LSN : Daily Signals : Need to know 05 : 02 : 18

1. AKQA imagines the jobs of the future

Jobs of the future by AKQA London and Salt and Pepper creative studio for MiSK Global Foundation

London – Design agency AKQA has joined forces with MiSK, a Saudi Arabian non-profit-making organisation aimed at educating tomorrow’s youth, to imagine the job roles that will be available in 2030. The series of conceptual images, designed by artist Florian de Gesincourt, were conceived at the World Economic Forum in response to the panellists’ predictions and comments pertaining to futuristic job roles.

At the forum it was predicted that 65% of children now in school will have jobs that don’t yet exist, prompting the team to imagine what those future roles could be. One example was a blockchain banking engineer whose job would be to expand the infrastructure of blockchain technology, offering universal access to secure banking.

In our forthcoming Morality Recoded macrotrend, we will examine the future of the workplace, looking at the roles that will be created as artificial intelligence becomes more ingrained in the workplace. Book here for our annual Trend Briefing, where this and other long-term macrotrends will be unveiled.

2. Proverb offers comprehensive skincare analysis for men

Proverb

UK – Billed as a training programme for skin, Proverb is a new online brand for men that combines skincare products, supplements and expert advice. Founded by skincare consultant Kirstie Sherriff and her husband Luke Sherriff, a former Harlequins RFC player, the couple have combined their expertise to ‘make it simple for men to find advice and content on wellbeing all in one place’.

Alongside the products themselves, Kirstie and Luke have developed a smartphone app that offers personalised recommendations based on the user’s skin concerns, fitness regime and how much they travel. In addition, an in-app news section offers curated advice on skin, body and mindset from both the couple themselves and experts in other fields.

‘As a male grooming brand we also felt that there were few places you could go for education and advice on skincare that were clear, concise and easy to understand,’ Luke tells LS:N Global.

As definitions of masculinity evolve, men are increasingly interested in investing in personal care products beyond their usual grooming needs.

3. Amazon moves QR codes into the editorial space

US – The hype around QR codes may have faded in recent years, but Amazon is aiming to help boost their popularity again with the introduction of its SmileCodes. Smartphone users will be able to scan the codes to receive access to a specially curated feature within the Amazon app.

While the company has been trialling the codes in pop-up shops and Amazon Lockers, when they are launched imminently in the US they will also be found within the pages of magazines such as Cosmopolitan and Seventeen, thereby seamlessly converting the editorial page into a point of sale.

In line with Insta-shopping, brands are looking for new ways to combine curated content with a seamless shopping experience.

SmileCodes by Amazon

4. Qii teas provide a new reason to smile

qii by Dosebiome, Toronto

Toronto – Qii is a new range of natural teas formulated to tackle oral hygiene as you drink. Unlike fizzy drinks and fruit juices, which are acidic in pH, the teas have been developed to maintain a shelf-stable neutral pH of 7 to avoid enamel erosion.

‘So much of what we drink today contributes to poor oral health. Instead of addressing that at the end of the day by brushing, we have created a drink that restores the mouth in-between brushing so that damage never begins,’ says founder Ted Jin. Oral health is a major issue in the US, with about 30% of adults reporting the condition of their mouth and teeth as fair or poor, according to Statista.

Brands such as Qii and Clear Coffee, which is designed to prevent the staining of teeth, are rethinking traditional beverages for the modern consumer.

5. Airbnb drives up house prices in New York

A new study by McGill Urban Planning professor David Wachsmuth lends credence to the argument that Airbnb is having a detrimental effect on the New York housing market. The figures suggest that Airbnb has inflated long-term rental prices by 1.4% – equivalent to £272 ($384, €308) per year – for the median New York City renter, and although the sharing economy platform does benefit some monetarily, the proportion of users that are significantly profiting is extremely small.

6. Thought-starter: Why streetwear brands need to pay more attention to women

While streetwear has traditionally been an alienating market for young women, change is under way. We look at the brands that are beginning to recognise the growth potential of this segment.

As we outlined in our Hype Market, streetwear is thriving. Yet for all the lucrative opportunities it offers to the apparel sector, the category is largely targeted at a male audience. As a result, it is become an isolating sector for women.

‘There is an inherent language used in streetwear because women haven’t been represented fairly or equally,’ says Bobby Kim, founder of streetwear brand The Hundreds. ‘It is such a boys’ club. When women are portrayed, they’re either a half-naked girl on a blog or the cool girlfriend – that’s women in streetwear.’

This discrepancy between the genders has triggered a new wave of women launching their own online streetwear communities. Sophia Osella, digital content producer at FSC Interactive, started the subreddit r/womenswear as a safe space for women to upload photos of their outfits after receiving abuse from doing the same on the r/SupremeClothing subreddit.

Read the full Market report here.