Spotted: An important ingredient that makes milk and dietary supplements good for the body is the lactoferrin protein. It promotes general immune health and supports the metabolic absorption of iron. Often called “pink gold” because of its value and scarcity, the protein is found naturally in cow’s milk in very small amounts, with one litre of cow’s milk containing around 100 milligrammes of lactoferrin. That isn’t enough to keep up with global demand, particularly as the limited quantities that are available are often used in infant formula to boost nutrition levels.
Seeking high-quality milk without the environmental side effects, TurtleTree co-founders created a precision-fermented version of the lactoferrin protein. Called LF+, the new protein is gluten- and lactose-free, vegan, and sustainable. Using large fermentation tanks like those used by brewers, the TurtleTree team replicates the structure of the cow DNA that produces lactoferrin and adds it to yeast cells.
Those genetically modified yeast cells then grow, via industrial fermentation, into large quantities of lactoferrin. Structurally and functionally identical to the protein made naturally in cow’s milk, LF+ has the benefit of being far less expensive to produce and therefore less expensive for brands to use in their products.
TurtleTree envisions its new version of lactoferrin being used in everything from supplements to high-performance protein drinks, and a whole host of other products that would benefit from sustainably sourced, healthy protein. The affordability of LF+, compared with traditionally produced lactoferrin, makes it possible that most infant formula worldwide could contain the essential protein in future, contributing to significant improvements in global infant health.
The company is currently undergoing regulatory review for LF+ and this regulatory label will make it clear that the protein is safe to add to almost anything. TurtleTree is also expanding its development of the precision fermentation process to create other types of proteins also found in milk.
Other examples from Springwise’s library that make innovative use of fermentation include the production of human milk proteins for infant formula and bioengineered fabric dyes for the textile industry.
With 45% of urban areas covered by pavement, climate change is pushing cityscape temperatures to record highs. Innovative, sustainable pavement solutions are urgently needed. Whether used with asphalt or conventional concrete, “cool pavement” solutions, such as ePAVE, can decrease the urban heat island effect by mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and reducing heat absorption.
While on a vacation in Europe, after being seated for dinner with friends at an outside table at a popular restaurant, we could all feel the intense heat emanating from the asphalt nearby—even though the sun had set hours earlier. This scenario has become all too common and is being repeated in urban centers all over the world.
Across the planet, asphalt contributes to significant greenhouse gas emissions. Asphalt pavement absorbs solar radiation and re-emits the radiation as heat, warming the surrounding air and structures. This results in an escalating use of air conditioning (which further adds to outdoor heat) and drives up energy consumption. Due to high heat retention, darker asphalt surfaces are a major contributor to the urban heat island phenomenon.
During a day with a comfortable “ambient” temperature of 75° F (24° C), asphalt surface temperatures in full sun can rise to 125° F (52° C) or higher! Along with the significant heat emanating from the asphalt, comes an increase in toxic emissions into the environment.
How CoolPAVE works
The CoolPAVE coatings from ePAVE reflect some solar radiation, so the pavement stores and emits less heat. Safe and cost-effective, ePAVE’s cool pavement solution also seals in toxic emissions from underlying surfaces. Further, ePAVE solutions enhance the durability of treated pavement surfaces, extending their lifespan.
ePAVE products work on new and old, asphalt and concrete surfaces. Trained applicators prepare the pavement surface (minimally) and then apply the CoolPAVE product cold. It cures quickly and is ready for foot and vehicle traffic in about an hour, which keeps closures and delays to a minimum.
ePAVEproducts are tested and proven to lower surface temperatures by 5–20° F. In summary, this non-toxic pavement preservation solution with high solar reflectance impacts three key remits:
Human: ePAVE solutions make cityscapes cooler and more hospitable for people and their pets, by making streets and neighborhoods more walkable, livable, and equitable. Mitigation of urban heat islands is expected to reduce the incidence of heat-related illnesses and deaths.
Environmental: the ePAVE cool pavement product makes communities cooler, thus lowering toxic emissions and energy consumption. Overall cooler ambient temperatures can reduce heat-related stress on urban habitats.
Economic: CoolPAVE can save energy and those associated costs, and may extend the lifespan of treated pavement by up to twice as long as standard pavement treatments, requiring less frequent repairs and reducing maintenance costs.
ePAVE solutions are nontoxic and free of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). ePAVE seals asphalt surfaces, preventing outgassing and leaching of harmful chemicals into the environment via stormwater. ePAVE may also contribute to LEED certification. Under Sustainable Sites, up to two points can be earned for impacts on the Heat Island Effect.
