The whole world has experienced a very strange year. Some of us are fortunate enough to have avoided the ravages of the virus and managed to continue to work. Very sadly many have lost their jobs and in extreme cases, have lost loved ones.
My theme for the year has been change; now, more than ever, we need to change. We need to change daily habits; we leave the house with our facemask, we work from home, we spend endless hours on zoom calls, and we queue at local shops. Our shopping habits and holiday patterns have changed, and our Christmas lunch will be very different in a few weeks’ time. Change was happening anyway, but the virus has accelerated digital transformation, it has accelerated the decline of the high street, it has accelerated businesses ability to allow working from home. All this amounts to a phenomenal burst of change across the globe.
Dial back 100 years; the First World War (to end all wars) ended in 1918, by 1919 Spanish Flu hit the world and caused over 20 million deaths. Change was in the air though, and in the decade that became known as the Roaring 20s a period of economic prosperity with a distinctive cultural edge in both the United States and Europe was kicking off. Cars, telephone, movies, and radio changed the lives of millions. Rapid industrial and economic growth along with accelerated consumer demand caused significant shifts in lifestyle and culture. Design weas all about Art Deco, glamour, geometric skyscrapers and an over-abundance of shininess. The spirit of the Roaring 20s was marked by a general feeling of novelty associated with modernity and a break with tradition.
Sound familiar?
With an eternally optimistic and positive outlook on the world, I anticipate next year we’ll look back on a challenging year and there will be innovation and design opportunities in abundance. Will 2021 be the start of a new Roaring 20s?
Bring on the Roaring 2020s.
Credit: with thanks to Kirsten Speirs from KDMedia, who mentioned the Roaring 20s and inspired the title of my blog!
Andrew Wolffe
