As we enter the end of the beginning of the pandemic what have we learned and what will the new normal be like? There is a global collective consciousness that we are experiencing together that knows we are moving forward with a new language. Starting with safety first and foremost.

What can we resume that we miss doing and when will that be exactly? What will our favorite restaurants look like? Social distancing the tables, servers with masks, is dining out going to be fun? And what will shopping feel like? Will I still be fearful entering a supermarket? Will I be able to shop in a department store with friends again or will it be a solitary experience, letting customers in small groups at a time and the sales people will be wearing masks too?

How will my first flight feel like? Will I be comfortable booking an airplane ticket? Are they going to space out people on security lines? How much longer will it take to board the aircraft? Will all the airlines make it mandatory for passengers to wear a mask? Will they keep up with maintaining the planes? And booking hotels...How clean is the property I’m staying in? How healthy are the hotel employees? Is mass transportation going to be safe? How will they disinfect the subways, and how are they going to handle the crowded subway cars?

Then once we get back to the workplace, safety shields between employees, fear of touching an elevator button? Will we see split work shifts where we get assigned certain days to come into the office and continue working remotely on alternate days? The anxiety heightens as the future unfolds and we start to think about the impact of re-entering and resuming our lives post Covid-19. During this uncharted existence I had the luxury of signing up for fascinating webinars with industry luminaries (why hadn’t I ever carved out the time to listen to them before the crisis?) and will share what I gleaned so far.

As a strategic material partner for branded environments , the webinars I attended were mainly from a hospitality and retail perspective. Although, I would like to share that the first webinar I took was hosted by the IIDA New York chapter and I appreciated the direction on best zoom etiquette, the ideal background you should have when participating in a zoom meeting ( who knew?) and I am thankful for that! In addition, it was very informative addressing the challenges we all have working from home ...the lack of face-to-face collaborations and how to push through projects remotely communicating with your teams via screens. Once I nailed that, I was able to structure my day to accommodate insightful webinars.

The retail world was upside down pre-corona virus and with stores closing while the world was shutting down did not necessitate that desire for wants, especially when you become need focused. Which department stores will survive this crisis is yet to be seen. The esteemed panel on Vogue Global Conversations spoke to the short term and long term affects for the consumer. Ideally the future department store will be relevant and act as an ambassador of the culture in that market or city and must be a destination when traveling. Hopefully when we will return to crowded places, the local department store will be positioned as a friendly place and a refuge in the rain between meetings and most critically, be clean enough for customers and employees to feel safe. The business of creating desire to motivate people into the stores and elevating the customer journey will force retailers to raise the bar even higher.

Analyzing the Quarantined Consumer hosted by the Traub company was another retail focused webinar. Hearing statistics on content engagement analyzed by over 4.9 million active online retail consumers across the USA, split between Gen Z to Baby Boomers was interesting and the data was not too surprising. With an anxious, stressed and nervous society, fashion and style took a backseat to a shift in fitness subscriptions and online exercise classes. Enrichment streaming skewed higher than watching the all consuming news with Netflix breaking records and people having the time and inclination to engage in crafts and cooking tutorials plus listen to Ted Talks.

And we all know what generation is obsessed with TikTok! Interestingly, social responsibility for brands was way down replaced with availability and immediate delivery across all age groups. When luxury came up, my take away was health is wealth. Brands will need to lean toward the positive, be respectful, aspirational and relevant to recapture brand loyalty.

Collective D(esign) , Part of an IIDA Webinar series for Shared Resources Support and Community, focused on the comfort and trust guests will require as they start to travel again. Creating meaningful experiences in an anti-microbial environment will be the new normal. Yes, antimicrobial is today’s buzz word! Designers discussed disruption in material choices for guest rooms, and luxury vinyl tile which is available in simulated wood grains and natural stone will be an important flooring option replacing carpet, which has had a perception of luxury. Minimalist design will replace embellished spaces, and finishes that are non -porous (porcelain tiles) and antimicrobial (but decorative) wall surfaces will be in demand as the need for hospitality brands to "overdeliver" on immaculate properties spiral. The necessity and immediacy to communicate that is in fact happening will ensure a brands market share.

In the material world for over 30 years I have noticed many cyclical influences across all market segments. Years ago, the healthcare industry looked to the hospitality world as their influence on design. Now the hospitality industry will be looking at healthcare design to inform designers of best practices to incorporate as they deliver on security, significance and surprise!

Moving on to an undefined future I am secure knowing we’ll get through this together! How are you managing? Please let us know. We’d really like to hear from you.