IN
DUL
GENCE
INDULGENCE:
A
COLLECTION OF FUTURE
EXPERIENCES
R E T HINKING
INDULGENCE:
2030
“I really shouldn't,
but...”
by /
R O B E R T B O L T O N • E M ILY EMPEL • JAMIE FERGUSON • MATHEW LINCEZ
feature designer /
I
ndulgence is the act of doing something
special, something you know you shouldn’t
do. It involves temporarily bending or breaking your personal rules and going beyond your
usual behavioral boundaries.
Indulgences are exceptions. As humans, we live
for them. They gratify our instinctual desires for
pleasure. For consumers, they drive purchasing
decisions. For brands, they represent an opportunity to connect viscerally with consumers, to
create associations of bliss.
JULIE DO
Indulgence is an experience that blends the
slight mischief of bending the rules, with a
satisfying sense of fulfillment. In today’s world,
it’s as much a candy bar as it is an expensive
green juice. It’s the latest wearable device with
a full-grain leather strap. It’s splurging on an
Uber ride when public transit would have sufficed. Moments of indulgence are constantly
being redefined by the evolving cultural codes
that govern our desires and the emerging
products, services, and interactions that meet
those desires.
RETHINKING INDULGENCE:
A COLLECTION OF FUTURE EXPERIENCES
leisure
02
intimacy
03
expression
04
nourishment
01
T
he objects of our indulgence are tied to notions of scarcity, as defined by individuals and
by society. Scarcity may be self-imposed, as in
when you choose to go on a diet and limit your intake
of gluten. Scarcity may also be culturally dictated;
the gluten example applies again. For example, you
eliminate gluten from your diet, except at the baseball
game when a hotdog is allowed; a temporary suspension of the rules. You rationalize: the baseball game
is a special occasion. But it’s about much more than
trending diets. Generally when we talk about scarcity,
we’re talking about constrained resources like water,
oil, and coal. Or it’s our money, space, and time –
things we have a limited amount of that can provide
us with experiences of joy, satisfaction, and relief.
So how do brands exploit the power of indulgence?
How do we create desirable experiences of indulgence for consumers? Can we design for indulgence?
At what point does indulgence become vice? How do
we locate the sweet spot, a relatively harmless craving
we feel we deserve?
While indulgence is personal, its parameters are
in large part established by a shifting set of social
norms. In this feature, we examine the future of indulgence, considering how current forces of change –
as they play out over the coming decades – could
influence the way consumers indulge. If we can make
fair assumptions about what will be perceived as scarce,
we can infer what will be perceived as indulgent.
Here, we consider just one possible future scenario.
Within it, we’ve carved out several vignettes that
explore the nature of scarcity, desire, and indulgence.
These fictions depict lived human experiences; each
short narrative points to critical future considerations
for brands that hope to understand and shape the future of indulgence. These considerations can be used
to spark conversation about how insights from the
future can be integrated into strategic dialogue today.
SPECIAL FEATURE
WEAK
SIGNALS
Weak signals are real-world data
points that indicate a potentially
significant change could be
underway. We collected a series
of weak signals that we suspect
might influence the future of
indulgence. Probing these signals –
in light of the social, technological,
economic, environmental,
and political forces of change
that inform our macro world –
we generated several scenarios
demonstrating how people may
indulge in the years to come.
Macro
Worldview:
We’ve situated our thinking around indulgence in a world where
many of the forces we see today continue their trajectory. Our
scenarios are set in a future that brings to life the types of issues
that are top of mind for businesses today, such as new notions of
privacy and data use, the emerging meaning of luxury, and shifting
need states as they relate to varied life stages. This world assumes
continued environmental change, innovation in the food, energy,
and digital technology sectors, as well as persisting cultural trends
around sharing personal information online.
The long-term effects of pollution mean breathable air is scarce. As a
result, income inequality is echoed by an amplified disparity of life expectancy. For many, life is sealed inside apartments and offices, tubular
walkways, artificial indoor parks, and malls. Maybe a few outdoor steps
between buildings. A picnic at the biodome is something of an extravagance. Actually spending prolonged time outside is a whole other level
of thrill, one prohibited by most life insurance and health plans.
