FutureCity: Post Covid-19 Creative Transformation

The world is changing, and it’s clear that life after 2020 may never be the same again. For companies in a precarious, evolving climate, the coffin nail is often not just change itself, but rather, complacency.

As Loftwork Hong Kong co-founder Harvey Chung once said, in reference to businesses that don’t keep up with the times, “When it hits, you’re too late.”

Enter ‘FutureCity’, a brand new global initiative that rethinks the way we live, work and learn. In this post-pandemic landscape, there’s never been a better time for businesses to reinvent the wheel. So join us, as we overhaul outdated systems, traverse new possibilities and get a little creative.

The retail experience is constantly evolving. From ecommerce to fast-fashion, the industry has continued to transform in unprecedented and unpredictable ways – and now, as retailers pick up the pieces from the pandemic, we’re on the edge of yet another retail revolution. Join us as we usher in a new era of shopping, exploring better user experience, creative space design and unique, new ways to consume, with industry leaders such as Tina Lo, SVP of Global Business Development from Pinkoi, and more.

>> Go to The Future of Retail page

As social distancing forces us to stay in, significant chunks of our lives have shifted online. Education, one of the most affected domains, has needed to quickly adapt – transforming textbooks, lectures and even graduation ceremonies into accessible, digital versions. We chat to Numena co-founder Andreea Ion Cojocaru and Parsons School of Design professor Kyle Li about the new tools and possibilities in a fast-tracked, future education.

>>Go to The Future of Education page

Loftwork crafts experiences for both online and in-store, making websites more than just a point of contact and retail stores more than just a checkout. For Japanese retailer Familiar, both online and physical spaces were designed around the concept of a baby’s first 1000 days, with digital storytelling assets, as well as in-store programs, like a baby bathing, to form a holistic experience for the consumer.

Unique digital storytelling sells, even for brick-and-mortar department stores with regular foot traffic. By creating the brand new platformA11Day and interactive, experiential social assets, Loftwork optimized communication with customers and streamlined online-to-offline conversion for Shin Kong Mitsukoshi A11.

Learn more about Digital Design Service by Loftwork here.

Loftwork empowers employees to push themselves out of their comfort zones. In our workshops, we utilize unique exercises like ‘Mirai Gengo’ (the language of the future), which asks participants to cover their eyes, ears or mouths and be paired with partners of different barriers, finding ways to communicate under those conditions. As L’Occitane Japan employee Ryo Yamamoto said, “It was a very good experience to realize how our common sense is different from others.”

See more case study:Anatomy of Design Management – How To Create A Unique Organization And Culture

Office space design can encompass more than just remodelling an old building. For older companies like Suzuyo, office space ‘reform’ is a chance to breathe new life into both company image and work culture. Not only did Loftwork update the Suzuyo offices with quality materials (timber sourced through our associated venture Hidakuma), we utilized our skills in service design to restructure the office to accommodate current needs and challenges, such as labor shortages and remote work – effectively rebranding Suzuyo as a modern, innovative company.

Through our in-house competition platform AWRD, with its established network of 30,000+ creators, we’re able to easily connect companies with creators and audiences. This year, we initiated the Mask Design Challenge, enlisting creators from all over the world to submit their creative face mask ideas. Winning entries included Ryota Kobayashi’s SensingMask, a smart mask that records real-time data, and Yukari Kojima’s mask cutter, a tape cutter-type product for users to customize the size of face masks. See all submitted works here.