USGBC-LA Net Zero Accelerator
ePAVE, LLC joined the 2020 cohort of the Net Zero Accelerator (NZA) to benefit from learning from subject matter experts in marketing, business development, and networking. The NZA, a program of the U.S. Green Building Council–Los Angeles (USGBC-LA) focuses on piloting projects in real-world, trackable implementations, to drive measurable adoption of net zero solutions, today.
Since its founding in 2018, the accelerator has guided the success of 85 growth-stage companies in the cleantech and proptech space across the US and Canada. The program bridges the gap between net zero building policy and current technologies in use in both commercial and affordable housing sectors. The NZA builds awareness of viable solutions and market-ready innovations through marketing, media, events, and curated networking. Then shepherds the tech to market through onsite pilots with committed green building leaders, accelerating scaled adoption. The goal? Make net zero carbon, energy, water, and waste a reality for Los Angeles and beyond.
The author:
Klara Moradkhan is Co-Founder and CEO of ePAVE, LLC. She is passionate about building a sustainable and eco-friendly pavement solution that fits the 21st century.
Industrial designer Mary Lempres has created a bio-cement structure developed to mimic naturally occurring oyster reefs that tackle coastal flooding, filter seawater and promote biodiversity.
Called Reef Rocket, the structure comprises a duo of bio-cement modules with ridged surfaces that can be stacked in two directions and create a rocket-like shape when assembled.
Reef Rocket is a bio-cement structure formed from two modules
Norwegian-American designer Lempres drew on biomimicry for the project, a practice that looks to nature to solve human design challenges.
The ridged modules were created to be placed underwater and emulate coastal oyster reefs, which naturally filter algae from seawater as well as attract and provide shelter for other aquatic organisms.
Mary Lempres designed Reef Rocket to emulate oyster reefs
Oyster reefs also dissipate wave energy, mitigate storm surges and manage eroding coastlines, explained the designer.
Lempres collaborated with bio-geotechnical specialist Ahmed Miftah to develop a method for growing plant-derived cement that makes up the modules, which she described as “similar to the irrigation systems required for growing a plant”.
The designer drew on biomimicry for the project
The pair poured a bio-based, non-toxic solution containing a crude extract from globally grown plants over crushed aggregate.
Sourced in New York City, the aggregate was created from crushed glass and oyster shells salvaged from local restaurants and New York Harbour.
“The packed substrate grows similarly to a plant,” Lempres told Dezeen.
Reef Rocket was created to attract oysters
Saturated for three to nine days, the substance becomes natural concrete after the extracted biocatalyst causes minerals to form “mineral bridges” between the glass and shell waste.
“The resulting product is water-resistant, durable and comparable with standard concrete containing the same amount of aggregate,” explained the designer.
Lempres created the bio-cement with bio-geotechnical specialist Ahmed Miftah
“It can be grown in any environment without heat or otherwise burning fossil fuels and is derived from waste products, making it an affordable and scalable alternative to cement,” she continued.
“Bio-concrete is chemically identical to the material oysters produce to grow their reefs. The key difference is the bio-concrete we’ve developed grows in just several days, while oyster reefs take millennia to grow.”
This process closely mimics the natural processes that occur when oyster shells and coral reefs are grown, according to the designer.
“I was inspired by the ability of this reef-growing material to withstand extreme wave energy and corrosive saltwater,” she said.
The structure was designed to be placed underwater
When creating the modules, Lempres and her team made “hundreds” of prototypes.
Eventually, they settled on prefabricated moulds, which the bio-cement can be packed into and set – “like sand” – without the need for heat or chemicals.
Lempres and her team created “hundreds” of prototypes
Reef Rocket was deliberately developed to be small in size, lightweight and easy to assemble, making the design accessible to as many people as possible, according to the designer.
“Nature has the incredible ability to grow intricate and durable material, like shells and coral, without polluting its surrounding environment,” said Lempres.
“Reef Rocket harnesses the natural process of growing durable minerals to re-grow vital reef structures, benefiting humans and our ecology from the worsening effects of climate change,” she added.
“This paves the way for a future where hard and durable material can be grown like a crop, regenerating waste rather than polluting our environment.”
