What insights for your own industry can you discover from these trends? 

1. Choose one of the trends that intrigues you. Or, pick one at random! 

2. Grab a pad, draw a circle in the middle, and jot down a word or two inside the circle to note the trend (Hispanics, Teens, Kids, etc.) 

3. Temporarily set aside thoughts of your industry and products, or any particular business challenge you are faced with. Focus on this trend, letting your mind spin out as many connections and associations as possible. Don't self-censor! 

4. Draw lines shooting out from the circle, like wheel spokes, and note your thoughts, connections, associations, (however strange they might seem at first) on these "spokes". 

5. If you can spare a bit more time, get out of your office for a few minutes, to gain even more physical and mental distance from your work. Take your pad along, and capture more thoughts and images from whatever catches your attention. 

6. Now, dive into the wealth of raw material on your pad. Chances are you will find a host of intriguing starting points and new ideas that will be useful to your business.