Daily Signals 05.11.2020

Signals

Humanising healthcare with Aiki, TikTok buys into commerce with Shopify partnership, and freelance designers set to earn more despite Covid-19.

Aiki is an empathetic object for hospital procedures

Aiki by Josephine de Fijter in collaboration with Charlie Braveheart Foundation and Bibi van der Velden, The Netherlands

The Netherlands – Aiki is a sensory, doll-like object that is designed to reduce trauma and fear for children receiving medical care.

Created by designer Josephine de Fijter in collaboration with the Charlie Braveheart Foundation and studio Bibi van der Velden, the conceptual object is able to ‘cuddle’ the child and produces rhythmic breathing exercises to help them relax as they receive treatment. Aiki also changes colour to match the breathing tempo of the patient, providing doctors and nurses with visual cues to better understand the patients’ current emotional state; for example, shorter breath would indicate an upswing in stress levels.

While helping to offer a sense of relief during medical examinations, Aiki's design also aims to increase trust and empathy between children and and their doctors. 'The main aim is to bring autonomy back to the child by giving them a method of expression,' explains de Fijter.

With its cushiony shape, Aiki shows how integrating sensorial aesthetics can humanise healthcare, something we explore further in Soft Aid.

A fresh identity for at-home beer brewing

The Greater Good Fresh Brewing Co rebranded by Studio Blackburn, London The Greater Good Fresh Brewing Co rebranded by Studio Blackburn, London
The Greater Good Fresh Brewing Co rebranded by Studio Blackburn, London The Greater Good Fresh Brewing Co rebranded by Studio Blackburn, London

London – Design agency Studio Blackburn has rebranded The Greater Good Fresh Brewing Co to reflect a shift away from traditional ideas of beer brewing.

The mail-order brewing company offers an at-home brewing device dubbed the Pinter, alongside postable bottles of ingredients comprising flavourings and yeast that allow users to produce their own IPAs, lagers and ciders at home. To better explain the product and its processes to customers, the rebrand takes a typographic approach with clear statements and questions presented in monochrome. These are broken up by flashes of bright red, yellow, blue and grey – the colours of its Pinter devices.

While The Greater Good is tapping into the homebody and DIY mindsets arising as a result of the pandemic, it also sees the rebrand as a chance to promote the concept's long-term potential. 'The previous design had it very much in the world of novelty beer, but [...] we wanted to do something different with it,' explains Paul Blackburn, founder of The Greater Good.

With more consumers enjoying the convenience of dining and entertaining at home, brands like The Greater Good are elevating the experience of drinking away from physical locations.

TikTok buys into commerce with Shopify partnership

Global – The short form video app is adding an e-commerce layer to its platform through a partnership with Shopify.

Now, vendors that use Shopify and have a TikTok for Business account can create shoppable video advertisements that will appear in users' feeds. To make the creation of these ads simpler, Shopify provides ready-made templates for brands, meaning sellers can generate automatic video ads for specific products. To launch the partnership, Shopify and TikTok are seeking to highlight black-owned businesses launching the in-app #ShopBlack challenge.

‘As social commerce proliferates, retailers are recognising that TikTok's creative and highly engaged community sets it apart from other platforms,’ explains Blake Chandlee, vice-president of global business solutions at TikTok, adding that the platform provides a channel for Shopify merchants to reach new audiences and drive sales.

Discover more on how social media-driven e-commerce is transforming the way consumers buy and interact with products in Shoppable Social.

Shopify in collaboration with TikTok

Stat: Freelance designers set to earn more in 2020

Pure & Wondrous Sounds Collection by SoundCloud and GRVTY, US Pure & Wondrous Sounds Collection by SoundCloud and GRVTY, US

The outlook for the global freelance creative industry in 2020 is largely optimistic, with many designers anticipating higher earnings than last year.

According to research by freelancer platform 99designs, which surveyed people across 147 countries, some 49% predict an annual income increase. This ties in with workers having to adapt during the pandemic; about 81% of freelance designers have learned new professional skills this year, up from 60% in 2019. Among this group, 72% taught themselves using YouTube tutorials and over a third (36%) used online courses.

‘As the global workforce adapts – and adopts many of the traits that freelancers have nurtured for years – it has become clear that out of the chaos of this year, significant opportunities have emerged for remote creative connections and the freelance design community at large,’ says Patrick Llewellyn, CEO of 99designs.

While Covid-19 has ushered in mass uncertainty for employees, it has also brought in new opportunities for the working landscape. For more, explore our Workplace vertical.

Previous Daily Signals Articles
The Ordinary exposes beauty industry buzzwords in dystopian new video

Daily Signals

The Ordinary exposes beauty industry buzzwords in dystopian new video

In a provocative new campaign, skincare brand The Ordinary is calling out the beauty industry’s reliance on pseudo-scientific language.
Beauty : Skincare : Misinformation
Luxury travellers prioritise value, experience and climate-conscious choices for 2026

Daily Signals

Luxury travellers prioritise value, experience and climate-conscious choices for 2026

Luxury travel is set to evolve in 2026, with affluent travellers seeking deeper meaning, personalisation and sustainable choices, according to Virt...
Luxury : Gen Alpha : Luxury Travel
Stat: Public confidence in UK food safety reaches record high

Daily Signals

Stat: Public confidence in UK food safety reaches record high

Public trust in the UK’s food system has hit its highest level since 2020, according to the Food Standards Agency’s Food and You 2 survey.
Food : Health : Stat
Swedish campaign encourages doctors to prescribe visits

Daily Signals

Swedish campaign encourages doctors to prescribe visits

Visit Sweden has launched The Swedish Prescription, making it ‘the first country in the world prescribed by doctors’.
Health : Travel : Tourism
Airbnb and Strava champion countryside run-cations

Daily Signals

Airbnb and Strava champion countryside run-cations

Airbnb and Strava are tapping into ‘the rural run-cation’, staycations built around scenic runs, fresh air and connection with friends. As explored...
Sports : Travel And Hospitality : Health And Wellness
Stat: Gen Z lead European travel boom with highest spending and trip frequency

Daily Signals

Stat: Gen Z lead European travel boom with highest spending and trip frequency

Gen Z are driving a significant surge in European travel, outspending and out-travelling all other generations, according to MMGY’s 2025 Portrait o...
Travel
Rosewood leans into modern luxury with refreshed brand identity

Daily Signals

Rosewood leans into modern luxury with refreshed brand identity

Luxury hotel group Rosewood is repositioning itself as a lifestyle and cultural leader, with a focus on storytelling and experiential travel.
Luxury : Hospitality : Rosewood
Foresight Friday: Olivia Houghton, insights and engagement director

Daily Signals

Foresight Friday: Olivia Houghton, insights and engagement director

Every Friday, we offer an end-of-week wrap-up of the topics, issues, ideas and virals we’re all talking about. This week, insights and engagement d...
Culture : Beauty : Fashion
Stat: Study shows decline in social media use among younger adults

Daily Signals

Stat: Study shows decline in social media use among younger adults

Adults are spending less time on social media, following a peak three years ago. By the end of 2024, those aged 16 or older were spending an averag...
Media : Technology : Statistic
Ulta Beauty opens UB Marketplace to 100 emerging brands

Daily Signals

Ulta Beauty opens UB Marketplace to 100 emerging brands

Ulta Beauty has launched UB Marketplace, a new online platform introducing more than 100 emerging beauty and wellness brands to its website and app...
Beauty : Retail : Ecommerce
You have 2 free News articles remaining. Sign up to LS:N Global to get unlimited access to all articles.
BECOME A MEMBER
SIGN IN