Previously, US design workshop Objects and Ideograms conducted a research project that involves 3D printing with calcium carbonate to create sustainable underwater “houses” for coral reefs and marine life to grow. Chinese materials company Yi Design developed a porous brick made from recycled ceramic waste that could be used to prevent flooding in urban areas.
Spotted: Today, around two billion people around the world lack reliable access to clean drinking water. And while there are a large number of programmes aimed at expanding access to water in urban areas, improving rural water supply can be more expensive and difficult to deliver, and so often takes a back seat. Now, however, Chilean startup Remote Waters is focusing precisely on this type of outlying region.
The company specialises in supplying small-scale modular water treatment and desalination systems made for remote, rural, and off-grid areas. The company sources water that is unfit for consumption (like brackish water or ocean water) and devises a bespoke, solar-powered membrane filtration system to render it potable.
Once purified, the water is transferred to a pressurised water system or an elevated water tank to facilitate delivery. The system can be operated and monitored remotely, which lowers maintenance costs and speeds problem detection. It is available for lease as well as sale.
The company is currently in partnership discussions with several large companies to explore possible funding streams. Remote Waters founder and CEO Pablo Cassorla told Springwise that the company hopes to “Franchise our brand in different countries of [Latin America], increasing our clean water availability capacity in communities.”
‘Availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all’ is a key UN Sustainable Development Goal (Goal 6). Recent innovations helping to meet this goal include solar nanogrids to supply water and power and digital water treatment technology.
Spotted: The world’s population is set to reach 10 billion by 2050, meaning the burden to maintain and increase food production will only become greater in the coming years. Modern farming methods, however, are often detrimental to the health of soil. This is where a discovery made by scientists at the National University of Singapore (NUS) may be crucial – helping to maintain soil quality and crop growth for years to come.
Over the course of a five-year-long study, conducted in collaboration with the SCELSE (Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering), the researchers revealed a previously hidden tool used by plants that could be a secret weapon for regenerative farming that boosts food security – the hormone methyl jasmonate (MeJA).
By producing this hormone, a plant essentially communicates into the soil for beneficial microbial biomes to form, and this translates into an increase in growth as the environment becomes more agreeable to the plant.
Breaking down this process, the researchers first observed that MeJA, which is generally released by a plant above the soil as a protective compound during periods of stress, is actually created in the roots. When the volatile MeJa is produced, it signals to soil bacteria away from a plant’s roots to form biofilms. The bacteria in these biofilms then produce other volatile compounds, which can boost plant growth by up to 30 per cent.
The team is now looking to delve deeper by pinpointing the exact chemical nature of the soil compounds that triggered the increased growth in the plant.
Springwise has also spotted this platform that helps assess the risk posed by frost on crops as well as these findings that aim to increase crop yield by reducing stress.
French architecture practice TVK has completed a neighbourhood in Paris made up of limestone buildings surrounding a garden and designed as a sustainable development that aims to increase biodiversity.
Located on a triangular site in Paris’s 19th arrondissement, the project is “the capital’s first zero-carbon district”, according to TVK.
Named Îlot Fertile, which translates to “fertile island” in French, it contains apartments, a youth hostel, student residences, a hotel, offices, restaurants, shops and sports facilities.
TVK claims Îlot Fertile is the first zero-carbon district in Paris
The four buildings that make up the neighbourhood range in height from seven to nine storeys tall, each with ground-floor levels made from low-carbon concrete and designed to achieve large, unobstructed interior spaces.
The upper levels were made from load-bearing limestone sourced mainly from the local Ile-de-France region, aiming to reduce the carbon cost of transportation.
TVK claims the 35,200-square-metre development is the largest load-bearing stone building site since Georges-Eugène Haussmann’s reconstruction of Paris in the mid-19th century.
The buildings were made from load-bearing stone and concrete
“Each material is used in the right place and the right quantity,” TVK founders Pierre Alain Trévelo and Antoine Viger Kohler told Dezeen.
“We chose to use mainly limestone from the Paris region – it’s the same one used to build the Haussmann buildings.”
Public spaces, including restaurants and shops, are located on the ground floors of the buildings and open onto the central garden.
Hotel accommodations and apartments are on the upper levels, and a raised outdoor level provides additional garden spaces with an orchard, vegetable patches, insect hotels and nest boxes.
Office spaces are located in a building that sits parallel to a railway line and, aiming to work with the site’s existing topology and move as little earth as possible, TVK designed a sunken sports centre in a large hole on the site to create an interior with high ceilings.