The idea of privacy is all but obsolete. Constant geolocation, biometric
sensing, and cultural expectations of sharing personal information make
anonymity scarce. And while the choice to opt-out of social sharing is
allowed, it is uncommon, suspect to some, and even a little bit taboo.
Moments of true privacy – of both solitude and intimacy – are to be
savored.
Innovations in food science provide more scalable, sustainable, and
affordable synthetic alternatives. Nutrition is abundant, and the world’s
food security issues are generally overcome. But a farm fresh meal is
a rare experience. Demand for natural foods far outweighs supply. For
those who can afford them, “real meals” offer a delicious connection to
humanity’s farm heritage.
People are left to make many of the same trade-offs they make today.
Defining one’s lifestyle is a question of negotiating the right balance
between privacy and publicity, convenience and quality, health and
immediate gratification, personal enjoyment and the greater good
of society.
LEISURE
LEISURE
/
INTIMACY
/
EXPRESSION
/
NOURISHMENT
SPECIAL FEATURE
01
by /
MATHEW LINCEZ
In a densely populated and polluted
megacity world, where breathing
outside air can reduce your life
expectancy and actually kill you, how
will the wealthy experience the sounds,
sights, and smells of city life?
Future
Experience
He’s had enough of staying in. After a
while they all look, feel, and smell the
same; the airports, hotels, restaurants,
malls, business parks, and office towers. Hermetic homogeneity. He keeps
a mental note of his personal risk
assessment – he knows that HR and
Accounting are too. He’s been good
this year, he hasn’t gone out in a while.
But more and more, it feels like being
caught in a rat maze.
Despite coming and going on those
crisp new Hepa9 busses, the hotel staff
are symptomatic – he catches them
sneezing, wheezing, and finding it hard
to catch their breath. It’s obvious they’re
exposed more often than not. He wonders about the health of their children
compared to his own. It’s impossible to
deny the difference between the haves
and have nots, between his experience
(and overall health) and theirs. Despite
this, they seem happy. Happy to have
a steady job with some benefits. And
they’re free.
It’s making him anxious. He thinks too
much.
Jogging on the treadmill 80 floors up in
the hotel’s gym, he discerns that, while
the view is spectacular, the novelty
is gone. All megacities look the same
from up here. He daydreams about
walking and running outside through
crowded streets and open-air markets.
The noises, the smells, the textures.
THE
NOVELTY
GONE. ALL
CITIES
SAME
HERE.
MEGA-
LOOK
FROM
IS
UP
THE
RETHINKING INDULGENCE:
A COLLECTION OF FUTURE EXPERIENCES
Forgetting the past and ignoring the
present weighs heavy on his mind.
Several days ago, he rolled the window
down during his ride in from the airport
to feel the unfiltered breeze, despite the
driver’s displeasure. The memory stuck
with him all week.
The water runs down his face and neck,
it’s on his hands and legs, he’s sweating
and it’s soaking in. He must change and
wipe down before it’s too late. There’s a
vending machine with smog wipes, but
it doesn’t take cash, only cards. Damn.
They’ll know.
Tomorrow is a day off. No meetings,
no work. After speaking with his kids,
he decides to indulge in an orgy of
exposure. He removes his watch (a
company “gift”) and disconnects the
chip in his sneakers. He leaves his smog
mask behind. He dials the front desk
and orders a car to take him away from
the hotel – he can’t be seen leaving
on foot. Shame. A mile or two, and the
driver stops. After a few deep breaths
from his inhaler, he steps out of the car
and into the air, the noise, the tastes,
the textures, and the smells. He starts jogging. It rains. He knew it would. It stops.
He turns back to the hotel, walking past
security with his hand up: don’t ask.
Going through the lobby, he ignores
the concierge and takes the elevator
up, going straight into the shower.
On the phone he says, “A restorative
cleanse please. Thank you.”
AFTER
A
BREATHS
HIS
DEEP
FROM
INHALER, HE
STEPS
CAR
FEW
OUT
AND
AIR, THE
OF THE
INTO THE
NOISE,
THE TASTES,
THE TEXTURES,
AND THE SMELLS.
