Why We Rebuilt Forecasting: A Conversation with Michael Cleghorn, CEO of MC&Co Trend

AI is everywhere. But at MC&Co Trend, we didn’t just add it — we redesigned how forecasting works. In this conversation, CEO Michael Cleghorn explains why now the moment was to change everything and what makes MC&Co’s approach different.

Michael, let’s start here: why rebuild forecasting now?

Because the way creative-commercial teams work has changed, but forecasting hasn’t kept up.

We’re seeing tighter timelines, more layered briefs, and growing pressure to quickly turn aesthetic decisions into commercial outcomes. Traditional forecasts weren’t built for that reality. They’re often vague, time-consuming to interpret, or disconnected from the decisions people need to make.

We needed a new system — visually powerful, strategically structured, and commercially sharp.

What’s fundamentally different about this new system?

Everything. We’ve rethought the format from the ground up.

We now use AI-enhanced visuals, but they’re not the story — they’re tools. What makes our system powerful is the design intelligence behind it: over 30 years of sector experience, real-world product development, and a deep understanding of emotional and lifestyle relevance.

Each forecast is structured using our proprietary Trend Intelligence System — a framework that connects signals to strategy through sector-specific application and commercial timing.

So while the visuals grab attention, the structure delivers action.

You’ve said it’s “90% intelligence, 10% AI.” What does that mean in practice?

This means we don’t treat AI like a solution. We treat it like a support tool—a way to speed up access to clarity.

Our team still leads the direction, selects the signals, and frames the strategy. The AI helps us visualise it faster, more fluidly, and intuitively.

And the results are powerful. The images are fresh and creatively energising — like looking through a world-class retail catalogue for inspiration, but everything is new. These aren’t recycled ideas or references that everyone else is already pulling from. It’s original content, curated and qualified by our team to be commercially relevant.

Many people use Instagram or Pinterest to build mood boards. Why does that fall short?

Because they’re looking at today’s ideas, which means they’re already out of date.

What’s trending on social media right now has already saturated the market. Teams building moodboards from those sources are reacting to the past, not preparing for what’s next.

We offer qualified, forward-looking inspiration, created through our Trend Intelligence System and shaped to help brands lead, not follow. It’s visually driven, but also deeply strategic. These forecasts are practical, implementable, and future-ready.

What we don’t do is deliver aesthetic chaos or esoteric visual collages that look cool but go nowhere. Our work is structured to move productively through categories, ranges, and commercial decisions.

That’s the real gap we’re filling.

How do you see this helping your clients?

Clarity. Confidence. Commercial alignment.

Our clients—product heads, design directors, marketers—are under pressure to make faster, better-informed decisions. This system saves time, sharpens briefs, and gives them a reliable filter for what matters.

Instead of scrolling through mood boards or waiting for inspiration, they can open a forecast and see how a mood plays out across materials, forms, and categories. It’s about moving from inspiration to implementation — faster and with fewer blind spots.

What do you say to people feeling overwhelmed by AI right now?

That’s precisely why we’ve built our system the way we have.

Many businesses feel pressure to use AI, but they’re not sure how to apply it meaningfully. We took the opposite approach—we asked how we could make forecasting more useful and then used AI where it made sense.

This isn’t hype. It’s a tool for reducing complexity.

Our system is here to help people feel more in control and not uncertain.

Final thought?

We didn’t rebuild forecasting for the sake of change. We rebuilt it because the industry needed a better tool that respects the pressure, complexity, and speed that today’s design professionals face.

And if this launch shows anything, intelligent design still starts with the right intelligence.

Curious how trend intelligence could support your business?

Book a call with the MC&Co Trend team here.

No obligation — just a focused conversation about your goals, challenges, and where we can add the most value.