Foresight Friday: Rose Coffey, senior foresight analyst

Every Friday, The Future Laboratory team offers an end-of-week wrap-up of the topics, issues, ideas and virals we’re all talking about. This week, senior foresight analyst Rose Coffey unpacks algorithmic agency, the evolution of brand allyship and how everyday rituals are being reframed as moments of celebration.

: I don’t want to jinx it, but TikTok’s latest product update could mark a step toward algorithmic transparency. Now with access to manage topics and smart keyword filtering, users have more control over the content they see – a response to growing fatigue with toxic, personalised feeds. As explored in our Teens, Tech and Tapping Out market report, mental health concerns are fuelling disengagement. Whether this new curation layer will rebuild trust is uncertain, but in a world where social media isn’t going anywhere, it points to a broader demand for user-led digital experiences.

: As brands activate their annual Pride campaigns, Levi’s stands apart with Meet You In The Park, created in collaboration with the GLBT Historical Society. Rather than seasonal rainbow-washing, the campaign highlights the importance of Queer-safe spaces and taps into liberation iconography such as the upside-down pink triangle, a symbol once used to call out and persecute LGBTQ+ individuals. Backed by tangible action – from parade sponsorships to community donations and volunteer days – it echoes themes from our Resilience Branding report: brands are doubling down on purpose through allyship that’s lived, not just labelled. Amid a volatile global climate for LGBTQIA+ rights, it’s wonderful to see fashion used as a tool for social justice.

: The cherry on top of my week? Ikea’s new collaboration with Swedish designers Gustaf Westman and Evelina Kroon, a playful rethink of what celebration means today. Rejecting the idea that joy requires an occasion, the project champions spontaneous gatherings, inclusive tables and cross-generational rituals. With Kroon’s nostalgic minimalism and Westman’s bold, cartoonish forms, the three ‘celebration moods’ blur the line between tradition and improvisation. It’s a vibrant example of brands designing for emotional resonance in everyday life – a theme we’ve been tracking closely on LS:N Global.