01:
LEISURE
SPECIAL FEATURE
Considerations
for the Future:
Indulging in Culture
HR Support
Cascading Systems
As the gaps between those
with and without resources
become more profound,
affluent consumers will seek
new indulgences that allow
them to disguise their true
selves and immerse in culture
at the edge. In this way,
they are more easily able to
integrate into a new environment without the risk of
impacting their life score
as it relates to categories
such as pay or insurance
premiums.
As a greater amount of
employers collect deep
analytics on their employees
through personal tracking,
companies will be divided as
to whether their HR programs
are viewed as supporting or
restricting an individual’s
lifestyle and behaviors. HR
functions will need to build
their analytical capabilities in order to effectively
structure remuneration, benefits, and coaching programs.
More businesses will invest
in simulations that model
how their product portfolios
interact and influence the
external environment at a
micro and macro level. Before
a product is even released,
businesses will meet with
public and private sector
partners to mitigate risk.
Device Fatigue
As consumers get fed up by
the thought of adding more
devices to their routines,
they will actively seek
out ways to escape through
disconnecting some of the
technology they usually
rely upon. Unlike 2015,
these consumers will face
more heightened risks when
they go dark, and will look
to engage with brands that
promise safe forms of this
indulgence.
Designing for Safety
As urban environments become
more synonymous with emerging types of risks, brands
will proactively build
modern views of safety into
the product and experience
development cycle. These
innovations will work to
counter and reduce environmental impacts on individual
health.
01 WEAK SIGNALS
DANGER PAY:
Companies like Panasonic are already compensating their workforce
for moving to environments that
have a higher likeliness of impacting
their health, such as China.
AIR QUALITY CONTROL:
As the particles per million rise in
cities like Shanghai, the process
of monitoring clean air is being
designed into products to track air
pollution, like the wearable TZO.
DESIGNED ENVIRONMENTS:
Cities like Dubai are making major
investments in infrastructure, turning their cities into controlled areas
of oasis and exploration for affluent
visitors.
RETHINKING INDULGENCE:
A COLLECTION OF FUTURE EXPERIENCES
by /
MATHEW LINCEZ
01:
LEISURE
As water increasingly becomes a
managed and costly resource, how
might everyday activities be repurposed
as indulgences?
Future
Experience
She hadn’t enjoyed a long, hot shower
since her 58th birthday. Living in
California, she can’t remember ever
really taking a bath. These days,
Claudia feels lucky to finish a shower
without any remnants of conditioner
in her hair – even though the easyrinse products finally became available for curly, greying hair.
With the addition of smart meters and
the requirement for super-connected
homes, city regulations and utilities
pricing forced even the most stringent
of “climate deniers” to comply with
conservation efforts. Not that there
wasn’t the promise of relaxation outside her walled garden, but Claudia’s
municipality had adopted specific
water use policies and she hasn’t felt
adventurous enough to travel alone.
The social pressure to conserve, after
many blissful years of excess, was
tremendous – not to mention the cost
of and the penalties for resource misuse, which were even worse. Signs,
sounds, and smells everywhere reinforced the same message: “Everyone
must do their part.”
Her six year-old grandson didn't know
any different. For him, 120 second lukewarm showers were the norm. Claudia
shared her memories with him, of
unwinding in a hot shower after a long
day. He didn’t understand the appeal.
And then, during one conversation,
Claudia saw it. Browsing through her
social feed, she was shocked to see
a video of a modern woman in a hot
shower. According to the ad, the nearby Hotel Chanteclair was “Redefining
Ethical Indulgence.” Sounds expensive,
she thought. A few minutes later,
another pop-up came across her feed,
highlighting a new one night hotel
package that included an infinitely
long hot shower. She caught herself fantasizing of room service and
streaming in bed.
But was this real? After doing a bit of
research, Claudia learned that Hotel
Chanteclair was part of a growing
number of boutique hotels who competed for access to resources, and
made them the central part of their
customer experience. The technology
behind this water recovery was created to be a marketing feature more
than anything else.
But at this point, Claudia didn’t care.
And so with that, she booked a night
and filled her suitcase practically to
the brim with toiletries. As she started
to make her way to the door, Claudia
was suddenly filled with nostalgia, and
turned back to grab a deep conditioning hair mask. Hidden at the back of
her vanity, she opened the tub and
smeared a huge dollop of the Oribe
Signature Moisture Masque on her hair.
