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Our predictions for 2022
Our
predictions
for
2022
Senior Client Manager and Strategist
We wanted to channel that optimism
into a list of 22 predictions for the
coming year, and share what we expect
and hope to see happen in 2022.
While the Pandemic is still rampant around the globe, it also feels like a
shift has taken place compared to this time last year. People are accepting
that it is here to stay and will just become a part of life that we need to live
with, as opposed to something we need to continually fight and shut down
our lives to beat. With this realisation has come an undercurrent of
optimism that was clearly missing at the start of 2021. For us, we wanted
to channel that optimisim into a list of 22 predictions for the coming year,
and share what we expect and hope to see happen in 2022. We’ve broken
these out into ten predictions from the team as a whole, as well as a
further twelve from people who had something they specifically wanted to
add to the list.
- Flexible working will be cemented as the norm. We already saw thisbegin to take place through 2021, but as countries opened and peoplewere able to return to work, reports continued to circulate ofcompanies expecting their workers to be in the office a certain numberof days a week. We hope to see this flexiblity shift to encompass whatthe employees want in a working day. If they want to be at home mostdays because of commitments to children, to save gas money, orbecause they elected to move out of the central city, we believe thisshould be normalised, and hope to see this come true in 2022.
- Electric Vehicles will account for c. 30% of new car sales, globally.Already in countries like Norway, sales of electric vehicles have vastlyoutstripped those of internal combustion engines. It’s only a matter oftime before EVs become mainstream, but in the meantime, we’repredicting that they account for ~30% of new vehicle sales by year-end.
- Governments will finally acknowledge that we have to live with Covid.For most of us, we’ve come to terms with the fact that Covid is here tostay - those of us that believe it even exists, that is 😂. As we move intothe third year of the pandemic, we hope to see governments worldwidebegin to relax restrictions and work towards a reality closer to what wesaw in 2019, albeit one that is infinitely more environmentally focusedthan before.
- Global warming and climate change will continue exhibiting themselvesin greater extremes. We know that the climate crisis is worsening;we’ve spoken about it enough. Unless people, businesses, andgovernments begin to prioritise climate over cash, the crisis is onlygoing to get worse. We feel that 2022 is the year that somethingdramatic will happen in the climate change battle where the damagewill outweigh the profits, and people begin waking up and realise thatliving with nature is infinitely better than living against it.
- Digital will come under scrutiny for being environmentally unfriendly.With the increased/growing popularity of new digital concepts such asMetaverses, NFTs, Crypto, Web3, it is likely that digital offerings willcome under greater scrutiny for their environmental impact. As aresult, we believe that a movement will begin that will see digitalbusinesses begin working to green the digital world. The potentialbenefits of these new technologies can already be seen in some areas.For example, through technologies such as those suggested in theMetaverse, combat and commercial pilots can train for the real dealwithout having to use a real plane, reducing unnecessary emissions withlittle impact on practical experience. Considering that the US Military isa bigger polluter than over 100 countries combined, this already offershuge promise when it comes to emission reductions.
- Small businesses are prioritised locally. This is one that we would reallylike to see come to life in 2022. While the big brands and online retailersdo a lot for convenience, they do little for community feel. We reallywant to see 2022 reopen with a realignment on supporting the smaller,local brands that add to the character and personality of our cities andtowns, and have a much more engaging feel than delivery through thepost.
- Mental health will come to the forefront. As the pandemic is normalised,we feel that the underlying mental health issues that have begun toarise over the past two years will begin entering more and more intoglobal dialogue, hopefully ushering in a new way of thinking about andaddressing mental health issues globally.
- GenZ will become a keystone generation in the economy. Alreadymaking headlines through the early 2020s, we believe that 2022 will bethe year that GenZ’s begin to give Millenials a run for their money asthe generation people talk about, both in terms of their impact on theeconomy (globally and locally), as well as the differences in theirbehaviour when compared to their older brethren.
- People will start craving analogue experiences more. We already leadincredibly digital lives, made more digital by the pandemic. Having saidthis, I believe our digital reliance will be tempered by an increaseddesire for tactile experiences. Hobbies and boardgames have alreadyseen a huge uptick in demand through the pandemic, and as we returnto something resembling a pre-pandemic world (in some respects), Ibelieve people will begin investing in analogue artefacts, like qualitywatches, physical books, pens, and other such items, over their digitalcounterparts.
- Data (in any form) will continue to achieve astronomical growth andimportance. Data observability, specialisation of different ETL layers,data exploration, and data security all thrived in 2021 and will continueto do so as users fill their databases with ever more information. AtWonderland, as an example, we use data to fuel the creative process topredict what “creative” route will work the best for our clients and theirusers/customers.
After our collective predictions, a few people from within the team wanted
to add a few of their own predictions to the list;
- People will wake up to the damage caused by fast fashion.From what I'veseen in 2021, it seems like some companies are being held responsible(by the people at least) for overproducing clothes and green-washingtheir initiatives. People seem to be becoming more critical about wherethey get their clothes from and questioning if they really need it. It alsofeels like second-hand shopping / clothing is becoming more popular,and amongst multiple age groups! - Gwen, Jr. Developer.
