News 19.05.2023

Need to Know

Vitra Design Museum’s new exhibition exploring the future of hot cities, Pavan Bivigou’s Foresight Friday and why nearly half of Americans worry their money isn’t safe in banks

Vitra Design Museum’s new exhibition explores the future of hot cities

Hot Cities: Lessons from Arab Architecture, Germany
Hot Cities: Lessons from Arab Architecture, Germany
Hot Cities: Lessons from Arab Architecture, Germany
Hot Cities: Lessons from Arab Architecture, Germany

Germany – Vitra Design Museum’s new exhibition, Hot Cities, looks closely at the cities of the Arabic-speaking world and investigates the obstacles posed by the region’s harsh climate. Running until 5 November 2023, the exhibition aims to show how architects can blend traditional styles with modern technologies to tackle future challenges.

Hot Cities, curated by Ahmed and Rashid bin Shabib, presents case studies and examples from 20 Arabic-speaking cities that offer insights into climate change-related questions. The project demonstrates how these cities can thrive in extreme conditions through the adoption of appropriate urban culture. It invites experts to share their knowledge and to foster meaningful dialogue while inspiring fresh perspectives on the future of hot cities.

The show also seeks to create a dictionary of Arab architecture through the lens of climate adaptation. Hot Cities aligns with our Elastic Architecture report, in which we explored how environmental crises have resulted in architects designing adaptive buildings that meet the needs of communities and the planet.

Strategic opportunity

Is your business ready to tackle upcoming heatwaves and rising temperatures throughout the year? Find inspiration in architects’ adaptive cities to rethink customer service, staff wellbeing and the overall impact of your current carbon footprint on global warming

Fluus introduces flushable period pads

Fluus, UK Fluus, UK
Fluus, UK Fluus, UK

UK – Fluus, a portmanteau word for flush us, has developed a game-changing line of microplastic-free, entirely biodegradable and flushable after-use period products.

According to Fluus, 30% of period products are flushed down the toilet in the UK, which leads to some 3.4 tonnes of microplastics ending up in waterways. The company set out to find a solution to tackle this overlooked issue and created a product that users can flush down the toilet without causing any environmental harm. The proprietary Flushtec technology provides pads with strong absorbent properties but also means the product breaks down into plant fibre and 100% biodegradable materials under water pressure when flushed.

The waste and plastic-free nature of Fluus sets it apart from most competitors by being kinder to the environment while users can avoid the inconvenient situation of finding themselves in a public toilet without a bin and a period product to dispose of. Women’s health is still massively underserved and under-researched, and small but incremental advances like Fluus’s technology are a step forward.

Strategic opportunity

Players in the menstruation care market should rethink how to innovate with new solutions and tech tailored to women and menstruating individuals’ needs – which the wellness and healthcare industries have historically neglected

Foresight Friday: Pavan Bivigou, senior foresight analyst

Carolina Carballo for The Future Laboratory Carolina Carballo for The Future Laboratory

Every Friday, The Future Laboratory team offer an end-of-week wrap-up of the topics, issues, ideas and virals we’re all talking about. This week, senior foresight analyst Pavan Bivigou looks at thriving tech, dying crafts and an artist who combines both.

: Generative AI creativity is still in its can’t-stop, won’t-stop era. This week, we learned that AI made spring/summer 2023 campaign images for luxury fashion brand Casablanca. K-pop artist MIDNATT is using AI to sing to us in six languages, and Tom Hanks has warned that the technology could allow him to appear in movies even after he dies.

: Feeling overwhelmed by the fastness, vastness and speed of new tech? Activate Quiet Mode! Also, consider adopting an offline hobby. According to UK charity Heritage Crafts, many traditional crafts face extinction. Some 17 endangered skills have been added to its Red List, including marionette-making, fabric-pleating and bell-founding.

: Textile artist Qualeasha Wood’s work is an inventive blend of the traditional and contemporary arts. Her self-portrait tapestry is inspired by pop music and showcases her extremely online encounters – including Instagram selfies and pop-up ads.