And then she saw it: a tiny sample of
Pantene conditioner, the same kind
she had used at summer camp. The
smell had somehow kept after all these
years! And so she doubled up on hair
care, quickly wrapped a vintage scarf
around her head, and put on a pair of
huge sunglasses. Claudia was feeling
less like a 67 year-old, and more like
her old self. A new kind of California
dreaming...
SPECIAL FEATURE
01 WEAK SIGNALS
Considerations
for the Future:
Resource Measures
In redesigning infrastructure, local municipalities
will be open to partnering with big brands to
help drive better informed
visions of how needs, like
water capture or recycling,
should be managed. Regulatory constraints will make it
more critical for the public
and private sector to act as
partners from the onset of
any development project.
PARTNERING FOR CONSERVATION:
Branded Sustainable Design
Organizations will race to
hire marketing and design
firms that deeply understand
how to embed nuanced views
of sustainability into the
value chain. Resource constraints will make it common
for brands to continuously
remind customers of what
they are missing when they
stick to their tried and
approved routines.
The Metropolitan Water District
of Southern California created a
Pandora station to encourage
preservation and motivate people to
take shorter showers while listening
to music.
ELEVATED RETAIL:
In a time when retailers are
increasingly focused on online
experiences, retailer PIRCH is
creating glamorous in-store
opportunities for customers to try
their high-end home appliances.
Competing for Escape
As resources become
constrained, and public
officials look to demonize
individuals who engage in
unapproved behavior, brands
will capture indulgence
in confined experiences
that are positioned as
guilt-free. More than ever,
it will be critical to
design not only products,
but spaces for consumption
as well.
CONCERNED BEAUTY:
Brands like Kahina Giving Beauty
are starting to shift the ethos of the
beauty industry to be more mindful
and inclusive of growing ethical and
environmental concerns.
LEISURE
/
INTIMACY
/
EXPRESSION
/
NOURISHMENT
INTIMACY
SPECIAL FEATURE
02
by /
EMILY EMPEL
In a future world
where public and
private lives
increasingly blur
together, what is
the relationship
between dating,
intimacy,
and indulgence?
Yes, she’d felt exposed before. A quick
Google search pulled up hundreds
of hours of footage and millions of
pictures, colors, and smells. She never
had much of a choice.
Her parents started documenting her
life before her birth. Lyla was born to be
an “opt-in” kind of girl, raised to share
every move, decision, and thought with
the world. Before now, she had never
felt weird about the fact that her whole
life was essentially re-livable. In fact,
her life wasn’t that different from most
of the people she knew. You could
get to know Lyla, without ever really
knowing Lyla.
Now, at 42, she was overwhelmed by
the thought of starting over and building a new story. Dating was awkward
enough, and especially challenging
given her wife’s recent decision to
separate and Lyla’s (now former) love
of a good shareable moment. Not so
deep on the web was a “relationship
trail” available that made even Lyla a
bit uncomfortable. A few years ago,
she uploaded the dream journal she
and Elizabeth shared during a bout
of therapy. Not to mention the risque
video she recorded for their 10th anniversary that had over three million likes
and 540,000 shares. At the time,
it felt like total reinforcement given
the wrinkles and sags forming in their
relationship. Now, in hindsight, it
seemed more like a testament to Lyla’s
need for reassurance about her body.
Future
Experience
02:
INTIMACY
RETHINKING INDULGENCE:
A COLLECTION OF FUTURE EXPERIENCES
Before committing to meeting, Lyla
knew there was a near-certain likelihood that a potential date would find
these moments, along with many
others. They would quickly be able
to piece together who she was as
her best, worst, and most quirky self.
Oddly, Lyla wasn’t bothered by the
thought of a professor, colleague, or
friend experiencing her relationship
history, or even the occasional dirty
video. Maybe it was the fact that these
people had an array of lifestreams
to choose from, and most seemed
way more interesting than her former
relationship. Whatever it was, Lyla felt
more freaked out by the thought of
needing to share this part of her life
with a total stranger that she might
fall in love with, date, or just spend a
night with. She wanted a break from it
all; she yearned for a few days in her
life where she didn’t feel like she was
performing for the world.
But how could she possibly start over?
