While technology innovations abound, a growing awareness of the carbon emissions associated with our online browsing habits began to gain traction in 2020. In Low-impact Interfaces, published in August, we examined how designers are working to simplify UX and UI design to be greener and more energy-efficient.

At a time when the average single webpage size is 3.48Mb – more than 24 times the size it was in 2003 (source: Serving Green) – brands are recoding their e-commerce platforms to use less energy. Leading the way, Danish brand Organic Basics’ low-energy version of its online store reduced the amount of data transfer by up to 70% by having a limited number of images and no videos.

Elsewhere, UK design studio Normally has redesign Instagram to be more energy-efficient. The project, Post Abundance, presents a version of Instagram that uses significantly less energy by replacing the platform’s automatic image- and video-loading with text, giving users the option to load only the images they’re genuinely interested in seeing.

Foretelling some of the near-future advancements seen this last year, in March 2020 mobile network Three unveiled a vibrant, multi-layered vision of future living in the UK – powered by 5G connectivity.

Created by Wieden + Kennedy London, the fast-paced, three-minute campaign posits a bright, post-Brexit future for the UK, and the ways in which 5G could transform everything from corner shop interactions to air travel and immersive music experiences.

The sci-fi style ad features many familiar British references, including the red buses, Greggs’ vegan sausage rolls and a London skyline brimming with digital advertising. In one scene, a boy orders an 'emoji water’ from behind the counter of a shop, using an AR face filter to make him look older.

In this way, the campaign echoes the themes of our 2019 macrotrend Programmable Realities, with new technologies and connectivity allowing brands to become increasingly integrated into every element of consumer life.

Without a doubt, 2020 was the year of the virtual realm, as people in lockdown shifted their socialising, activism, gameplay and entertainment into digital spaces.

Though many virtual and gaming platforms innovated this year, leading the charge were Minecraft, Fortnight and Animal Crossing. The latter became a hotbed of activity for everything from luxury brands to political campaigns. In September, the Animal Crossing community was able to support the Joe Biden and Kamala Harris political campaign with a series of virtual flags that could be placed in their avatars’ yards.

Politics and activism also filtered into Minecraft. The platform became a safe space for censored journalists in March 2020, with design studio BlockWorks and Reporters without Borders building a virtual library filled with books containing articles censored in their country of origin but available for anyone to read inside Minecraft.

Musicians also made their mark within these virtual realms. In April, rapper Travis Scott opened the floodgates to virtual concerts with a two-day Fortnite ‘world tour,’ which achieved a then record-breaking 12.3m participants.

Now that you know what shaped 2020, discover what’s on the horizon. Download our Future Forecast 2021 report comprising 50 new behavioural patterns across 10 key consumer sectors, expert opinion pieces and interviews with global innovators.