Need to Know
26 : 09 : 18

Bangkok – The design studio has unveiled a collection of homeware that puts a modernist spin on Thai craftsmanship.

Showcased at Maison & Objet 2018, the Made in Thailand collection includes a contemporary range of tables, vases and kitchen accessories. The line is an amalgamation of research and experimentation with local Thai manufacturers, combining the country's traditional craft processes with a design aesthetic more often associated with Scandinavia than South East Asia.

Using local materials such as bamboo and rattan wicker, Thinkk Studio aims to ‘present an unorthodox overview of Thai designing and manufacturing’ in order to better represent the region on the international design stage.

With connotations of Asian manufacturing often aligned with disposability and mass manufacturing, a growing number of designers are working to change opinions. Like the Made in China label, Thinkk Studio is reinventing what it means for a product to be made in Thailand.

London – Punkt has launched the MP02, the latest iteration of its simple, streamlined mobile phone at London Design Festival.

Building on its original MP01 phone, which only connects to 2G networks in order to counteract the impact of distracting apps and web browsing, Punkt has responded to customer feedback by offering 4G LTE connectivity to help improve international roaming. Through this new capability, users can get online but only by sharing the phone's data connection with a tablet or laptop, positioning the internet as a tool and something that users 'dip into', rather than live their life by.

While the MP02 remains a minimalist device that can't hold social media apps, it still offers a series of tools, such as notes, a calculator, and the ability to share a 4G hotspot with others. The phone also has an extended battery life of 12 days.

The size of a credit card, the Light Phone offers a similarly stripped-back experience, with the aim of being used as little as possible. Its sequel product – also 4G-enabled – was recently funded on IndieGogo, with its creators reportedly exploring features like music playlists and maps.

France – French bank Boursorama has created a dramatic trailer for a new campaign titled The Man Who Clicked on a Banner Ad.

The short film plays on consumers’ aversion to banner ads, using bold techniques deployed by Hollywood film trailers to build tension. Following a man through his morning routine, a bold voiceover asks viewers to discover ‘the man who saw what no one else wanted to see’ and ‘who dared to confront what the whole world was running from’, before revealing that he is the titular man who clicked on a banner ad.

The campaign is in fact promoting a new, real-life offer by Boursorama, giving consumers who click on its latest banner ad a welcome bonus of £116 ($153, €130) if they sign up for a bank account. According to the bank, the film was created in response to the fact that the use of ad blockers continues to boom, despite these ads offering benefits for those that dare to click.

By tapping into and attempting to change the digital habits of its customers, Boursorama's campaign demonstrates Mimicry Marketing.

In partnership with The Future Laboratory, employee benefits company Unum has released a new report titled The Future Workforce, focused on the emerging workforce trends of the next five years and how employers need to adapt to ensure they attract and retain top talent.

At a time when artificial intelligence (AI) increasingly plays a role in the workplace, the report found 43% of UK workers to believe AI will benefit their jobs, while almost half (49%) are interested in using tech, such as activity-tracking wearables and time management apps, to improve their own workplace performance.

To read more about how technology will be used in the workplace in 2030, read our Far Future scenario.