Social engagement felt as natural as
breathing. In a moment of weakness,
Lyla shared an image on her lifeline
and asked: “How do I rediscover my
true self, not just the version I’ve already shared?” She anxiously awaited
the results.
Considerations for the Future:
Rethinking Courtship
As the traditional trajectory of courtship breaks down,
industries like commercial
sex, dating, and relationship management will have to
find unique ways to engage
users by inventing new, disruptive interaction models.
Slow Reveal
Gameful Flirting
Brands might design relationship platforms that embody
privacy as a value. Users
could opt in to systems
that mask their outstanding
digital identity in the
initial stages of dating.
Applications could then slowly
reward users for making authentic connections by giving
them more nuanced, relevant
information about their match
or partner over time.
As we spend more time in the
hybrid space, brands will
build more incentives into
their back-end systems to
help users ''achieve'' certain
behaviors from other users,
such as getting over an ex or
being more comfortable in bed.
Non-Traditional Inputs
As data becomes more
prevalent and the ability of
analytics increases, industries inside and outside of
dating will search for nontraditional inputs such as
natural language or olfactory
and mood-based cognition,
to better match individuals
based on how they interact
in real life.
SPECIAL FEATURE
“HOW
DO
I
DISCOVER
SELF,
THE
REMY
NOT
JUST
VERSION
ALREADY
TRUE
I’VE
SHARED?”
02 WEAK SIGNALS
AMATEUR HOUR:
Sites like MakeLoveNotPorn enable
average people to upload and share
their sexual experiences with the
world, blurring the line between
amateur and celebrity.
THE ALWAYS-ON MUSE:
A slew of Kim Kardashian wannabes
are curating their lives on platforms
like Instagram and Periscope to
showcase their best selves without
regard for future implications.
VERY PUBLIC CIVIL SERVANTS:
Members of public office are increasingly expected to interact with
their constituents first-hand to share
the reasoning behind key decisions
and manage expectations.
EXPRESSION
LEISURE
/
INTIMACY
/
EXPRESSION
/
NOURISHMENT
SPECIAL FEATURE
03
by /
EMILY EMPEL + JAMIE FERGUSON
In a world where increasingly sophisticated
algorithmic interventions tailor content
for pointed online navigation, how can the
individual indulge in unbounded expression?
Future
Experience
The past few days had been a challenge. She tried all the “right” and
publically recommended solutions,
but Christoph was a colicky baby and
there was simply no approved solve.
After countless conversations with
other moms, she felt like she had done
everything, from wasting her money on
a smart baby bottle (from the makers of
the first smart stroller-crib converter),
to blowing her hourly paycheck on a
child food service that supplemented
each meal with nanoceuticals. She even
stayed up past 3 am to attend a VR
conference by Dr. Wei Shin, the most
trusted newborn wellness consultant
in the world. It was a waste of time.
A tightly curated crowd. All the other
single moms there had high new
mother ratings too. No wonder; no
one was sharing a true experience.
Nothing she heard was new, different,
or valuable.
NO ONE WAS SHARING
A
TRUE
NOTHING
EXPERIENCE.
SHE
HEARD
WAS NEW, DIFFERENT,
OR
VALUABLE.
RETHINKING INDULGENCE:
A COLLECTION OF FUTURE EXPERIENCES
WHO
DID
WISH
BE
IF
WERE
TO
SHE
SHE
COULD
THERE
NO
RULES
MOTHERHOOD?
And so she did the unthinkable. On yet
another sleepless night since Christoph
was born, in a tired stupor, she considered venturing to a place unknown.
A space so far into the web that there
would be no translation technologies,
no event orchestration. It took a lot
of planning to get set up. She needed
an avatar account outside of her
algo-curated life sphere in order to
experience something that would be
unconnected and untraceable from
her history, but complex enough not
to sound any alarms. No small feat.
Of course, she knew the risks. In entering this space, she had to commit to
an alternative persona that would play
out in places and with people who did
not correspond to her defined status.
Who did she wish she could be if there
were no rules to new motherhood? The
setup was exhilarating, terrifying, and
revelatory. And with a simple click, she
entered.
03:
EXPRESSION
The other single mothers she met
seemed to be speaking another
language – a conversation ensued
without an optimized script. Baby food
products that had not been regulated
or supplemented were discussed; the
strollers they referred to could not be
geolocated; the pacifiers not digitized.
