idle gaze research ethos
The keen forecaster or spotter will therefore choose industries that have no obvious or explicit crossovers to see if the idea in question is greater than the sum of the parts of the industry it starts in, and thus has a wider, more profound appeal. Cassie, or her equivalent, will look at luxury, food, technology, hospitality, automotive and... See more
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If we’re to resist the gravity well of banality, extract ourselves from of the containers of the past, escape the stifling grip of pre-packaged thinking, refuse to be complicit in the astro-turfing of culture, and create better, desired futures rather than merely slipstream into default ones, then what we really need is imagination. And the... See more
martin weigel • Fighting The Astro-Turfing Of Culture, The Gravity Well Of Banality, And The Stifling Grip Of Pre-Packaged Thinking — Martin Weigel
Cultural criticism has become a performative identity. Once the domain of academia and journalism, it’s now a currency for digital clout. The question isn’t just why critique thrives online—it’s why it’s been reduced to soundbites, stripped of depth, and optimized for engagement over insight.
Nikita Walia • The Rise of the TikTok Oracle
“In the process of chasing cool, brands have lost the purpose of analysing culture. Most of the signals considered ‘trends’ today are really nothing more than frivolous entertainment.
We’ve come to confuse what is ‘trending’ with what is a ‘trend’.”
Matt Klein, head of global foresight, Reddit
across history, there’s a kind of ebb and flow between simplicity and excess, practicality and ornament. Almost like breathing in and out, cultures swing from minimal/practical to ornate/expressive , and back again. Here are some of the overarching cycles and patterns you see repeating in fashion, art, and architecture :
1. Cycles of Simplicity →... See more
1. Cycles of Simplicity →... See more