From new healing rituals and hygienic homes to creatives pioneering in robotics and the metaverse, we present 12 areas of innovation that will change the way we design, consume and connect in 2023 – and how to use them to future-proof your business
Executive summary
In this report, we identify 12 need-to-know areas of innovation so you can future-proof your business and prepare for key changes within culture, design and technology.
Healing As Habit: healing will be an essential, ongoing concern, as long-term social and environmental challenges cause consumers to focus on recuperative rituals
The Mindfulness exhibition at Piknic gallery in Seoul in 2020 offered a two-hour experience designed to encourage visitors to focus on their inner selves and enjoy the present moment
The Great Indoors: the home will continue to offer a sanctuary space, growing into a wider ecosystem of activities and products – from ‘offline-wear’ to designs that provide protection
Textile designer Pallavi Padukone's ReminiSCENT range draws on aromatherapy, using scents such as jasmine, rose, clove and vetiver to trigger feelings of calm and comfort
Science Will Save Us: as consumers place their hope in science, there will be a new appetite for moonshot moments. Now is the time for investing in R&D to drive serious brand ambition
New health science not-for-profit Leap has a £26.8bn investment portfolio and will spend £5bn worldwide over the next five years
Cyborn Again: robots will enter daily life, taking on emotional as well as service-focused roles, and posthumanism will make a resurgence culturally and in industry
Canadian musician Grimes has created WarNymph – a digital avatar that allows her to “play to the strengths of digital existence” with a persona that can age, die and respawn at will
SuperNature: engineered products, foods and materials will be commercialized to help conserve natural resources, opening up exciting new opportunities
Expanding Outdoors: as consumers spend more time and money on outdoor lifestyles and pursuits, brands across industries will tap in to ‘the outdoor era’
Conscious Networks: as global systems are overhauled, technology and design will learn from ancient intelligence and the tangled networks of nature
Collective & Regenerative: brands will take regenerative approaches to sustainability, working collaboratively across industries, and tasking consumers with more responsibility too
The Lifecycle Lifestyle: emerging models of design will focus on long-term thinking, while products will tap into consumers' cycles - daily, monthly and longer-term - for new anchor moments
Making the Metaverse: virtual worlds will evolve into the metaverse – a shared digital realm that will drive culture and design, enabling new modes of expression and experience
Emotions As Subcultures: consumers' emotional states will be increasingly intersecting and complex, sparking a new creative economy based on specific shared feelings
Design Is a Social Practice: growing calls for social equity will put a spotlight on the value of craft practices and social design processes, with input as important as output.
Comments