I enjoy engaging in cultural crossroads - the intersections between science and literature, politics and art. I attempt to exist in the strange spaces between, and I encourage my readers to do the same.
What is unique that's not in your bio?
I have a strong interest and background in theory, particularly the posthuman. Donna Haraway and N. Katherine Hayles have a great influence in how I see the world. I believe in and look for cyborg figures in pop culture; which is to say, I strive for uncertainty, partiality, fluidity, and irony.
What's your favorite accomplishment?
Currently I am quite proud of the work we are doing at Who Am We?, a pop culture blog devoted to the review and analysis of trends, fads, and traditions. We have a steady fanbase who offers a great deal of positive feedback, and it is encouraging to know that there is an audience for the sort of writing I hope to do.
How do you define cool?
I try not to define cool. As soon as you set parameters for judgment, you are narrowing your perception of what is interesting, or "cool". I take each moment for what it's worth in that moment. I enjoy seeing what others react to and discovering why, which is less about defining cool, and more about negotiating it.
What is your secret to uncovering trends?
I like to start from a trend and work down towards unpacking it. For example, I would search something on Google trends (a broad concept, perhaps, or a specific idea), then I would try to find out why this particular point is of interest. Then I try to find something witty to say about it.
What do you enjoy most about Trend Hunter?
I like it's sharp, punchy style, and its eclectic interests.
What is your favorite trend?
Oh, gosh. I was really into Speidi a few weeks ago. I would say, broadly, that Reality Television is my favorite "trend". I am fascinated by the celebrity that is bestowed upon the likes of the Ikki Twins, and I cannot help but watch and wonder.
What are your tips for writing a juicy post?
It's always best, I think, to assume your audience. I tend to write in the voice of "we", so that my readers may discover trends with me, rather than through me. I think that connecting with the audience is a key component in making trends as current, relevant, and "juicy" as possible.
How do you reset to be creative?
I just keep reading and watching. The world is a fascinating place, you just need to stay engaged.
What inspires or excites you?
Oh, everything. Honestly, I love what people love. I love the strange and the stupid and the genius. And I believe more than anything in finding the humour in life, at any and all costs.
Predict something awesome for 2020?
That's pretty far off. I assume by then we will be enslaved to a race of tiny nanobots, who reward our forced labour with hallucinogens, which surprisingly keeps us pretty content. It doesn't sound awesome now, but it might be.
One-Cut Furniture
One-Cut Furniture
Scott Jarvie's Seating Creates Comfy Space with No Waste
Relax in style with the One Cut Concept for Seating by Scott Jarvie! This ergonomic design is made only from a single piece of wood and a small steel support for the bottom. In fact, multiple chairs can… MORE
All-In-One Kitchen Tools
All-In-One Kitchen Tools
Graeme Davies' Uni-Tool is Great for Saving Space
Graeme Davies' Uni-tool is an incredibly basic design--the fashion is in the function! This handy little dealy is spatula, strainer, spreading knife, and stir spoon. With nothing more than a flip of the… MORE
Robotic Piano Teachers
Robotic Piano Teachers
Concert Hands Makes for Easy DIY Piano Instruction
Finally, a piano teacher that doesn’t cringe every time I hit a wrong note.  This one will just gently zap me in the right direction. Concert Hands is a nifty innovation in musical technology. The ten-finger… MORE
Shape Shifting Appliances
Shape Shifting Appliances
The Braun Geometrical Kettle Looks Good From All Angles
It’s a square! It’s a circle! It’s the Braun Geometrical Kettle!  That’s right, this design by Emi Schenkelbach appears to change its shape before your very eyes. From any angle this kettle’s sleek modern… MORE
Hiding In Plain Sight
Hiding In Plain Sight
Gary Card and Henderson McCue Make a Beautiful Mess
Gary Card and Henderson McCue are showing off their London home, but it looks like they forgot to tidy up before inviting us over. That’s exactly the point of this clutter aesthetic, as these two style… MORE
Throw Racks
Throw Racks
The Clothes Storage Hanger Is a Lazy Person's Dream Come True
