Nicholas Lising-White is a behavioural analyst at Canvas8. With a degree in human geography from UCL, he is interested in the impact of differing cultural conditions on human behaviour. Outside of work, he can be found meandering between cafes on his bike, testing his culinary skills, and intermittently pottering around a rugby pitch.

People are taking a patchwork approach to self-expression to feel like they have control over how their identity is generated. Yet as individual expression becomes more mutable and mistrust in social systems abounds, there’s one place above all that people are seeking integrity and guidance: brands.

Reality Split

United States

Technology

Personal tech

Communications

Social networking

Messaging and calling

Telecommunications

Humane Inc. has launched Ai Pin, a screenless device designed to replace the smartphone by allowing people to focus more on the world around them than their screens. Although it appears to cater to the desires behind the ‘dumb’ phone renaissance, its interface may not suit most people’s needs.