LSN : Daily Signals : Stat: Gen Z turns to social for food inspiration as video dominates media habits

How WMH&I is uniting land and people through design

Natural Habitat, UK

UK – Environmental charity Natural Habitat has unveiled a new identity by WMH&I, designed to reconnect communities with land through emotionally resonant storytelling. Founded in 2023, the Suffolk organisation works with farms, schools and groups across the county, but previously struggled to clearly communicate its purpose.

Inspired by a quote from Sir David Attenborough – ‘No one will protect what they don’t care about, and no one will care about what they’ve never experienced’ – the refreshed identity visualises the relationship between people and nature.

The logo merges a human fingerprint with topographical contours, with each location receiving its own variation. The colour palette draws from the changing seasons: fresh spring greens, vibrant summer blooms, earthy autumn rusts and crisp winter tones.

The new identity also operates as functional infrastructure. Signage and educational trails are designed to double as bee hotels and wildlife habitats, transforming brand touchpoints into active environmental interventions that invite participation and collective action.

This project aligns with insights from our Rebranding Nature design direction, which spotlighted how environmental organisations and natural spaces are adopting softer aesthetics and messaging that promote a positive future to connect with the next generation.

Strategic opportunity

How can your brand’s design further its mission through purpose-driven experiences that engage audiences, encourage participation and turn storytelling into tangible impact?

Foresight Friday: Savannah Scott, creative director

Mushu by Maxime le Grelle, www.maximelegrelle.com, is a physical AI companion designed to foster curiosity among children, Belgium & US

Every Friday, we offer an end-of-week wrap-up of the topics, issues, ideas and virals we’re all talking about. This week, our creative director Savannah Scott reflects on her time in Austin at SXSW 2026.

: Returning to SXSW for my third consecutive year, the festival felt markedly different. With the Austin Convention Center torn down, the festival adopted a decentralised model, and with it, a quieter, more fragmented energy. A shorter programme, coupled with geopolitical tensions and tightening travel restrictions, meant fewer voices, fewer collisions and noticeably less noise.

: Across the design, advertising and marketing tracks, a clear tension emerged: the role of the creative is expanding, but so is the weight it carries. No longer just makers, creatives are being positioned as system-thinkers, cultural translators and architects of better futures. The pressure is undeniable: to be interdisciplinary, to be a jack of all trades and master of all. To be visionary, to not only respond to complexity, but to make sense of it. Beneath the hope that we can create something better sits something harder to ignore – fatigue. Expectations are climbing, while respect for the discipline struggles to keep pace in some spheres.

: And yet, despite it all, creativity feels primed to thrive under this new world order, in a form of resistance. The long-feared and, frankly, exhausting narrative of artificial intelligence replacing creatives was largely absent. Instead, AI was reframed as infrastructure – a tool to be directed, shaped and governed. Alongside this comes a renewed focus on ‘high craft’ – a push to reveal the thinking, the labour and the humanity behind the work. A proud rejection of an industry that has too often prioritised polish over process, and something we’ve been exploring through our latest design direction Human by Design.

: For creatives everywhere navigating that tension – recalibrating, rethinking, rebuilding, resisting – the creatives at The Future Laboratory sit with you, working to make a better future happen.

Quote of the week

‘There’s this idea that the world is a system to be decoded – but there’s a growing feeling that we live in a more uncertain world than ever. It’s unknown and volatile. The idea that we can project and depict the future is a boomer fantasy. As designers, we should always start any work or project with good intention and do as much diligent work as possible to understand implications and applications - but in the end, we cannot know the outcome of anything’

Nick Foster, futures designer, author and former head of design at Google X, at SXSW 2026

Stat: Gen Z turns to social for food inspiration as video dominates media habits

Photography by Nati, Italy

US – Gen Z’s media habits are evolving rapidly, with video platforms and social feeds reshaping how young audiences consume content – and what influences their purchasing decisions.

A new survey of 1,000 US adults aged 18–27 by reveals that video-sharing platforms such as YouTube and TikTok now sit at the centre of daily media consumption. Some 43% watch more than two hours of video content each day, while just 5% abstain entirely. In contrast, 38% report not watching live tv at all (source: Attest).

Social media has also become a primary news source, with 44% accessing news daily via platforms and a quarter naming TikTok as their main outlet.

However, the most significant commercial impact is seen in food and drink. Over half (56%) of respondents say social content influences these purchases, making it the top category shaped by media exposure.

The findings highlight a generation defined by ‘video dominance, platform fluidity, high social engagement and growing scepticism toward AI-generated content’, signalling a shift brands must adapt to in 2026.

This aligns with findings from our newly released drinks futures report, Liquid Intentions, which highlights how the online virality of ‘boom boom’ drinks and eatertainment videos is driving consumer demand.

Strategic opportunity

Prioritise short-form video content across platforms such as TikTok, YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels. Showcase products, experiences or brand stories in visually compelling, snackable formats