We love to come home, pour a refreshing drink, loosen our ties, kick off our stilettos, and basically litter our clothes all around the house as we shake off the sweat and tears from an honest day’s work. Now,… MORE
Robot Soldiers
Robot Soldiers
UN Peace Robots Make Love, Not War
We all know by now that sci-fi has a way of becoming sci-fact. So here it is: The United Nations have enlisted Peace Robots to serve as an ad-hoc intervention squad on their behalf. The good news?  They’re… MORE
Building Block Flicks
Building Block Flicks
LEGO Movie to Turn Classic Toys Into Big Screen Show
Variety is reporting that LEGO is allowing an action-adventure film to be made of their popular brand of block buildings and block people. LEGO has been resisting a movie for years, as the company is very… MORE
Growing Lamps
Growing Lamps
The Lampad'air Lamp Balloons with Brightness
We are always looking for cool new ways to light our home, and designer Aïssa Logerot has the right idea with her Lampad’air lamp, a volume design that inflates like a balloon. The Lampad’air lamp gives… MORE
Seed-Catching Squeezers
Seed-Catching Squeezers
Catcher Lemon Squeezer Makes Fresh Lemonade With Ease
We love handy all-in-one kitchen tools that brighten up a tiny corner of our domestic lives, so I just have to tell you about the new Catcher Lemon Squeezer by Graeme Davies for Joseph Joseph. We at least… MORE
A Heel For Every Occasion
A Heel For Every Occasion
Olsen's Elizabeth and James Cheap Chic Fall 2009 Collection
In the Fall of 2007, Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen launched their “Elizabeth and James” collection.  The line is geared towards the thrifty trend shopper - and since the recession has made thrifty shoppers… MORE
Fashion Fish
Fashion Fish
BiOrb Brightens Your Home With Hip Aquarium Design
Whether you’re a fish lover, or just a curious DIY home decorator, you’ll absolutely love the BiOrb Life Aquarium. In either chili red, piano black, or ice white, the tank’s modern edge and minimalist… MORE
Evocative TV Show Teasers
Evocative TV Show Teasers
90's Geeks Exuberant as Astro Boy Trailer is Released
“Soaring high in the sky, he may be small but only in size. Astro Boy, Astro Boy, He is brave and gentle and wise!” Those of you born before 1990 may be feeling a little nostalgic right now. That’s because… MORE
Dismal Lighting Design
Dismal Lighting Design
‘You Only Live Once' Lamp Brightens Our Day With a Creepy Mood
There is something considerably dark about the concept for Mint Light #5 ‘You Only Live Once Lamp.’ Maybe it’s the name, or the hangman’s noose design. Maybe it’s the fact that as you tighten the noose,… MORE
DIY Laptop Blankets
DIY Laptop Blankets
Ars Technica Shows You How to Turn Your Favorite Blanky into a Useful Case
Tired of always sporting that briefcase-look when you’re carrying around your laptop? Wish your technological accessories could match your unique sense of style?  Ars Technica is showing us how to flex… MORE
Glasses-Only Garb
Glasses-Only Garb
Anna Jagodzinska Shows Off Librarian Glasses in Tom Ford Campaign
Oh, good! The naughty teacher look is back (with the help of Tom Ford’s glasses). It looks like sexy and smart is selling again, and we couldn’t be happier about it.  We’ve got the stunning first image… MORE
Pop Star Musicals
Pop Star Musicals
Timberbrit Plays Britney Spears' Life In Slow Motion
If Britney Spears is the princess of pop, then Timberbrit is her fairy tale. But is Justin Timberlake her Prince Charming? Jacob Cooper imagines what was and what could be in the musical Timberbrit, starring… MORE
Robot Gamers
Robot Gamers
Infinite Mario Bros Artificial Intelligence Plays While You Watch
Well, they’ve done it. Robots have figured out how to play without us. This video shows how one artificial intelligence generates an infinite variation of Mario Bros. levels, while a second AI plays along.… MORE
Surreal Technicolour Ads
Surreal Technicolour Ads
Dreamscape in Target's Colour Campaign is Bright and Beautiful
“Every colour you can dream.” These are the playful words that punctuate the new Target Colour Campaign that has been launched out of Australia. Sydney-based director Dael Oates has created a surreal dreamscape… MORE
DIY Lighting
DIY Lighting
Trust In Design's Climbing Lamp Lets You Get Bright and Creative
And you said, “Let there be light!” And it was good.  That’s right: with Trust In Design’s Climbing Lamp, you get to decide the best way to design and light your home! The lamp comes in eight pieces… MORE
Wearing Hearts On Wrists
Wearing Hearts On Wrists
The Leaf Bracelet Mobile Phone Runs on Solar Power, Love
