July 2021
Sustainable Skincare: More sustainable packaging materials.
Through considered use of material combinations and formats, sustainable packaging materials can offer the same premium brand experiences that consumers are accustomed to, without sacrificing on quality or aesthetics.
Sustainable packaging helps brands to achieve and communicate their sustainability goals, whilst providing sustainable choices to their consumers.
Examples from: @evolvebeautyuk, @burtsbees and @oliverinc_
Sustainable Skincare: More sustainable packaging formats.
Innovative new packaging structures and formats can provide more sustainable alternatives to conventional packaging methods. This can minimise the number of materials or amount of material required and their impact on waste streams.
Examples from: @cleanwithplus, @paiskincare and @lush
Sustainable Skincare: Solid formulations.
Removing liquid from beauty and personal care products to create solid formats presents a number of sustainability benefits, including the reduction of bulk and weight for more environmentally-friendly shipping methods. There are also practical benefits including allowing consumers to transport and store products more easily.
Additionally, innovative new ingredient formats are being used, such as freeze-drying, which provides greater freshness and potency by using hydration or friction to activate ingredients at the point of use.
Examples from: @hotelemporium, @saroderue and @supergoop
Typographic Accessibility: Equality for all without stigma.
The understanding of the importance of accessibility for all is growing. The combination of research, design and technology is allowing us to find better ways to cater for the natural variations of people.
Examples span the physical and digital worlds from signage and publication design, to web extensions for desktop and mobile use. More distinctive and accentuated letterforms and layouts can help us all read, process and focus on the information that surrounds us.
Font families such as Atkinson Hyperlegible, Dyslexie and FS Me create greater legibility for all audiences whether managing partial sight, learning difficulties or simply the struggles of poorly positioned signage and reflective glare.
Considered publication layouts such as those launched by Books On The Hill Press allow adults with dyslexia to engage with literature beyond the confines of teen fiction.
Web extension experiments such as Focus Ex allow complete web content personalisation to assist individuals with their specific needs. Control over layout density, font widths, weights and leading as well as the elimination of other visual stimulus can increase legibility. Additionally, setting timers to define periods of dedicated focus can help not only those with ADHD and learning difficulties, but all of us fighting information overwhelm and the struggle to retain focus.
While initiated through the consideration of individual needs, these solutions offer benefits without stigma for people of all abilities.
Typographic Accessibility: Positive messages without overwhelm.
During the global pandemic and the periods of heightened social inequality and political unrest, the news cycle and pull of ‘doomscrolling’ have been overwhelming for many. A number of initiatives have sought to counterbalance this in their content, format and typographic layout.
The 21 Silver Linings project presented twenty-one positive news stories of achievement in science, medicine, sustainability and human equality. Visually stripped back with minimal typographic treatment and a limited number of stories without imagery or advertising, its content reduces the sense of overwhelm allowing people to focus on positive topics and stories.
@positivenewsuk takes this further with a focus on good quality journalism about good news with daily posts online and a quarterly print magazine. The publication style and cycle reduce overwhelm through simple, clear, crisp imagery and layouts, with only four physical copies to enjoy each year. The print format celebrates the value, pleasure and focus of physical over digital formats.
Design has long celebrated the beauty and simplicity of minimalism as good design, but now the consideration of mental wellbeing has come at the forefront of our concern.
Typographic Accessibility: Initiating dialogue about inclusivity and acceptance.
Awareness and understanding of the importance of our choice of words and their potential impact is growing in culture and branded communications.
Durex has released the One Night Sans typeface blending nine type classes and weights from condensed thin to Extended black. This allows the creation of playful, inclusive and experimental content replicating the growing diversity of expression extended by the brand’s products.
The Polite Type looks to provoke discussion and consideration of the impact of our words and phrasing. The machine learning enabled open-source font edits content to replace hurtful, stigmatising and out-dated phrasing with more inclusive alternatives. Where no suitable alternative exists, the font inserts a censorship blur calling attention and awareness to the ill-chosen word.
We look forward to seeing increasing diversity and inclusivity in content and the typographic styles that celebrate it.
Creating opportunity in Connected Fitness
We all have different goals when it comes to fitness, health and wellbeing, which constantly evolve as we do. Understanding the meanings behind why consumers want to achieve these goals plays a vital role in helping them to reach their desired objective.
In this article, Lee Twycross explains the ways in which connected fitness brands can best support their users’ goals, whilst adapting to changing needs and meaningful shifts in the market.
Previous month
June 2021
In June 2021, we examined how AI is making healthcare more human and how connected fitness services and apps are helping to empower patients and consumers. We also shared our Strategic Insight Team’s approach to remote research and the flexible techniques they have developed.
Meaning Centred Design Assessment
Meaning Centred Design helps your business understand how people think about, perceive and understand what you stand for and what you have to offer.
MCD Insights can be mapped and translated into new propositions with the potential to make your brand more distinctive, more engaging and ultimately more valuable.
This assessment is an interactive online tool that will help you quickly assess your current situation. It takes less than 5 minutes to compl