“The biggest challenge of the project was to bring together more than a dozen programmes and turn them into a fully-fledged part of the city,” said Trévelo and Kohler.
“The shape of each building is linked to the very specific geometry of the site shaped by the railway infrastructure,” they continued. “This brings diversity to a building complex of this scale.”
It is located on a triangular site next to a railway
TVK designed Îlot Fertile to have a minimal carbon footprint in its construction and operation. It topped the buildings with photovoltaic panels and green roofs to produce energy while also aiming to increase biodiversity.
“Its proximity to public transport means that Îlot Fertile does not require any car parking, and we used a bioclimatic design to keep energy requirements to a minimum for heating, cooling and lighting,” said Trévelo and Kohler.
“For the small amount of energy that will be consumed, the project plans to compensate for it by producing green energy via bio-solar roofs.”
The development includes a sports centre built into an existing hole in the site’s topography
“Driven by the City of Paris’ ambition for ecological transition, zero-carbon is a long-term objective for the life of the entire operation,” added Trévelo and Kohler.
Elsewhere in Paris, Christ & Gantenbein completed a 124-metre-long steel-clad housing block, and RSHP unveiled its design for a “post-carbon” neighbourhood that will be located in the La Défense business district.
The photography is by Julien Hourcade.
Project credits:
Architect: TVK Client: Linkcity Landscape design: OLM Building and civil engineering: Berim Engineering: Carbone 4 and Amoes
Spotted: While statistics illustrate that a majority of US consumers still consider it morally acceptable to wear fur, there has been a notable shift away from its use in the fashion industry. Prada, Phillip Lim, Macy’s, Chanel, Burberry, and Net-a-Porter Group have all removed real animal fur from production and sales floors.
Today, vegan alternatives are available, but many fur substitutes are made from petroleum-based synthetic fibres, which are unsustainable, even if they are animal-free. Now, New York and Paris-based bio-materials startup, BioFluff has pioneered a luxury collection based around its plant-based alternative to fur.
The collection, dubbed Savian, featured artificial fur crafted from natural plant fibres using proprietary methods. The line includes fur, shearling, and fleece-like fabrics that are vegan, GMO-free, and incorporate natural- and mineral-based dyes. The materials both look and feel natural.
Savian is the first materials brand created by BioFluff, which recently secured $2.5 million (around €2.3 million) in a seed round led by Astanor Ventures, a leading name in agrifood tech impact investing. This follows a 2022 pre-seed round that raised $500,000 (around €457,000). The company aims to expand into developing plant-based interior designs, packaging, and even toys.
Plant-based materials are slowly replacing petroleum-based products in many areas. Recent innovations spotted by Springwise include clothing made from seaweed and all-natural sneakers.
Spotted: While coral reefs cover just 0.2 per cent of the seafloor, they support around 25 per cent of marine species and underpin the safety, coastal protection, well-being, and food and economic security of hundreds of millions of people. They are also disappearing at a rapid rate. Since 2009, around 14 per cent of the world’s corals have disappeared, and the pace is speeding up.
To support coral restoration, CHARM (Coral Husbandry Automated Raceway Machine) has created an aquaculture robot that cleans, feeds, and monitors coral grown in an industrial aquarium. The idea is to grow the coral in a controlled environment and then place it in the wild to help restore reefs. The system uses a robotic arm connected to artificial intelligence (AI) software to monitor, clean, and feed the coral.
The company has also developed a product, called Coral Charm, that helps connect individuals to the coral. When a customer buys a Coral Charm, their name and an image are engraved onto two identical coral plugs (a small, stationary platform that the coral is fixed to). One plug has a coral placed on it and grows inside the CHARM aquarium. The other plug is sent to the customer, along with a QR code.
The QR code sends Coral Charm owners to a dedicated page where they can view the growth of the coral and includes a button they can press to feed it. When the coral is moved to the ocean, users receive the GPS coordinates of the location.
The concern over the state of the world’s coral has prompted a number of recent innovations, including the use of turmeric to protect the reefs and customer-built clay reefs.
Spotted: An ageing population, combined with the potential growth of dementia, is contributing to the immense pressure being put on the UK’s National Health Service (NHS). Part of the challenge lies in the high numbers of vulnerable people admitted to A&E, who are then kept in hospital while a suitable care home is found, or homecare support is organised.
