For this project I was to help my generation feel as if they can relax into this new optimistic and nihilistic way of living by romanticising the mundane. At a time of political unrest consumers want to rediscover the beauty in everyday life to build cultural salience, my collaboration idea aims to drive local brand engagement at a time when everything seems bleak and hopeless to help with the building of businesses community.

• Moral injury results from taking part in or witnessing behaviours that go against your personal values

shopper priorities: doom-spending, choiceful shopping, and seeking community connections

• these are characteristics that future consumers are predicted to observe when shopping in 2024

cultural guide: niche is the new norm

• brands are playing into smaller niche trends/aesthetics circulating on TikTok, Instagram etc.

I think Gen Z and Millennials with the privilege of having disposable income in today's world would be looking to invest their money within small community projects where they know they will see a difference and it'll make a difference for those around them. Gen Z are opting for slower ways of living and are leaning into "hope-core", adopting a core purpose to embody a positive path forward for society and that gives consumers a clearly defined positive change they can buy into. Gen Z is demanding authenticity from brands as a result: 72% of Gen Z consumers are more likely to buy from a company that contributes to social causes as businesses are the only trusted institution globally, over NGOs, governments and media, according to the 2023 Edelman Trust Barometer.

• " HOW A MEANINGLESS LIFE CAN MAKE YOU TRULY HAPPY"

• "FINDING PLEASURE IN THE POINTLESSNESS"

• reading

• researching

• coffee

• community

• sustainability

• work-life balance

professional interests:

• journalism

• emerging trends

• creative strategy

• consumer insight

• sustainability

Combining both my personal and professional interests to create an FMP that reflects my own personal values as well as my goals as a creative.

"WE BELIEVE IN A REGENERATIVE COLLECTIVE GOAL WHERE ALL ACTORS, BIG AND SMALL, PLAY A PART IN THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE SOIL AND ITS MYRIAD OF BENEFITS IN FIXING THE PLANET. WE ARE PROUD TO SUPPORT THE MANY SMALL GROUPS OF INDIVIDUALS WHO WORK TIRELESSLY BEHIND THE SCENES TO BRING POSITIVE CHANGES TO THE WAY WE EAT AND THE WAY WE LIVE INCLUDING OUR FRIENDS AND PARTNERS AT WILDFARMED."

With two main restaurants in Newington Green and Colebrooke Row and a small bakery/coffee house on Redchurch Street in Shoreditch, the chain specialises in ethically sourced ingredients to create rich and homely style food. Being called one of London's most stylish and progressive hospitality groups the brand's morals and values run deep throughout all aspects of the brands from farming, to production, to even how they choose site locations etc. Jolene's main goal is to elevate the movement within consumer consciousness and promote its positive impact on carbon sequestration and self-immunity through soil health and can affect political legislature about farming practices in the U.K.

“We had a very clear vision of what we wanted to create and wanted to do it our way.” “We are not business men,” he jokes. “Sometimes we have to make decisions that aren’t good for business, but they’re good for people.”

"We believe that every cup of coffee has the power to change lives for the better. That's why we take the time to get to know the farmers and their stories, paying a fair price that's at least 2.5x above the minimum fair-trade price, so they can continue to sustain their livelihoods and communities.

With every sip of our coffee, you can enjoy rich flavours and aromas, knowing that you're contributing to a better world."

I chose 15 Grams as a potential collaboration because they have become one of my favourite local coffee shops since moving to London for Uni, the vibe in their Greenwich store is always so inviting and I love the sense of community their brand has. Their tone of voice is very educational when it comes to sustainable coffee production which is something that I'm looking at for this project.

They are all about quality customer experience, adamant on the fact that they will never introduce digital ordering systems as they want to keep the face-to-face interaction with their customers. As well as this, instead of investing high amounts of money into larger branches Blank Street have decided to have smaller but more frequent branches throughout their cities, spending less much on infrastructure and design and putting more money into quality of product, service and brand advertising.  

Blank Street Coffee also uses automated espresso machines meaning cafe workers at the store require less training than at a typical cafe, something Llado says helps employees focus less on the manual work but more on the customer experience. 

She hand-builds the sculptures using slabs which she cuts and manipulates to create abstract shapes. The glazing technique is layered using different types of glaze recipes such as a highly textured crater glaze. Colour is key to Lina's work generally and by using ceramic stains to create colour palettes for each piece.

