Need to Know
22 : 03 : 18

London – Design studio Universal Everything’s latest speculative project uses the Gartner Hype Cycle chart – a method of examining past human behaviour to predict the future – to explore human-machine collaboration in the workplace.

‘On this chart we noticed emerging technologies on the upwards trend that have the potential to transform our working methods over the coming years, including 4D printing, smart dust, augmented reality and machine learning,’ Matt Pyke, creative director, tells LS:N Global. ‘From this, we are directing a series of films suggesting the potential of these possible futures.’

The film imagines smart matter – computers fitted with tiny mechanical devices like sensors – as a new interface that could be used by sculptors, automotive designers and architects to create life-size designs that respond in real time.

As explored in our Immersive Interfaces microtrend, the way that we consume data is no longer constrained to screens. These interactive mechanisms, like those shown in Hype Cycle, open up new possibilities for the work environment and beyond.

Global – Hotel group Westin has announced the launch of a sustainability programme that recycles hotel bed linen while also providing children in underserved communities with high-quality pyjamas.

In collaboration with Clean The World, the parties developed a system to collect, process and reweave the hotel’s old linen into new fabric, ensuring the material meets the standards and regulations of child product safety. In five months, the hotel gathered about 30,000 pounds of bed linen to be reproduced into pyjamas for children who are most prone to sleep anxieties. As part of its values, Westin believes in the quality of sleep and suggests that the simple act of putting on pyjamas in a child’s bedtime routine can improve their night cycle. The first 15,000 pairs of pyjamas will be donated by the company.

The hotel’s programme is the beginning of a shift in the linen market towards greater sustainability. In 2017, Coyuchi launched a subscription service for its luxury bed linens.

While consumers are increasingly shopping in-app on their smartphones, new research from global software company Episerver indicates that they are still reticent to use newer technologies such as voice-activated home assistants and smartwatches to make purchases.

‘It’s up to brands and retailers to set the tone here and nail down the search experience on these devices to ease customers into shopping with new technologies,’ explains Ed Kennedy, director of digital commerce strategy at Episerver.