LSN : News : Thought-starter: Can an app reduce inner-city stress?

Imagining the sustainable future of port cities

An Oceanic Awakening by Wärtsilä

Hamburg – Wärtsilä has announced An Oceanic Awakening, an initiative that wants to transform the world’s marine and energy industries into a more sustainable and efficient ecosystem.

The company, which provides power solutions for marine and energy markets, has turned its attention to shipping, and how ports in particular could improve current operations in order to boost profitability and sustainability. By 2020, it plans to convince 20 maritime cities to opt into a network that, through digitalisation, will drive greater cooperation and smarter, more sustainable shipping practices. To achieve its vision, Wärtsilä brought together global architects and designers for a two-day workshop in Hamburg where three visions of future port cities were imagined.

To support the project, the company has also released a video campaign that explores humankind's relationship with the sea and how cities and their marine systems must evolve.

For more on how cities and brands can work together to create positive future infrastructures, read our macrotrend Whole-system Thinking.

A.Human is a fashion brand for body modifications

A Human exhibition, Society of Spectacle, New York

New York – The conceptual project is set in a future where fashion is defined by body modifications rather than clothing.

Launched with an exhibition in SoHo during New York Fashion Week, A.Human was created by storytelling brand Society of Spectacle. The showcase featured a collection of body modifications, such as biological high heels and bespoke hearts, among a ‘subversive playground filled with jaw-dropping sights, sounds and visuals’.

According Simon Huck, founder of Society of Spectacle, A.Human imagines a reality where society has destigmatised bodily enhancements that were previously considered taboo. ‘It was important to root this experience in optimism while provoking our guests to think about a potential future of fashion, and by doing so, inviting them to question their definitions of self-expression,’ he says.

As we inch closer towards the acceptance of transhumanism, such biological body enhancements could shape how we demonstrate self-expression in the far future.

An online hub for aesthetic medical procedures

Dublin – Allergan, the maker of Botox, has launched Spotlyte, a new online platform to educate women on aesthetic treatments.

The website features a range of editorial content – including articles such as ‘Why I’m more than happy to tell people I got lip filler’ – product reviews, insight from plastic surgeons and the latest beauty trends. The site also functions as an informative tool, educating women on different types of procedures and providing access to a team of trained specialists that can offer real-time advice.

Over 65m Americans are considering medical aesthetic treatments, according to Allergan, and 30% of these people cite a lack of information as the main barrier they face in the process. Spotlyte hopes to change this by targeting consumers directly with its straightforward yet medically-backed lifestyle platform.

As explored in our macrotrend Algorithmic Beauty, the rise of medi-spas and aesthetics treatments are driving a less subjective beauty ideal.

The Spa of Unconscious Desires by Bompas & Parr for Mondrian Hotel, London

Dirty Lemon launches a digital honesty box

The Drug Store, Dirty Lemon, New York

New York – The beverage brand has opened a store that invites customers to help themselves to products and pay later.

The brand’s first permanent store is completely unstaffed. Instead, its ‘walk-in vending machine’ concept encourages customers to take their preferred health-oriented drink from its fridges, before texting the phone number printed on the back of bottles. One of Dirty Lemon's 24-hour customer service representatives will then respond to the customer within five minutes, charging the cost of the drink to the bank account linked to their phone number.

With the customer in control of the transaction, and no one monitoring the space, Dirty Lemon is relying on the honesty of its customers. In addition, the text message exchange adds an interactive element to the experience. ‘Our customer prefers conversational interaction — we’re committed to a transaction process that eliminates all unnecessary steps,’ says Dirty Lemon’s CEO Zak Normandin.

As a humble means of communication, SMS messaging continues to be used by brands to connect with customers in a more personal way.

Stat: More Indian females are travelling solo

There is a rising number of Indian women travelling alone, according to data from online travel company Cleartrip. The booking site found that these women, who are mainly from tier-1 cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Chennai, are also increasingly travelling to international destinations.

According to Indian newspaper Business Standard, travel operators in the country are highlighting Kashmir, Goa, Dubai, Bali, Vietnam and Cambodia as key destinations for solo women. Sri Lanka has also been noted as a particularly safe country for female travellers.

As India’s economy grows, increasing numbers of women and young people have spare income that allows them to travel internationally. For more on the travel behaviours emerging from developing markets, read our Emerging Youth Travel Market.

Thought-starter: Can an app reduce inner-city stress?

Rachael Donalds, founder of Biosay, on how technology can help to reduce city-dwellers' stress levels by visualising environmental aggressors.

‘Biosay is an app that analyses biometric data, such as your heart rate, in real time to determine how your lived-in environment and your social surroundings affect your physical and mental health,’ Donalds told LS:N Global.

‘Users are able to track their emotional state by inputting their facial expression and a rating for their current location. In this way, Biosay has the capacity to connect the dots between the biological, social and environmental factors that determine our health in the real world and in real time.’

When asked why she chose to incorporate augmented reality into the app, Donalds explained that she wanted to provide a sense of immersion. ‘The app is supposed to act as a window into the way we experience the world. By looking at the in-app map you can identify where someone was when they had a relaxing experience, but with the AR aspect you can hold up your phone and walk to the place in the real word and see what they felt.’

Read the full Q&A here.