Inside the luxury airport lounge boom
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✈️ Inside the high-stakes race to build luxury airport lounges
More than half of frequent travellers, who are increasingly seeking out leisure experiences, are now visiting airport lounges. This shift has led to a surge in the construction and renovation of these exclusive spaces within airports.
Airlines and banks have long been leveraging high-end lounges to build brand loyalty, offering elite travelers perks like private suites and premium services. The growing demand will be fascinating to watch as it evolves, potentially redefining how passenger needs are met beyond mere brand loyalty.
– Madeline Kossakowski , Executive Experience Design Director at Designit
✋ Stopping AI disinformation: Protecting truth in the digital world
As misinformation and disinformation rises to what’s been classified as a severe threat in The World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2024, developers must establish comprehensive systems to ensure ethical AI deployment. Beyond technical measures, public education on media literacy and critical thinking is essential to empower people to navigate the complex digital landscape.
AI can be a double-edged sword, creating convincing fake content while also aiding in detecting and combating disinformation. To safeguard our society, it's crucial to balance these capabilities and foster collaboration among tech companies, policymakers, and civil organisations.
– Myles Washington III (he/him/his) , Experience Design Director at Designit
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👜 The RealReal ‘opens’ an installation on Canal Street, starting a conversation about fakes
The RealReal's pop-up on Canal Street is a masterstroke in experiential marketing. By displaying counterfeit handbags in their new “store”, the brand is confronting the pervasive counterfeit culture head-on.
Visitors can scan a QR code to learn about the broader impacts of fakes, from environmental harm to funding illegal activities, and The RealReal is accepting counterfeit bags during select hours – no questions asked – for a chance to win a real version.
Brands should take note of the importance of a tight-knit creative and media strategy. Sure, this idea could have worked in another location, but the stroke of genius was in its placement: Canal Street, the world-famous street for counterfeits, fakes, and stolen goods. The juxtaposition amplifies The RealReal’s message tenfold.
Though the execution has some accessibility issues, like the black lettering on the glass, the concept overall surpassed the mark by brilliantly engaging passerby and initiating a crucial conversation on authenticity.
– Kathryn Orr , Director of Brand Strategy at Designit
🤔 Are AI expectations too high or misplaced?
Clearly, GenAI isn't disrupting the world at the speed and depth many expected. Its impact is already remarkable in many fields, like drug discovery, but it fails to deliver at what seem simpler challenges, like replacing Google search.
The historical patterns of AI evolution help us reflect on what might be ahead and discern whether GenAI is a technology, a product, a feature, or if any of that even matters. We'll see if the old saying quoted in the article stands: “As soon as it works, it is no longer AI.”
– Miguel Sabel Pereira , Global Director of Strategy and Sustainability at Designit
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