Remote monitoring technologies help care teams quickly respond to emergencies and often provide a life-saving service. Physiotherapist Louise Rogerson and data scientist Jonathan Burr wanted to find a way to prevent some of those emergency admissions by deploying smart home care earlier and in more detail. The co-founders built Howz, a smart home care monitoring system that works to prevent falls and other injuries by identifying slight changes in a patient’s behaviour.
Using artificial intelligence (AI), a motion sensor, smart plug, door sensor, and hub, Howz’s package helps carers track energy use and at-home movements. The AI quickly establishes a base routine for each patient and uses that information to identify early behavioural changes and capability that indicate a possible need for social care support. Those early alerts – such as no electric kettle use that day – help social care teams and family carers spot and react to small changes that may otherwise go unseen with current home care monitoring systems, before a more serious accident can occur.
It takes only minutes to install the Howz system and data is available instantly via the app for individual carers and healthcare professionals. Howz provides round-the-clock monitoring and a care dashboard for those in charge of multiple patients. At the same time, privacy is an essential part of the system. No personal data is collected, and the main account holder can add or delete permissions for those using the app. Results show that the use of Howz reduces emergency admissions by 32 per cent and the risk of care home admission by 42 per cent.
From Parkinson’s to mental health, Springwise’s library includes a variety of innovations using AI to provide customised, timely healthcare interventions.
After an unsteady 2023, Dezeen’s editorial director Max Fraser considers what 2024 might hold for design.
His predictions for what we will see when it comes to design next year range from the rise of material intelligence to the rush for sustainable accreditation.
Collective material intelligence
The pace of development in material innovation continues, in particular those made from supposedly sustainable resources as well as those salvaged from waste streams, such as fabrics made from bacterial fermentation and handcrafted biotextiles.
The appetite to use such creations in projects will increase in 2024 as designers strive to create products with greater material sensitivity. This goes hand-in-hand with a drive to lower the impact of our consumption on planetary systems as we continue to sharpen our focus on the climate crisis.
Above: Formafantasma’s Cambio exhibition focuses on wood. Photo is by Paavo Lehtonen Photography. Top image: brick textiles by Natural Material Studio
Increasingly informed clients and customers, together with (hopefully) heightened regulations, will demand ever-more transparency around the origin of the materials, seeking justification for their implementation, as well as assurances around traceability and a low full-life impact.
An increasing number of designers will respond by shortening supply chains, opting for regionally-appropriate materials, harvested or mined closer to the place of production.
This will likely become more of a prevalent expectation in 2024, buoyed by an already enterprising surge in new biomaterials and fabrication technologies. The challenge is scaling this from narrow experimental work into more mainstream channels.
Greater appreciation of aesthetic imperfection
Product uniformity works well for items such as TVs, phones and washing machines. But when it comes to the use of natural materials in mass-production systems, the mindset of uniformity and perfection also prevails. This means that the inconsistent nuances in colour, texture or grain that are inherent in the likes of wood, wool, leather or stone become a hurdle to overcome.
There is a growing concern that stripping out the quirks of a tree, the striations of a rock or the blemishes on an animal hide just creates unnecessary waste. This was highlighted by Formafantasma’s Cambio research project when the design studio investigated the global impact of the extraction, production and distribution of wood.
Working with Finnish furniture brand Artek, one of the outcomes of the study was for the manufacturer to reassess its strict timber selection criteria. Previously only using regularly grained local birchwood without any natural marks, the brand has loosened its criteria to embrace imperfections. In 2023, characteristics such as insect borelines, knots and even bark first appeared on the iconic Stool 60 by Alvar Aalto as part of an evolving Artek collection.
This approach from a reputable brand sends a signal to the rest of the furniture industry that an ‘imperfect’ aesthetic sensibility needs to be embraced if we’re to reduce processing and production waste. This is something that I suspect will become more evident in 2024, helped by the economic case that customers will want to buy into the unique characteristics of these items.
Raw and mono-material products
Designers will further endeavour to reduce the complex interplay between different kinds of materials used in production. The motivation is to create products where the component parts can be dissembled and separated more easily for repair or recyclability.
Such intentions will need to be communicated to users and the inevitable aesthetic change celebrated.
David Taylor’s Knuckle Light is made from aluminium
As circularity becomes expected, a ‘circular aesthetic’ will also emerge whereby products will be lauded for their efficient and singular use of materials, exposed fixings and true-to-material ‘raw’ finishes.
