HFDA Academy: New View | Episode 13| New business models and trends

Post-pandemic scenarios – how to adapt new consumer habits and business models in the creative industry

Although the coronavirus crisis is far from over, businesses, including the creative industry are already thinking about the next step. As a result of the pandemic, people’s attitudes towards objects have completely changed – protection and a sense of security have come to the fore in all consumption and transactions. It is important for businesses to be aware of this change in order to be able to adapt to it properly.

The global isolation of recent months has certainly changed many things on many levels. The crisis has transformed almost every area of ​​people’s lives, from everyday tasks to leisure time. All of this is part of a completely natural process. Every major economic event brings new trends and consumer habits. These new trends are forcing the economic participants to discover new approaches and inspirations. The design industry needs to recognize this change and its positive opportunities. As it was shown after the 2008’s industry crisis, in the face of obstacles it is more important to focus on opportunities.

What changed the most is people's attitudes towards objects. Protection and security have come to the fore. For consumption and transactions, the contactless solution has become the new normal. As a result, it is worthwhile to produce products that give consumers a sense of security. In addition to protection, it is also worth paying attention to comfort, using natural materials pleasant to the touch. These can facilitate safe yet comfortable movement on airplanes, in the office and other enclosed spaces. Designers need to find a balance between functionality and aesthetics, thus adapting to environmental and physical changes.

People want to move on, leaving behind the negativity of recent months. They long for change. As a manifestation of this desire, for example, a huge store opened in April with the largest luxury brands in China, where shoppers spent more than two million euros on the first day. This phenomenon, which can also be understood as dacking, is likely to be frequent in the case of luxury brands in the future. Consumer demand has not decreased, it has only transformed. Thus, the creative industry will be dominated by optimism. The use of bright colors and bright materials will be typical. A variety of embroidery and decorations will dominate the collections of the next period. In addition to the combination of craftsmanship and design, the use of earth colors will also be popular again.

The role of creativity and imagination in communication must also take to a new level. Businesses will need new approaches and communication tools to reach their customers. Instead of talking about the viral situation, the focus should already be on topics of thinking about the new worldview, such as selection or recycling. New creations can be created from used raw materials that seem like rubbish.

With every crisis comes the opportunity. In this case, the opportunity to make a change for the better, not only in people’s lives but for the environment. The virus has shown that human activity, or lack thereof, affects the quality of the environment. Pollution in many areas has decreased if not disappeared. It is now perhaps more important than ever to think about sustainable solutions, as it has now been proven that our behaviour can have significant consequences in the world. The next generation will have an important role to play in creating objects that can either be recycled or destroyed without pollution to sustain these positive changes. Thus, this is a good time for companies to introduce new techniques and procedures. The slowed-down world is paying more attention to detail, giving crafts and making custom products a bigger role again.

In addition to sustainability, the liquid flow trend comes to the fore. Special attention must be paid to the protection of water resources. Designers should try to draw inspiration from water, its changing forms, its constantly evolving state. Brightness, freshness, reflection, transformation. These will be important aspects of design and communication in the coming years. With creative design solutions, designers can encourage others to respect the water. After all, the design is not just a business ploy, it has a message.

The future will be circular. It is not known when the world will return to its usual state or whether it will ever return at all, so businesses that dare and can adapt to changed consumer habits will be the winners of the period.

The summary of the pro-publication in English is also available in downloadable form here.