Need to Know
29 : 01 : 19

Los Angeles – This abstract to-do list for visual thinkers uses animation and colourful graphics to visualise the process of setting goals in one place

Created by studio Sing-Sing, Superfocus is available for use on desktops and as a mobile app. To create their list, users select a category such as travel, work or self, and write a goal such as ‘work out more’ or ‘learn how to be funny’, as well as selecting a due date. They then add all the smaller tasks necessary to completing the project.

To track their progress, users can select mountain mode, which uses graphic peaks and troughs to show how close they are to their goal. With no chats, connections or notifications, the interface is inherently minimal and personal. ‘It’s designed to reduce the noise of today’s technology and help you remember what you want to do and who you want to be,’ reads a brand statement.

As more workers go freelance, simple apps like Superfocus will allow them to manage their projects seamlessly, without numerous platforms competing for their attention.

London – Spiritland has expanded its roster of spaces for music lovers with a restaurant that offers diners an acoustic eating experience.

Following the success of Spiritland’s café, radio studio and listening lounge in London's King’s Cross and a high-end audio shop in Mayfair, its new location brings together food and music at Royal Festival Hall, one of Europe’s largest arts centres. The restaurant, which offers an all-day and late-night menu, has been conceived as a dining room of sonic architecture.

Ensuring the quality of sound is as important as the culinary offering, Spiritland Royal Festival Hall is outfitted with a custom sound system featuring vintage Air Partner speakers. Acoustics also inform all aspects of the 1970s-inspired interior, from its velvet curtains and rounded leather booths, to custom ceiling and wall panels. Spiritland’s efforts to create ‘a temple to music’ will be further supported by a programme of talks and guest DJs.

To discover more spaces taking music appreciation to the next level, read our Listening Clubs microtrend.

Gothenburg – The Check Out Suite in Hotel Bellora rewards visitors for avoiding social media.

The hotel room has launched in collaboration with Länsförsäkringar, a Swedish insurance company that recently created the Skärmfri, a smart lamp that measures internet usage via a wifi connection.

The smart lamp has been installed in the suite to track each guest’s screen time, and glows red when they go over the recommended 30 minutes. The room is free if they stay offline completely, but if the lamp glows red the guests must pay full price. ‘The Skärmfri lamp was one way to help, but now we have taken it even further and converted screen time into a currency that rewards a healthy digital life,’ says Lisa Höglund, head of communications at Länsförsäkringar.

In an age in which consumers’ attention is considered a crucial yet dwindling resource, serene spaces that offer a break from digital devices are redefining the high-end hospitality experience.

China is set to become the world’s leading retail market in 2019, outpacing the US for the first time, according to eMarketer. This year, China’s retail sales will grow 7.5% and will exceed the US by more than £76bn ($100bn, €87.6bn).

‘In recent years, consumers in China have experienced rising incomes, catapulting millions into the new middle class,’ says Monica Peart, senior forecasting director at eMarketer. ‘The result has been marked rise in purchasing power and average spending per person.’

E-commerce in China accounts for 35.3% of the country’s retail sales – by far the highest percentage in the world. Globally, China will account for 55.8% of all online retail sales by the end of 2019, led by retail monolith Alibaba, which leads China’s e-commerce sales with a share of 53.3%.