This was recently exemplified by the aluminium Knuckle light by David Taylor for Hem, an embodiment of raw, folded, uncoated aluminium and the winner of the lighting design of the year in the Dezeen Awards 2023.
Fifty shades of sustainable
For several years now, overuse of the word ‘sustainable’ across all areas of society has reached the point where its very meaning has become opaque. Take a trip to any trade fair or design week and you’ll leave with sustainability fatigue, so much is the word oversaid, overheard and overprinted.
Many smart brands recognise this and are eager to communicate the great lengths they go to to reduce their planetary burden, ensure reputable supply chains, create healthy work environments for all and deliver economic returns that benefit their communities as well as their shareholders. To that end, the B Corp rush is on.
B Corp Certification is one of the most rigorous and reputable certification schemes for any aspiring business, thoroughly assessing all of the aforementioned criteria and more. As one manufacturer joked to me, “It’s a tough process. Everything is opened, assessed and scored. It’s like letting a stranger look through your underwear.”
Manufacturers like Modus in the UK, Fredericia and Astep in Denmark and Andreu World in Spain all crossed the line in 2023 and I predict many more will pass the test in 2024: credibility from accreditation.
Trade fairs – a make-or-break year
It’s been another bumpy year for trade fairs, which have struggled to rebound to pre-pandemic glory. The considerable cost and enormous effort of exhibiting has brands questioning how often they can commit. The returns that fairs are expected to deliver for these exhibitors – namely via marketing, footfall and ultimately orders – is an increasing pressure when attendees have also become more discerning about which shows they choose to visit.
Milan’s Alcova showed in Miami this year. Photo by Piergiorgio Sorgetti
The excessive waste generated by stand construction continues to be a challenge to overcome. I’ve become so distracted by the endless use of virgin materials to construct brand-ego-sized displays that I barely notice the product anymore. I call for greater brand humility and am hoping the previously-mentioned circular aesthetic will find its place on stand design as fairs continue to evolve.
It remains a struggle to make rather grim exhibition centres pleasurable, while reducing the environmental burden. Smaller, more nimble shows like Alcova and Material Matters will likely gather pace, able to better attain the sweet spot between quality content and distinct experience. Those that succeed will need to marry timely inspiration with responsible aspiration.
AI – will it deliver on the hype?
While hype, speculation and doom-mongering around the impact of generative artificial intelligence continues across multiple industries and at government-level, I expect the dust will settle somewhat in 2024.
For all of the wonders that AI promises, including analyzing data to inform design decisions, automating repetitive tasks, and simulating and testing designs, maybe there will be more skepticism as to whether or not it will live up to the fanfare we’ve witnessed this year.
AI-designed projects created controversy. Image by Manah Bhata
One of the leading voices in AI, Gary Marcus, believes there are “many serious, unsolved problems” with the technology that could limit its usefulness. However, Airbnb co-founder Brian Chesky reckons designers should embrace AI otherwise the world “will be designed without them” as he stated in an interview with Dezeen in November. He added, “But, I am also wary of fetishization of technology” and, sharing this sentiment, I would caution the hype.
In off-the-record chats, I encounter plenty of individuals who are nonchalant about AI, so I would question the assumption that we must all want and need to use it. Within design, I wonder if we’ll see a revolution from artificial intelligence in 2024 – or perhaps its offerings will just become casually subsumed into the designer’s toolbox.
Polarising approaches to production will broaden
When it comes to fully scrutinising every action and proceeding with self-initiated care and integrity, many brands will find their mojo in 2024, particularly more nimble family-owned businesses with a clear eye on their legacy.
But I fear most won’t, as the pressures of increasing costs, stubborn inflation, volatile supply chains, debt repayments, shareholder expectations and hesitant citizen consumption trigger an urgent scramble to carve out new market segments. All of these touchpoints are and will continue to be directly or indirectly exacerbated by the desperate human conflicts and environmental disasters that we’ve witnessed globally in 2023.
Changing business models to circumnavigate these disruptions requires long-term vision and stability, two things seemingly in short supply right now. Those willing to evolve their enterprises deserve to succeed, however, I suspect many businesses will choose not to rock the boat.
Add to this the ongoing lacklustre governmental approaches to the climate crisis and it’s hard to envisage a world that can muster much excitement at the release of another new yet non-essential product. The time for the design industry to broaden its collaboration with other industries is now. The opportunities to work on game-changing solutions to some of our existential challenges are ripe for the picking.
