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Covid-19: A driverless tram for social distancing

Island by Andrea Ponti, Hong Kong

Hong Kong – Island is a driverless tram designed to facilitate social distancing on public transport.

The concept, designed by Andrea Ponti, has been created in response to consumer reticence about public transport following Covid-19. Double decker trams are a key feature of Hong Kong, so Ponti designed a version fit for increased health and safety measures. Its name, Island, refers to the interior design of the vehicle, where large benches facilitate social distancing and passengers sit facing outwards in a radial pattern.

Driverless technology optimises the space available, making it easier to manage travel times and ensure onboard hygiene. Ponti has also designed a tram stop, facilitating payment before boarding and an orderly flow of people.

As explored in our Urban Wellness Market, consumers are demanding that brands consider collective health and develop mobility concepts to create more civic cities.

Très Bien champions garments created at-home

ATELJÉ garments by Très Bien, Sweden

Sweden and London – Retailer Très Bien has created the ATELJÉ limited-edition garment collection, produced entirely from home in the lockdown period.

Having recently opened a store in London just as Covid-19 hit, the brand has not only adapted its approach by offering store visits via Zoom, but launched an entire collection that is designed and made at home. Each item in the ATELJÉ collection was produced with the support of the brand’s local network in Malmö, Sweden.

With the aim of avoiding industrial machinery and external companies, the collection was sewn by the founder’s mother-in-law; labels for the delivery boxes were printed from home; and an ex-member of the brand’s logistics team was recruited as a campaign model.

As the fashion industry continues to reflect on its sustainability flaws, new designers and initiatives are emerging to upend and challenge existing systems. In our Makers Market, we explore some of the ways creators are engaging with handicrafts to create desirable, eco-conscious goods.

Pantone supports creatives by digitising colour

Pantone Connect by Pantone, US

US – Pantone's new app, Pantone Connect, digitally streamlines the colour matching process.

The new tool recognises colour from real world objects and translates this into a digital version of the Pantone colour on the app, which can then be used for a designer's creative projects. To use this tool, Pantone Connect comes with a credit card sized colour-matching card that calibrates smartphone cameras to capture colour from real life.

According to Nick Bazarian, digital solutions senior product manager at Pantone: ‘With the Colour Match Card and Pantone Connect app, a designer’s phone has now become a legitimate colour capture device to match the physical world more accurately to Pantone Colours.’ The innovation also comes at a time when designers are navigating remote working conditions and increasingly relying on digital solutions.

Reactive new technologies are emerging to fuse the real world with digital spaces. For more, read our macrotrend Programmable Realities.

Stat: Australian parents are misinformed about data

Watermelon Sugar by Pamm Hong

A new study by WPP has revealed the complex relationship many Australians have with data, with many consumers misinformed about their children’s digital footprint.

The study, Secrets & Lies: Humanity + the Machine, shows that 83% of parents would force their child to delete a digital profile if it made them feel uncomfortable. Meanwhile, almost two-thirds (63%) mistakenly believe that they own their child’s digital footprint until they turn 18.

‘When it comes to the monetisation of social media, it seems Australian parents are prepared to grade privacy concerns, further reinforcing the conflicting relationship we have with technology,’ says Rose Herceg, chief strategy officer at WPP.

As we examine in Teen Tech Welfare, there is a need for technology companies to step up and educate both parents and children about their digital data footprints.