They actually shut off their devices to
sleep! No wonder their new mother
scores were appallingly dismal. But she
was a voyeur into this alternative life
sphere, and drunk on possibility. Never
since entering this new life-stage had
she felt more connected.
SPECIAL FEATURE
03 WEAK SIGNALS
Considerations for
the Future:
RECOMMENDATION VS.
RANDOMIZING ENGINES:
Platforms like Netflix hinge on the
idea that customizing recommendations for their users outweighs
companies who embed notions of
serendipity into their system, like
StumbleUpon
De-Personalized Experience
In a world where personalization becomes the norm, consumers will look to brands that
allow them moments to indulge
anonymously in mass culture.
Individuals will crave experiences that let them connect
to users in subcultures without being fearful of future
impacts.
ALGOTRADING:
In finance, traders are using forms
of machine intelligence like Black
Algo Trading in order to program
autonomous agents who act on
their behalf and influence financial
markets.
Terms of Engagement
Rethinking Trust
Instead of demanding user data
at the outset of an experience, brands will allow users
to set their own privacy and
personalization limits in both
the virtual and real space.
Individuals will become more
savvy with what they do and
don’t share, and will look to
advisors and platforms that
let them build their own terms
and user experiences. Users
will finally be trusted to define
their edge and game rules.
As platforms become more
scrutinized, consumers grow
weary of credentialing and
reviews as a way to demonstrate subject matter authority. Instead, they’ll look to
imperfect users and interactions as the more authoritative and authentic voices.
Designing for Inclusion:
In a world where individuals
are constantly scrutinized
by their technology, network, and peers, more brands
will look to comparative
industries like game design
or psychology in order to
build experiences that are
inclusive for a range of
personality types and lifestyles, such as introverts,
aging millennials, or single
mothers.
THE CUR-RATED LIFE:
Although Peeple received backlash
for giving users the ability to “rate”
others, the idea of people being
measured and peer-reviewed is
already happening in the workforce.
NEW DARK HANGOUTS:
As users grow increasingly weary
of the internet, they are flocking to
alternatives like the Dark Web with
the hope of having non-traditional
online interactions.
LEISURE
/
INTIMACY
/
EXPRESSION
/
NOURISHMENT
NOURISHMENT
SPECIAL FEATURE
04
by /
MATHEW LINCEZ
In a world where consumers are increasingly focused on fresh, natural,
and organic food choices, how might
synthetic nutritional alternatives evolve
to fulfill on the promise of indulgence?
Future
Experiences
Special Fresh
It was a bit of a stretch. He had to give
up buying more mobile minutes to
afford the purchase, but it had been a
while since the family experienced the
smells, textures, and tastes of fresh,
naturally grown fruit. The basket of
organics was a gift – an indulgence
– and he was proud of it. It would be
something the family could enjoy
together during this special occasion.
The unwrapping, portioning out, and
sampling would be a photo-worthy
moment – especially for the children,
some of whom had never bitten into
and tasted naturally grown fruit.
Sadly, he knew this would be one of
very few times they would experience “freshness” together. At least
his children would have a small taste
of the good life, and, despite their
current situation, they would be
inspired to achieve a life that could
afford them the luxury of fresh and
natural products in the future.
RETHINKING INDULGENCE:
A COLLECTION OF FUTURE EXPERIENCES
04:
NOURISHMENT
Blending the Rules
Sandwich Boy
Gale stared down at the usual blend of powdered nutraceutical supplements and their well articulated functional
benefits. The low-cost subscription program helps her fill
the nutritional gaps in her diet and maintain a balanced
approach to prevention, as prescribed by her doctor. At any
age, prevention is important. For Gale, it’s about consistency, and this means sticking to her plan and its highly specific
formulas. Being on a fixed income with a limited benefits
plan can reduce her quality of life options, and any minor
deviation could bring about catastrophic results. She reflects on this momentarily as she anticipates modifying her
post-lunch digestive recipe. She still finds ways to indulge
by adding extra ingredients like cannanibs, Xyli-Sweet, and
peanut butter gel to her shakes from time to time. A touch
of “special,” she calls it. A little something that makes the
shake taste so much better.
