INSIGHT

Awareness of mental wellbeing was already on the rise pre COVID-19. 

 

Since the pandemic started, unprecedented restrictions on social interaction and mobility have further accelerated the spotlight on mental health alongside our physical wellness. 

 

Public Health England reports a serious increase in psychological distress as a result of COVID-19 as does The American Psychological Association, which found 78% of US adults saying the pandemic was a source of ‘significant stress’ in their lives.

 

With the mental impact of the virus a growing concern, how are brands and businesses responding to our need to connect and escape in and out of our homes? 

STRATEGY

During lockdown, virtual travel experiences boomed as people sought to escape their routine. Fantasy digital renderings such as Paul Milinski’s Dreamscapes, also provided refuge and a sense of calm. 

 

However, after a year of isolation and confinement, the appetite for ‘real’ travel is growing.

 

Airbnb’s remarkable recovery is evidence of this. CEO Brian Chesky believes that "Travel will be viewed as an antidote to isolation and disconnection."

 

In our post-pandemic world, brands will position travel as a therapeutic tool beyond pure escapism. As a means to reconnect with loved ones, the natural world or even a higher purpose in order to lift our mental spirits. 

DESIGN

With millions of people forced to work and stay at home during lockdowns, many of our everyday human interactions have disappeared. 

 

Designed to recapture some of those lost social moments, Electrolux teamed up with the Umeå Institute of Design to create Fika, a conceptual coffee machine that promotes the ritual of sharing a hot drink. Rather than being a solitary experience at home, an app connects colleagues and friends while coffee is being made to re-create an informal occasion to catch up. 

 

As many will continue to work flexibly post-pandemic, technology-inspired ‘new normal’ home concepts that enable us to take a break and communicate in more intimate and natural ways, will flourish.