News 19.05.2023

Need to Know

Vitra Design Museum’s new exhibition exploring the future of hot cities, Pavan Bivigou’s Foresight Friday and why nearly half of Americans worry their money isn’t safe in banks

Vitra Design Museum’s new exhibition explores the future of hot cities

Hot Cities: Lessons from Arab Architecture, Germany
Hot Cities: Lessons from Arab Architecture, Germany
Hot Cities: Lessons from Arab Architecture, Germany
Hot Cities: Lessons from Arab Architecture, Germany

Germany – Vitra Design Museum’s new exhibition, Hot Cities, looks closely at the cities of the Arabic-speaking world and investigates the obstacles posed by the region’s harsh climate. Running until 5 November 2023, the exhibition aims to show how architects can blend traditional styles with modern technologies to tackle future challenges.

Hot Cities, curated by Ahmed and Rashid bin Shabib, presents case studies and examples from 20 Arabic-speaking cities that offer insights into climate change-related questions. The project demonstrates how these cities can thrive in extreme conditions through the adoption of appropriate urban culture. It invites experts to share their knowledge and to foster meaningful dialogue while inspiring fresh perspectives on the future of hot cities.

The show also seeks to create a dictionary of Arab architecture through the lens of climate adaptation. Hot Cities aligns with our Elastic Architecture report, in which we explored how environmental crises have resulted in architects designing adaptive buildings that meet the needs of communities and the planet.

Strategic opportunity

Is your business ready to tackle upcoming heatwaves and rising temperatures throughout the year? Find inspiration in architects’ adaptive cities to rethink customer service, staff wellbeing and the overall impact of your current carbon footprint on global warming

Fluus introduces flushable period pads

Fluus, UK Fluus, UK
Fluus, UK Fluus, UK

UK – Fluus, a portmanteau word for flush us, has developed a game-changing line of microplastic-free, entirely biodegradable and flushable after-use period products.

According to Fluus, 30% of period products are flushed down the toilet in the UK, which leads to some 3.4 tonnes of microplastics ending up in waterways. The company set out to find a solution to tackle this overlooked issue and created a product that users can flush down the toilet without causing any environmental harm. The proprietary Flushtec technology provides pads with strong absorbent properties but also means the product breaks down into plant fibre and 100% biodegradable materials under water pressure when flushed.

The waste and plastic-free nature of Fluus sets it apart from most competitors by being kinder to the environment while users can avoid the inconvenient situation of finding themselves in a public toilet without a bin and a period product to dispose of. Women’s health is still massively underserved and under-researched, and small but incremental advances like Fluus’s technology are a step forward.

Strategic opportunity

Players in the menstruation care market should rethink how to innovate with new solutions and tech tailored to women and menstruating individuals’ needs – which the wellness and healthcare industries have historically neglected

Foresight Friday: Pavan Bivigou, senior foresight analyst

Carolina Carballo for The Future Laboratory Carolina Carballo for The Future Laboratory

Every Friday, The Future Laboratory team offer an end-of-week wrap-up of the topics, issues, ideas and virals we’re all talking about. This week, senior foresight analyst Pavan Bivigou looks at thriving tech, dying crafts and an artist who combines both.

: Generative AI creativity is still in its can’t-stop, won’t-stop era. This week, we learned that AI made spring/summer 2023 campaign images for luxury fashion brand Casablanca. K-pop artist MIDNATT is using AI to sing to us in six languages, and Tom Hanks has warned that the technology could allow him to appear in movies even after he dies.

: Feeling overwhelmed by the fastness, vastness and speed of new tech? Activate Quiet Mode! Also, consider adopting an offline hobby. According to UK charity Heritage Crafts, many traditional crafts face extinction. Some 17 endangered skills have been added to its Red List, including marionette-making, fabric-pleating and bell-founding.

: Textile artist Qualeasha Wood’s work is an inventive blend of the traditional and contemporary arts. Her self-portrait tapestry is inspired by pop music and showcases her extremely online encounters – including Instagram selfies and pop-up ads.

Quote of the week

‘When you look at representation as the only solution, you’re not acknowledging all the barriers there are to participation. It’s not just fashion – this is a microcosm of the wider world.’