"Freedom is the key inspiration for the pieces I created for The Ode To. Free from utility and being purely decorative, the sculptures can be seen as pure form and even as painterly gestures."

Showcased on her Instagram, Lina also shows of her more traditional pottery work, mugs, plates, candle sticks etc. that still show her very unique style of ceramics and her own personal taste. Encompassing her love of fun playful shapes and colours, her free-spirited way of designing, her body of work shows a spectacle of abstract playful design.

Unfortunately Abby doesn't have a website and there is next to nothing on the internet about her and her work so the idea of using her for thus collab was ruled out pretty quickly, as I felt using her would stop the flow of my project as I wasn't able actually to find anything out about her to begin with so it would be harder when it came to more in depth research.

I feel as if for this project I want to work with a smaller coffee chain in which the values align with the sustainability aspect I am trying to preach as well as the sense of community I am trying to build around this project, that's why for me I think this collab would not be the right choice for this project and wouldn't be the best example of a ideal collaboration I would pitch based off of my consumer insight research. Working with Poppy Almond I find would be difficult due to just the sheer lack of information there is online about her and her work and even trying to see her work in person is not possible due to her work only being sold on her Etsy story (which is currently closed for the foreseeable).

The look and feel of both Jolene and Lina E feel as if they align very well with each other. Aesthetic-wise, they both have a very warm feel in their use of colours, but they're also both a bit rustic looking from an outward perspective something that I feel compliments and reflects each brand's style. I feel as if a collab between the two would be very believable as Jolene seem like the type of businesses the collaborate with other smaller independent businesses, as well as the fact that the products produced by Lina E fit the visual aesthetic Jolene are showing both brands seem to me as if they would match very well.

But despite all this my FMP still needed to be done, so I thought I'd use my frustration to create something that felt as if it had a purpose and meaning behind it. So I started by doing some trend research into the needs and wants for my generation (gen Z) as well as millennials, generations that are continually misunderstood and disregarded by the rise of negative outlook on "woke" culture, I found out that what I was feeling wasn't singular but in fact "trending" in a way. I knew from this that I wanted to create a project in which a community aspect would be at the forefront and look at ways to bring people together in a digital world. My research showed that the younger generations are in favour of slowing down our way of life, finding pleasure in the mundane and rebuilding some sort of transparency lost over the years of being misled by our government. So using my research and discussing with my friends around me, I thought the best way to build my FMP and feel as if what I was creating was actually for something.

For the last year and a half, I have worked as a barista in a coffee shop I meet different people every day but I also see the same people every day, and I have been able to see what positive impact something as simple as a coffee and a chit-chat can have on people's days. For some people, it gives their day a structure and a purpose to get out of the house, and it has an immense impact on me and my social skills this is something that I found as an inspiration point for my project. I knew I wanted to build a community project out of something as simple as coffee and have the culture emphasise regaining connections in a chronically online generation, whilst also finding how I can use my skills to create a rich and meaningful project. Using my interests in trend researching and social listening in general, I wanted to create a community that felt as if it could be actualised, so I decided to build "PERK UP" a community built off of the independent bakery JOLENE and is in partnership with Mad Millennials a mental health charity fighting loneliness in the younger generation. The aim is to rebuild transparency and human connection through the simple mundane acts that have been forgotten about today to get people talking about issues that are directly impacting our future, with talks at each meeting by people giving insight into different aspects of the creative industry and the wider world, as well as giving people to make new friends in their adulthood. I chose JOLENE as through my research I found that their brand values and morals align with what I wanted to vocalise through my community and they were in the right age group for who I wanted to target my community towards.

Sorry this is a lot, but I just felt as if I needed to give some context to my very non-fashion fashion degree final major project <3

Cameron:

• Howies- looking at sustainable fabrics and how they promote it whilst creating a community

• The Black Farmer Brixton- looking at breaking societal norms and also the modern agricultural system

• Gen me vs. Gen we- the juxtaposing views

Elva:

• Kinfolk magazine- lifestyle, fashion, food and culture, visually very aesthetic magazine

• Studio Arhoj- good research point. Ceramics and glasswork, fun, quirky, storytelling

• Textile-to-textile recycling?

Peer feedback:

• use my contacts at my work place to maybe get more insight into the production of coffee and the journey. Potentially make a small leaflet explaining the journey illustrated with drawings?

• nobel rot magazine?