The boy diligently builds a sandwich from freshly catalyzed
grains, printed on-demand legumes, and rapidly cured,
synthetic, lab-grown proteins. His older brother enters the
kitchen and steals the sandwich. The boy shrugs and repeats the process, this time with a newly installed, artisanal
aging algorithm and third party flavor enhancements. His
smeats never looked, smelled, or tasted so good. Jailbreaking the protein synthesizer voids the warrantee, but it’s a
chance he’s willing to take to unlock a whole new world of
treatments, textures, and flavor profiles that the family’s
base model appliance wouldn’t typically provide. Besides,
all his friends are doing it.
SPECIAL FEATURE
Rebellion
It’s just another lunch at Simply Fresh Organics. The crew talks
relentlessly about their designer diets, exercise routines, and
expensive subscriptions to bespoke health and wellness programs. Any challenge to the anti-synthetic elite is met with swift
discipline. Sara sips her mineral water while watching a couple
binge on sugar-coated cocktails. Micromanaging her choices,
constantly trying to find enjoyment within increasingly tight
guidelines, is starting to take its toll. On the way back to the office, she feels compelled to leave the group and walk into a local
corner store. Freshly baked desserts call to her. Maybe it’s the act
of rebellion that makes her feel so good, as though she’s finally
escaping a trap she’s been desperate to get out of. The Twinkie
is within her grasp; her old habit is irresistible.
Considerations for the Future:
04 WEAK SIGNALS
MASS GROWN ORGANICS:
Alternative Currencies
In the developing world and
emerging markets, brands might
go beyond packaging strategies
to offer consumers payment
options that more closely tie in
to the types of resources they
have at hand. Whether they are
in the form of barter marketplaces or local lenders, these
currencies will afford consumers the ability to indulge in
new products and services.
Consumption as Play
In a world where the norm is
to be ''always on,'' consumers will look for indulgences
that represent the opposite
of efficiency. These customers will revel in brands that
treat each moment of product
interaction as an occasion for
individual expression.
Reframing Treats and Cheats
In the near term, the wellness
sector will merge all industries, whether food and beverage, consumer electronics, or
automotive. Established brands
will creatively design for
nostalgia, while keeping up
with new customer and regulatory wellness requirements.
Fresh as Luxury
As it becomes more difficult
to procure fresh, organic ingredients, these food categories will command a premium in
the global marketplace. On
special occasions, consumers
will supplement their own crops
with fresh treats that come from
worlds seemingly unknown.
Companies like Green Onyx are
creating consumer appliances that
increase access to fresh, organic ingredients in an effort to mitigate political
instability from food shortages.
LAB GROWN PROTEINS:
Startups like Modern Meadow and
Beyond Meat are developing substitution technologies in the hopes of developing palatable synthetic proteins.
PERSONALIZED MEDICINE:
With modern medical advancements, consumers are increasingly
able to tailor their drugs and treatments, moving the idea of health
care away from the collective, and
towards the individual.
RETHINKING INDULGENCE:
A COLLECTION OF FUTURE EXPERIENCES
SPECIAL FEATURE
IN
DUL
GENCE
However foreign it may seem, the
future world embodied by these vignettes
reflects plausible trajectories of change
forces we see playing out today.
In fact, successful organizations are already
rethinking their strategies and building the
capacity to consider emerging worldviews
like this one, along with other future scenarios,
on a spectrum of possibility. It’s one thing
to invest in emerging technologies; your
brand may be prototyping the must-have
wearable of tomorrow or the staple IoT
object of the connected home – but so are
your competitors. Valuable differentiation
will depend on understanding the needs,
expectations, and desires of consumers living
in a world that looks nothing like today’s.
Instead of designing
for a present that’s
becoming obsolete,
why not design for
a future that’s yet to
be realized?
Robert Bolton is a senior creative strategist at
Idea Couture. He is based in Toronto, Canada.
Emily Empel is the co-head of foresight at
Idea Couture. She is based in Toronto, Canada.
Jamie Ferguson is a design and foresight
strategist at Idea Couture. She is based in
Toronto, Canada.
Mathew Lincez is the co-head of foresight at
Idea Couture. He is based in Toronto, Canada.