A panacea for the pandemic, Design Emergency is a research project hosted on Instagram. Every week, the founders investigate the design industry’s response to COVID-19. The series also explores how the aftermath of the global crisis could reshape the way designers approach their craft.

KFC and Crocs have entered into a collaboration to create a fried chicken-themed ‘Bucket Clog’, complete with chicken-scented charms. As young people engage with fashion in a more playful, tongue-in-cheek way, iconic brands are luring fans with lighthearted and ironic merch.

Replacing wait staff and servers with robots is one way to minimise human-to-human contact in a pandemic, but the dystopian vibe is enough to put some people off. Customers are underwhelmed by a robot bartender in Spain, suggesting that autonomous tech may not be the best answer.

With beauty fans adding more colour to their make-up routines, the shopping experience is paramount and this is evident among Chinese Gen Zers. IRL retail brand WOW Colour is tapping their dedication to domestically-made brands and willingness to make beauty shopping shareable.