There is nothing like a new technology design that brings us back to nature. The Leaf is a solar charging mobile phone that you wear on your wrist.  The solar cells are on its front panel, so it juices… MORE
Self-Charging Cars
Self-Charging Cars
Bio Top Concept Car Introduces Self-Generating Wireless Electricity
Luis Pinheiro de Lima has designed a car that generates its own wireless electricity! The “Bio Top” concept car has three wheels: two in the front, and one spherical wheel in the back that offers improved… MORE
Pet Recession Blankets
Pet Recession Blankets
Snuggie Dog Matches Owners' Snuggies, Keeps Pooches Warm
Snuggie Dog is a blanket with sleeves meant to keep your puppy warm. Snuggie Dog blankets are made from warm, ultra soft fleece to keep your pooch comfortable in your home and outdoors. The Snuggie phenomenon… MORE
Seductive International Spas
Seductive International Spas
Shangri-La's Villingili Resort and Spa Offers Piece of Paradise
Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts have opened what they call the “first international luxury resort” in Addu Atoll of Maldives, located in the southern archipelago of the Indian Ocean. Villingili Resort and… MORE
Bionic Air
Bionic Air
The i:wing Cools and Relaxes With A Subtle Breeze
Robert Spillner offers a soothing solution to air circulation with the i:wing, a bionic device that creates a gentle breeze to keep your home cool. The i:wing has two oscillating wings that move at about… MORE
Twisted Flower Decor
Twisted Flower Decor
The V20 Fabric Vase is Great for Haute Horticulturalist
The V20 fabric vase from Changedesign is a new piece that will spice up your decorating plans. It’s strange, stylish and beautiful. First released in 2007, these surreal accents for your flowers have… MORE
Playing God in Bed
Playing God in Bed
Genesis Luxury Pleasures Sex Toys Inspired by Creation
On the first day, Jacobo Muñoz created Genesis, a line of Luxury Pleasures sex toys that pays homage to the act of creation. With seven days and seven toys, the Genesis Luxury Pleasures sex toy is enough… MORE
Girl-Next-Door Glamformations
Girl-Next-Door Glamformations
Alexis Bledel Shakes Gilmour Girl for 'Post Grad' Image
In these Alexis Bledel modeling photos, the actress shoots from girl next door to glamazon. These Alexis Bledel modeling photos are just the beginning. She is starring in the film Post Grad this month… MORE
Viral Mom Fails
Viral Mom Fails
Video Demonstrates How Not To Use a Leash for your Child's Safety
We’ve always been a little suspicious of child leashes, but we admit they have their uses, like keeping a child from straying into busy traffic, or making it easier to wrangle multiple kids at... MORE
Bedazzled Bodies
Bedazzled Bodies
Gucci.com Features Sienna Miller in Shimmering Sequins
Sienna Miller was spotted wearing skintight snakeskin Gucci at the Japanese release of G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. We weren’t quite sure what to make of her shimmery suit. Was this hot or not? Now that… MORE
Disco Sandals
Disco Sandals
Maison Martin Margiela Gets Nostalgic and Glamorous With Sparkly Shoes
Who says disco is dead? We definitely don’t, and neither does Maison Martin Margiela, who keep our dancefloor dreams alive with these Disco Sandals.  The shoes are made of 0 leather, with mirrored… MORE
Self-Esteem Dolls
Self-Esteem Dolls
Moxie Girlz (the New Bratz) Inspire Confidence, Courage, and Cool
Be true! Be you! This is the slogan of Moxie Girlz, the new doll released by MGA Entertainment Inc. to replace their sassy Bratz, who ended up on the losing side of a legal battle against Mattel’s Barbie.… MORE
Pet Stalking
Pet Stalking
The Spotlight GPS Pet Locator Lets You Keep Track of Your Pet's Location
Positioning Animals Worldwide Inc. (PAW) and the American Kennel Club Companion Animal Recovery Fund (AKC CAR) have combined their concern for the safety of our pets, and they have released an amazing… MORE
Running Robots
Running Robots
Toyota's Newer, Faster Robot Gives Us A Reason To Stay In Shape
Three years ago, we told you that Honda was working on Asimo, a robot that could run 6km/h. We all managed not to panic. Now Toyota, the company that brought us robot musicians and robot maids, introduces… MORE
Fading Photo Saver
Fading Photo Saver
The 'Life Amplifier' Makes Updating Analogue Photos Easy
Miss your mother’s photo albums? Or not sure how to preserve your memories in this crazy digital age? Well, I think we’ve found just the thing for you. Life Amplifier is the latest device designed to… MORE
Celebrity Horror Comics
