Need to Know
13 : 01 : 22

Dundee – Listening to Joy by artist Yinka Ilori is an experiential, audio-first playscape at design museum V&A Dundee. Featuring colourful, interactive elements such as a maze with zippable mesh walls, the space invites visitors to adapt and change the environment.

It also offers a sound-making area, using two circular xylophones for experimentation. Sounds will be recorded, mixed and transformed into a series of musical pieces that capture the enjoyment of being in the maze. By placing a focus on sound experiences, the playscape demonstrates the ongoing importance of Connective Audio – and how aural design can bolster relationships both in person and from a distance. Ilori says: ‘Play should be collaborative, so I have created this installation for visitors of all ages to explore sounds, colours and patterns in a shared space.’

While we’ve previously explored how connective furniture can enhance intergenerational play in home environments, this project shows how similar strategies can be applied to the design of public spaces.

California – Joining the Right to Repair movement, consumer electronics company Framework is releasing a modular laptop that grants customers full access to its hardware system. Permitting consumers to fix and upgrade their computers as desired, the company hopes to reduce e-waste and maximise the longevity of its products.

Combatting the planned obsolescence strategies practised by many tech giants, Framework’s laptop offers consumers a chance to build, repair and service their own products. Available for pre-order in the UK, France and Germany, customers can decide whether to build the laptop themselves or opt for a pre-assembled version. Each computer comes with a screwdriver and spudger that will allow consumers to customise and upgrade their machines.

At the heart of its mission, Framework is aiming to increase circularity in the tech industry. ‘We've gone from 44.4m tonnes of e-waste per year in 2014 to 53.6m tonnes in 2019. As an industry, we can't keep moving in this direction,’ explains Nirav Patel, CEO of Framework.

As eco-conscious consumers grow tired of having to replace their pricey electronics on a regular basis, and governments introduce strict regulations on the Right to Repair, tech brands must prepare for a newness backlash.

Contrary to popular beliefs, physically fit individuals are more likely to indulge in alcohol than people who are less in shape. A report by The Cooper Institute in Texas has found that active individuals in the US are twice as likely to be heavy or moderate drinkers as their less athletic counterparts.

Indeed, the report found that the fitter people are, the more they tend to drink. According to the data, women who qualified for the fittest category were twice as likely to be moderate drinkers as those who did not exercise. Equally, the fittest men were also twice as likely to be moderate drinkers as those with low aerobic capacities. Men who fell into the highly fit category were 63% more likely to drink regularly, while for highly fit women the chances of being a heavy or moderate drinker doubled.

Although it may seem counter-intuitive, the 38,000-person study demonstrates a clear link between exercise habits and alcohol consumption. Taking the emphasis away from productivity to enjoyment, the findings support the idea of a rising Pleasure Revolution, as people seek balance in their lifestyles.