- A billionaire will commit or invest a significant proportion of their wealth into tech that fights climate change.People in the 1% can often have strong beliefs surrounding their legacyand family, so the risk of that legacy being negatively impacted by thecurrent climate crisis, or that their family may not survive the impactscould lead to investment decisions that fight climate change. Iftechnology is developed that could be both helpful in the climatechange battle, and profitable, it is likely that a billionaire or two willinvest. For instance, this could be a breakthrough in battery tech, wherea cheaper, lighter, smaller, longer-lasting and more efficient type ofbattery is developed that could hold a charge from sustainable sourcesfor longer periods of time, thus making energy from non-renewablesources obsolete and less profitable. - Molly, Jr. Data Scientist
- The Creator Economy will catch its stride.More and more people areseeking alternative and additional income streams to cope with risingcosts of living and to increase their financial freedom and flexibility. Inthe wake of Covid, with the Great Resignation in full swing, more andmore people are reevaluating what they want in life and makingchanges accordingly for a more flexible future. - Silvie, Senior Designer
- Companies will need to work harder to retain talent.Through thepandemic, people’s spending abilities were reduced, and at the sametime, they evaluated both how their companies treated them as theywere forced to work remotely, and how true to their missions theyremained. In the wake of these changes, honesty and transparency arelikely to become increasingly important in companies both big and smallif they want to retain quality talent, especially among Millenials whohave saved money through the pandemic and are willing to take the riskand leave so they can find a business that aligns with their own moralcompass, and GenZers entering the workforce. - Joanna, Studio Lead.
- Many more people will live a part of their lives in the virtual world.With VRheadset prices expected to decrease, spending time in the virtual worldwill become more and more accessible to many. VR will blend intomainstream sectors such as fitness, fashion, e-commerce (virtualshowrooms), and may even be an option in workplaces. With manypeople still working remotely in 2022, there’s a growing desire toconnect with colleagues in a physical-like space. This is where VR can beutilised to connect remotely, communicate, and collaborate. This massmarket adoption will likely be linked to Apple’s expected VR/AR device,rumoured to launch in late 2022 (or early-2023). - Michelle, Jr. Designer
- The cryptocurrency and NFT scene will switch to a more sustainable creation process.People are now aware of the effects NFT's and cryptocurrencies haveon the planet. Because of this, I believe the creators and miners ofthese digital items will search for more eco-conscious solutions toproduce these items. - Jose, Developer
- Plant-based diets will increase by 5%. As more information becomesavailable, and as more documentaries are produced exposing themeat/sea industries, many more people will adopt more sustainableplant-based diets to reduce their climactic footprint. - Megan, Designer
- There will be a shift away from flying in favour of trains and cars.I believethat in 2022 the carbon cost of flying will become more of an issue andthat in countries and continents like the EU where the rail network is sowell connected, that people will begin opting for rail travel more andmore. - Janina, Client Manager
- Web3 will begin its growth towards dominance.Previous web iterationsfrom content consumption to content production have both beennormalised in society today. The next logical step - through Web3 - isthe decentralisation of the web, and in 2022 it will provide afundamental difference in how we interact with the online world. -Maarten, Sr. Developer
- Climate change will have an even more significant influence on the immigration crisis.As global warming continues to climb to new levels, it will continue todisrupt fragile ecosystems and climate environments, leading to naturaldisasters such as drought, flooding, desertification, hurricanes, andwildfires. As these disasters occur, they will lead to an even greaternumber of climate refugees who’re forcibly displaced from their homesand immigrate with the hopes of greater climate security. - Daniela, Jr. Designer & Animator
- Global spiritual and communication changes will happen and people will gather their vision.People understand that - in the current ecological context and after theevents of the past years - the game is up, and our leaders have failed.At their level nobody listens anymore, everybody speaks. Nobodychanges their mind and there are only sterile debates. The world'spopulation has understood this and will unite to finally do the job.Personalities are rising up and offering leadership based on what theworld really needs: communication, as well as moderate and thoughtfuladvice, delivering simple and affordable solutions. Outside of thisgovernmental economic competition, groups of people are unitingaround projects to make an impact on a local scale in terms ofproduction, consumption and communication. Wellness is on the way. -Ted, Senior Designer
- Virtual reality shopping will be normalised thanks to TikTok.With theamplification of online shopping due to Covid, we predict a shift in howthis looks through 2022. Under the current model, we order clothes andthen return what doesn’t fit or look right. But with TikTok’s meteoric risein popularity, we predict the social platform leading the shift to VRfitting rooms replacing the try-and-return model, both from asustainability perspective, and out of convenience. - My Kim, Brand Designer
After reading all this, what are your predictions for the coming year? Do
you agree or disagree with what we've predicted for 2022, or do you think
we missed a few? If so, we'd love to hear from you and see what else you
would add to the list!

INC 16-22 BRAND EXPERIENCE DESIGN 