Celebrity Horror Comics
‘Jennifer Love Hewitt's The Music Box' is 10-Issues
Jennifer Love Hewitt, beloved starlet of TV’s Ghost Whisperer, is trying her hand at writing. She plans to release two books in the next year, and, we expect, she plans to make it look easy. The first… MORE

Featured Ideas

Fading Photo Saver
Fading Photo Saver
The 'Life Amplifier' Makes Updating Analogue Photos Easy
Miss your mother’s photo albums? Or not sure how to preserve your memories in this crazy digital age? Well, I think we’ve found just the thing for you. Life Amplifier is the latest device designed to… MORE
Viral Mom Fails
Viral Mom Fails
Video Demonstrates How Not To Use a Leash for your Child's Safety
We’ve always been a little suspicious of child leashes, but we admit they have their uses, like keeping a child from straying into busy traffic, or making it easier to wrangle multiple kids at... MORE
Mobile Disc Drives
Mobile Disc Drives
The WD Scorpio Blue Drive is Transportable File Convenience
Western Digital has launched the first 1 terabyte mobile hard drive. The WD Scorpio Blue Drive comes in both 1TB format and a more modest 750GB, and with a transfer rate of 3GBps, these 2.5-inch drives… MORE
Spiral Storage Solutions
Spiral Storage Solutions
Box 360 is a Customizable Way to Clutter Convenience
From Slovenian designer Lidija Dragisic, Studio 360 presents future storage solutions with a twist. Box 360 is all about conforming to suit your needs. Choose from nine colours and customize your storage… MORE
Building Block Flicks
Building Block Flicks
LEGO Movie to Turn Classic Toys Into Big Screen Show
Variety is reporting that LEGO is allowing an action-adventure film to be made of their popular brand of block buildings and block people. LEGO has been resisting a movie for years, as the company is very… MORE
Robot Gamers
Robot Gamers
Infinite Mario Bros Artificial Intelligence Plays While You Watch
Well, they’ve done it. Robots have figured out how to play without us. This video shows how one artificial intelligence generates an infinite variation of Mario Bros. levels, while a second AI plays along.… MORE
All-In-One Kitchen Tools
All-In-One Kitchen Tools
Graeme Davies' Uni-Tool is Great for Saving Space
Graeme Davies' Uni-tool is an incredibly basic design--the fashion is in the function! This handy little dealy is spatula, strainer, spreading knife, and stir spoon. With nothing more than a flip of the… MORE
Crime Fighting Ads
Crime Fighting Ads
Jackie Chan Segways into Future in a Kaspersky Ad
Kaspersky’s Internet Security Solutions has a new ad campaign that is making waves around the world wide web. The video depicts Jackie Chan sporting a “Kaspersky” helmet, floating on a Segway towards what… MORE
Girl-Next-Door Glamformations
Girl-Next-Door Glamformations
Alexis Bledel Shakes Gilmour Girl for 'Post Grad' Image
In these Alexis Bledel modeling photos, the actress shoots from girl next door to glamazon. These Alexis Bledel modeling photos are just the beginning. She is starring in the film Post Grad this month… MORE
Shape Shifting Appliances
Shape Shifting Appliances
The Braun Geometrical Kettle Looks Good From All Angles
It’s a square! It’s a circle! It’s the Braun Geometrical Kettle!  That’s right, this design by Emi Schenkelbach appears to change its shape before your very eyes. From any angle this kettle’s sleek modern… MORE
Fashion Fish
Fashion Fish
BiOrb Brightens Your Home With Hip Aquarium Design
Whether you’re a fish lover, or just a curious DIY home decorator, you’ll absolutely love the BiOrb Life Aquarium. In either chili red, piano black, or ice white, the tank’s modern edge and minimalist… MORE
Squishy Batteries
Squishy Batteries
THe AtoD Rechargeable is an Easy One-Size-Fits-All Battery
The AtoD Rechargeable Battery makes finding the right size easier than ever. Made from memory form, the battery can be squished to fit any slot. With 1.5 Volts of Nickel Hydroxide (the capacity of a regular… MORE
Bullet Coat Hooks
Bullet Coat Hooks
Anderson Horta's Violent Design Makes Us Think As We Undress
Anderson Horta has unleashed his latest innovation in interior design: the bullet wall hook. The Brazilian designer, who once lit up our dark corners with his Pac-man ghost lamps, now brings a bit of darkness… MORE
Motion Sensor Remotes
Motion Sensor Remotes
Channel Surf With the Flick of a Wrist With 'Remotion'
Move over, multi-buttoned universal remote--Remotion is the latest in channel-changing technology. The sleek device operates by motion-sensors, much like a Nintendo Wii controller. Couch potatoes can shake… MORE