Filled with catastrophic events ranging from wildfires, systemic racism and a deadly pandemic, 2020 was one of the most unexpected years for the world. The global growth rate for 2020 was predicted to fall by 4.9%. As numerous businesses were forced to shut, world economies struggled with the rising unemployment rates. Consumers still remain apprehensive towards non-essential purchases and global travel. Adding to the losses, came the unpredictable natural disasters. The last year saw up to 200 natural disasters just in the initial six months.

While these events in isolation indicate a tragic year, a quick rewind on our actions…

The core differentiator of ‘Design Thinking’ as a process is how we empathize with users. We come across numerous cases where organizations are innovating by putting ‘users first’. But what does it mean to design for the user? Over the past few years of working as a design researcher at Turian Labs and interacting with multiple consumers, I realized how there is a thin line between ideating on ‘what the user wants’ vs ‘what the user actually needs’.

As designers, our fastest and the most common instinct during qualitative research is to ask the user ‘what kind of a product/service…

Luxury is no longer about the exclusivity. Gen Zers are now reshaping the idea of luxury with their evolving digital habits and ethical concerns. Being the youngest cohort, they would be representing the largest consumer base by 2030. It is predicted that by 2026, about 60% of the luxury consumers would be Gen Z and Millennials. While heritage and exclusivity was a major driver for the luxury market, Gen Zers have a different take on this. They do not prioritize brand names as their consumption is mainly driven by digital communities, ethical concerns and individual identity. Luxury brands are now…

The current crisis has accelerated the shift towards brand values as it has become evident that consumers want products/services which are beyond ‘good quality.’ Consumers are deciding to keep in mind the social responsibility, inclusiveness and environmental impact of their purchases. We are now entering a regenerative world that equates environmental well being to personal well-being. Buying environment-friendly products is making customers happy.

The green technology and sustainability market is set to reach $44.61 Bn, globally, by 2026 (growing at a CAGR of 26.5% from 2019 to 2026). Concerns for the climate and depleting resources have become the yoke of…

As organizations are now out of the initial shock of the COVID-19 pandemic, the transition persists. Countries are still enforcing social distancing measures to ‘flatten the curve’ and numerous businesses remain non-operational. The World Bank envisions a 5.2 percent contraction in global GDP in 2020, the deepest recession in decades. Advanced economies are projected to shrink 7 percent.
People have also adapted to this new lifestyle with a set of borrowed expectations. 50% of global consumers believe their lifestyle will significantly be altered in the long term. They are likely to support brands that have responded well to the crisis. There…

We at Turian Labs recently had an opportunity to work with a large Indian conglomerate for creating a learning module on ‘Design Thinking and its applications in the business context.’ As part of the project, we curated numerous methods and tools aligned to the various stages of Design Thinking. While I spent most of my day detailing and breaking down the collaborative process better, I also took occasional breaks to the kitchen to cook a few quick meals. Since we are operating in a work from home scenario, I was practically working on both the activities simultaneously for over a…