Quote of the week

‘When you look at representation as the only solution, you’re not acknowledging all the barriers there are to participation. It’s not just fashion – this is a microcosm of the wider world.’

Sinéad Burke to British Vogue

Stat: Nearly half of Americans worry about their money’s safety in banks

Wise. Identity by Ragged Edge Wise. Identity by Ragged Edge

US – An April 2023 poll conducted by Gallup has revealed that 48% of US adults are concerned about the safety of the money they have deposited in banks and other financial institutions. Of those, 19% claim they are very worried and 29% say they are moderately worried.

The poll follows nationwide concerns about banks after the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank in March 2023 and the sale of First Republic Bank to JPMorgan in May 2023. The survey results are similar to what Gallup found when it asked Americans whether they were worried about their money in financial institutions in 2008 following the Global Financial Crisis.

A lack of trust in banks would hit all sectors relying on digital payments and hints at new opportunities for more inclusive financial products and services dedicated to the unbanked – a market we previously analysed in Banking The Unbanked.

Strategic opportunity

Is your business ready to adapt immediately to a wave of clients refusing to deposit their money in banks? Consider how to implement a strategy to receive day-to-day payments with decentralised cryptocurrencies

Previous News Articles
Koto NYC weaves humanity into Uniqode’s digital-first brand identity

News

Koto NYC weaves humanity into Uniqode’s digital-first brand identity

Design agency Koto NYC has reimagined QR code management platform Uniqode’s brand identity.
Design : Technology : Branding
Foresight Friday: Rose Coffey, senior foresight analyst

News

Foresight Friday: Rose Coffey, senior foresight analyst

Every Friday, we offer an end-of-week wrap-up of the topics, issues, ideas and virals we’re all talking about. This week, senior foresight analyst ...
Foresight Friday : Fashion : Design
Stat: US consumers turn to buy now, pay later for groceries amid recession fears

News

Stat: US consumers turn to buy now, pay later for groceries amid recession fears

One in four Americans are now using buy now, pay later (BNPL) services to finance groceries, up from 14% last year, according to a recent LendingTr...
Retail : Finance : Food
Sweaty Betty champions body confidence with Wear the Damn Shorts campaign

News

Sweaty Betty champions body confidence with Wear the Damn Shorts campaign

Sweaty Betty is back with a powerful new chapter of its Wear the Damn Shorts campaign, confronting women’s leg-related insecurities head-on.
Advertising : Sports : Wellness
R/GA predicts brand pivot from SEO to ASO to optimise AI-driven search

News

R/GA predicts brand pivot from SEO to ASO to optimise AI-driven search

As generative AI reshapes how consumers access information, advertising giant R/GA is helping brands increase their visibility with a new AI Search...
Technology : Retail : AI
Stat: Reproductive health inequalities exposed in England

News

Stat: Reproductive health inequalities exposed in England

A new survey has revealed that more than a quarter (28%) of women in England are living with serious reproductive health issues such as endometrios...
Health And Wellness : Identities : Society
Lotte turns chewing gum into a productivity tool with Shu-Chew Beats

News

Lotte turns chewing gum into a productivity tool with Shu-Chew Beats

Confectionery brand Lotte is repositioning chewing gum as a productivity tool with Shu-Chew Beats.
Advertising : Food : Health & Wellness
Rare Beauty joins Substack

News

Rare Beauty joins Substack

Selena Gomez’s Rare Beauty is joining a growing cohort of brands turning to Substack to strengthen consumer relationships through long-form storyte...
Beauty : Retail : Pop Culture & Media
Stat: Workers under 24 years old drive return to the office

News

Stat: Workers under 24 years old drive return to the office

Five years after lockdown reshaped hybrid working, younger employees are unexpectedly driving the return to the office.
Gen Z : Work : Health & Wellness
Future Days 2025: Governing unthinkable futures

News

Future Days 2025: Governing unthinkable futures

The final day of Future Days 2025 began with a series of talks from futurists and strategic thinkers, touching on topics from innovation in the glo...
Global Events : Sustainability : Design
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