-By Lloyd Princeton

To suggest that the playing field has changed is an understatement. To suggest it's evolving would also be an understatement. Stephen Covey describes our current world (well, he was referring to business management, but it applies) as one of "white-water management." The analogy is consistent with white-water rafting where the turmoil of the surrounding waters is so loud that you can't hear the people in your raft to give directions (or coordinate efforts), and the surface is constantly changing so adjustments need to be made to course constantly. This is the environment we operate our businesses in today.

While it would be easy to despair and perhaps change industries altogether, I don't think that's necessary. If you follow the signs, there are obvious directions to take that can lead to future profit. An invaluable resource is the "Environmental Scanning Report 2008," issued by the American Society of Interior Designers. While the report is worth the full read (available to members at www.asid.org), I have extracted some of the most salient points and their application to your career.

WHO: By 2025, the world will have a billion millionaires! That means that the rich are in fact getting richer and multiplying. They are also living longer. By 2030, the number of people over 65 years of age will more than double. And chances are, many of them will be Asian and Hispanic. In fact, 12 percent of the U.S. population in 2004 was foreign born. So, prudence dictates focusing on the very high-end market, aging-in-place, and universal design, and learning another language as well (or at least hiring someone bilingual).

WHERE: While world influence is shifting from West to East with India and China surpassing the United States in economic dominance, the U.S. population is shifting from East to West with states like Nevada and Arizona as the fastest growing and California remaining the largest in population. So, where is your next client coming from? Which language will they speak? Perhaps opening an office in Scottsdale or Las Vegas would not be the worst decision you could make. Think long-term.

WHAT: Ours is an economy of innovation and premiumization. Anything that involves Nano-bio-IT-neuro will be hot, as will anything super-exclusive like limited edition beer, "bespoke" artisanal chocolates, and customized vacation experiences that offer one-of-a-kind encounters. Targeting clients in technology, biotechnology, medicine, and cross-marketing with premium purveyors would be wise choices.

WHEN: This is the easy question—yesterday! With the Internet and social networking, everything is happening in real-time. Profiles are made available by young and old alike and e-mail is quickly becoming the scourge of the business person. A high-end design client told me that he has gotten three projects off of his myspace.com page. Also, e-mail cannot be a sole or major source of marketing efforts—think "spam" and "no e-mail Fridays."

HOW: People are going to be seeking exotic experiences, Internet celebrity influenced by brand ambassadors, authentic items and services, and a shared sense of values. People want options that cater to their personal taste and style. A business must "speak" to your target market—now more than ever. Next time you plan a trip to a foreign location, consider making part of it business and inviting clients for the educational and shopping experience so they can experience first-hand the process of design.

Regardless of your specialty in design, the dynamics of the people you need to appeal to have fundamentally and radically altered—and so must your approach to them. As you mull over some of the points above, consider how your marketing message must change to speak directly to your target audience. Instead of thinking in terms of broad messages applied through mass media, think specific messages to the key decision makers like the CEO of one channel, homeowners in a residential golf community with homes valued at $5 million and up, or advertising agency managers. When you speak to their needs, identify problems unique to them, and let them know you understand how to fix them, then you have their attention—and business. This is a society moving from "we" to "me," and you need to cater to the person reading your message. As you target the individual, not only can you tailor your message, but also you can afford to invest more money to impress fewer—send a package to 50 instead of 5,000.

There is plenty of money in the economy; it is just being spent more judiciously. Make sure your firm is at the forefront of the movement to protect investments, increase real estate values through strategic design planning, increase profits through enhanced employee morale, or just make homes more livable and satisfying. What you are not doing is just good design, you are improving the quality of environments, managing lifestyles, and helping businesses thrive.

Lloyd Princeton is president and CEO of DMC, a communication design studio in New York, Los Angeles, and London. www.dmcnyc.com