• potential physical outcome for summative presentation

• consider price point and if its accessible for Gen Z
  

"WE BELIEVE IN A REGENERATIVE COLLECTIVE GOAL WHERE ALL ACTORS, BIG AND SMALL, PLAY A PART IN THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE SOIL AND ITS MYRIAD OF BENEFITS IN FIXING THE PLANET. WE ARE PROUD TO SUPPORT THE MANY SMALL GROUPS OF INDIVIDUALS WHO WORK TIRELESSLY BEHIND THE SCENES TO BRING POSITIVE CHANGES TO THE WAY WE EAT AND THE WAY WE LIVE INCLUDING OUR FRIENDS AND PARTNERS AT WILDFARMED."

With two main restaurants in Newington Green and Colebrooke Row and a small bakery/coffee house on Redchurch Street in Shoreditch, the chain specialises in ethically sourced ingredients to create rich and homely style food. Being called one of London's most stylish and progressive hospitality groups the brand's morals and values run deep throughout all aspects of the brands from farming, to production, to even how they choose site locations etc. Jolene's main goal is to elevate the movement within consumer consciousness and promote its positive impact on carbon sequestration and self-immunity through soil health and can affect political legislature about farming practices in the U.K.

“We had a very clear vision of what we wanted to create and wanted to do it our way.” “We are not business men,” he jokes. “Sometimes we have to make decisions that aren’t good for business, but they’re good for people.”

“We are not businessmen,” “Sometimes we have to make decisions that aren’t good for business, but they’re good for people.”

The quote above is just a great example of what I mean when I talk about how they have managed to remain authentic even throughout their expansion, constantly having people and peoples needs at the heart of decisions they make to create the most enjoyable experience for their customers.

His passion for food continued to grow and in April 2017, an opportunity arose to take on a derelict chemist in Islington and turn his dream of opening a bakery into a reality. Through the help of Creative Director Lucy, a number of close friends & family, and many hours watching YouTube videos on everything from plumbing to tiling, the doors opened in October 2017.

With this emerging mindset, brands have the opportunity to take these tensions and turn them into ironic optimism. Playing into the chaos and building a community amongst the younger generation by channeling authenticity and sincerity to gain trust and understanding, allowing them to amid joy in economically challenging times. The idea of brands tapping into peoples hobbies in order to gain a more personal connection will further instal the empowering look our generation is having in a time where there doesn't seem to be a "silver lining" as such.

I think the ideal consumer for this collaboration would be someone around the late Gen Z (21-27) /early millennial (28-38) age range practicing the Gen We mindset. They are someone with enough disposable income to be able to afford these type of luxuries and care about where they are spending their money, living around North/ North-East London since graduating from University. A sustainably conscious generation already due to the growing anxieties of climate change, my consumer is someone who looks to support smaller sustainable projects that feel like they're making a difference, whether that is locally at markets or buying off of small brands on Instagram or Etsy. I don't see my ideal consumer as any particular gender as I feel as if this collab project is non-gender specific, but I see it attracting a particular type of person who's morals align with the values of the consumer-described.

My consumer is someone who also has an appreciation for a slower lifestyle and appreciates a healthy work-life balance, a lover of food and coffee they're someone who values good quality ethically produced products. In a time of shifting socio-cultural priorities, not shopping in commercial highstreet chains for their daily caffeine fix my consumer likes to spend their money wisely in places where their custom is appreciated and they're treated with value, purchasing from places with a strong ethical voice who are contributing to the wider community. They spend their spare time testing out new businesses in their local area and getting themselves familiar with the community.

They work within the creative field working for some sort of charity or within a sustainably conscious brand, my consumer values where they work and how their time is spent and used within a company. My consumer values community and connection and take this very seriously when deciding where they will work, appreciating companies that will allow them to grow personally and professionally and where their ideas will contribute to a bigger purpose. Valuing education even in adult life, my consumer is someone who is politically and economically aware of the growing struggles amongst their generation and finds ways within their life to educate themselves on current affairs to ensure a better understanding of the world around them.

My consumer's hobbies include reading, writing, pottery, the theatre and outdoor activities such as running and hiking. They like to challenge themselves and like I suggested they are someone who is very much educated in terms of current affairs so they like to read non-fiction books, the guardian is their news source of choice as it helps them to further educate themselves on their left-wing views. They value the time they spend with their close friends as building strong connections with people is something that they cherish, drawn to a more introverted way of living, my consumer's favourite way to spend their time with their loved ones is over a more cozy and intimate dinner party whether this be hosted by them or at their favourite local restaurant Jolene.