Sinéad Burke to British Vogue

Stat: Nearly half of Americans worry about their money’s safety in banks

Wise. Identity by Ragged Edge Wise. Identity by Ragged Edge

US – An April 2023 poll conducted by Gallup has revealed that 48% of US adults are concerned about the safety of the money they have deposited in banks and other financial institutions. Of those, 19% claim they are very worried and 29% say they are moderately worried.

The poll follows nationwide concerns about banks after the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank in March 2023 and the sale of First Republic Bank to JPMorgan in May 2023. The survey results are similar to what Gallup found when it asked Americans whether they were worried about their money in financial institutions in 2008 following the Global Financial Crisis.

A lack of trust in banks would hit all sectors relying on digital payments and hints at new opportunities for more inclusive financial products and services dedicated to the unbanked – a market we previously analysed in Banking The Unbanked.

Strategic opportunity

Is your business ready to adapt immediately to a wave of clients refusing to deposit their money in banks? Consider how to implement a strategy to receive day-to-day payments with decentralised cryptocurrencies

Previous News Articles
Nike changes Just Do It to Why Do It? in new campaign

News

Nike changes Just Do It to Why Do It? in new campaign

Nike has re-imagined its iconic Just Do It slogan for today’s athletes with the launch of its latest campaign, Why Do It? 
Visual : Nike : Campaign
New Zealand’s Department of Conservation merges sustainability and local pride

News

New Zealand’s Department of Conservation merges sustainability and local pride

The Department of Conservation in New Zealand has unveiled a three-year campaign with Deloitte Digital and Deloitte’s Sustainability and Climate te...
Conservation : National Branding : New Zealand
Stat: The majority of Gen Alpha consumers buy clothes to create content

News

Stat: The majority of Gen Alpha consumers buy clothes to create content

Clothing retailer PacSun’s study of more than 6,000 Gen Z and Gen Alpha consumers in the US reveals how fashion purchases are increasingly made for...
Gen Alpha : Fashion : Retail
John Lewis celebrates 100 iconic products for its centenary

News

John Lewis celebrates 100 iconic products for its centenary

John Lewis is marking 100 years of its Never Knowingly Undersold promise with a new multi-media campaign created by advertising company Saatchi &am...
Brand Heritage : Heritage : Branding
Monzo tackles financial literacy with The Book of Money

News

Monzo tackles financial literacy with The Book of Money

British online bank Monzo has launched The Book of Money in response to research showing that half of Britons (51%) feel they are not reaching thei...
Finance : Gen Z : Education
Stat: Light preventative personal care routines on the rise

News

Stat: Light preventative personal care routines on the rise

Kenvue, owner of brands including Neutrogena, Aveeno and Listerine, has launched A New View of Care: The Power of Personal Care Routines, a global ...
Stat : Statistic : Health
Depop campaign reframes second-hand fashion as secret to personal style

News

Depop campaign reframes second-hand fashion as secret to personal style

Fashion resale platform Depop (now a subsidiary of Etsy) has launched its largest US campaign to date.
Fashion : Sustainability : Resale
Dermalogica launches digital community for skincare professionals

News

Dermalogica launches digital community for skincare professionals

Dermalogica has launched its Pro Community hub, a digital space designed by skin therapists, for skin therapists, with the ambition to become the U...
Dermalogica : Neo Community : Community
Stat: US study suggests Gen Alpha are fuelling cinema revival

News

Stat: US study suggests Gen Alpha are fuelling cinema revival

A new US survey from entertainment researchers NRG found that 59% of Gen Alpha prefer watching films in cinemas rather than at home, comp...
Stat : Stats : Statistic
Volkswagen puts authenticity first in new social storytelling campaign

News

Volkswagen puts authenticity first in new social storytelling campaign

Volkswagen has launched a social-first campaign, YourVolkswagen, spotlighting the authentic stories of real owners and their enduring connection to...
Visual : Mobility : Volkswagen
You have 2 free News articles remaining. Sign up to LS:N Global to get unlimited access to all articles.
BECOME A MEMBER
SIGN IN