Nihilism – a rejection of purpose and values and a belief in the idea that nothing matters – is pushing Millennials and Gen Z to question the productivity-obsessed and goal-oriented culture they exist in.

Often described as a social-media-obsessed generation, millennials and Gen Z's are finding ways to reclaim this but from a more optimistic and nihilistic viewpoint. Nihilism is described as a rejection of perfection and is defined as "unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly or greedy, typically in a way that rejects social norms or expectations". Our generation is finding ways to reject the status quo to find a counterbalance between activism and wellness and redefine the nihilistic image. Our generation is the first to be watching global catastrophes unfold in front of our eyes on our phone screens every day, although harmful in many ways if seen by individuals who are too young, it is allowing us to see unfiltered truth and learn about the detrimental effects of western media has had on our generations view of the world. Research has found TikTok now delivers troubling content to users (such as content centred on self-harm or eating disorders) every 39 seconds. Add in TikTok's algorithm, which shares interest-based content on a continuous cycle, and doomscrolling has become almost inescapable on the platform. This has caused a generational shift and a rejection of what we have been told before is the norm when coming into adulthood, it has allowed our generation to be able to make up their own minds as they are finally able to see an unfiltered world which has been hidden from them in previous years.

Young consumers of digital media have embraced and adopted a nothing matters worldview, contributing to the spread of a new sort of generational nihilism. Young people who use digital forums to embrace this idea collectively to feel less alone are exhibiting a surge in digital collective effervescence (a feeling of harmony) and a sense of camaraderie. The floating rock craze on TikTok revolves around the notion that since we are minuscule particles in an immense cosmos, there is no purpose to experience emotions because nothing is genuinely significant. 1.1 billion relevant videos are available. The number of Reddit users interested in r/nihilism has increased dramatically over the past three years, from 31k in January 2019 to 130k in February 2023.

The internet is undergoing generational fragmentation as it braces for a new chapter, with younger audiences coming of age online. Dominant trends and platforms from the recent past, made popular by Millennials, are not seen as cool by Gen Z. According to The Atlantic's Kate Lindsay, “Millennials are ageing out of the Internet. I don’t mean we can’t use it anymore or that we don’t belong here ... but that the internet that we built and used for the last 15 years is not the internet that we are on anymore.” Social platforms are becoming less social: 70% of Gen Z see TikTok as entertainment according to research by the platform, with the algorithm determining interests and recontextualising the mainstream for each user.

Moral injury results from taking part in or witnessing behaviours that go against your morals, and as we forecast in STEPIC Drivers 2026, it will continue amid a polycrisis as people compromise their values to fit their living standard. Examples could include buying fast fashion because the sustainable alternative is too expensive, or commuting via a car due to a lack of public transportation. In a 2022 LATAM survey, 47% said they strongly agree that it's more difficult to act responsibly because of higher living costs.- WGSN

Since the pandemic and subsequent economic challenges, many have fallen below the green line level of sustainable affordability. A report by Untold Insights found that 96% of Gen Z and Millennial respondents in the UK cannot make eco-conscious purchases because of increased living costs, and a report by global health and hygiene company Essity found that one third of people in the UK are living below the green line.

Finding meaning in the new world- Anti-nihilism is not toxic positivity, the concept that keeping positive, and only positive, is the right way for people to live their lives, and which keeps people from processing emotions and invalidates the feelings of others. Instead, it can be understood through the lens of tragic optimism, which boasts a more realistic framing and allows the new generation to see the world without the "rose-tinted glasses" on. This theory has been accelerated because of the use of social media and over-saturated platforms, such as TikTok, have forced this generation to form their own opinions and standpoints on their lives. Like I have said, Generation Z have been the trailblazers in this shift but so have Millennials. Living through the 2008 recession millennials have faced hard-ships that will forever alter their outlook on the world we live in, and have further pushed the idea of searching for a life of meaning away from corporate structure and societies expectations of them. Finding joy within their life outside of their work reflects the absurdity of the career-obsessed generations before us.

Generation Z and Alpha are growing up whilst regressing simultaneously, to combat this people are redefining what it means to be rich. Rather than the end goal to be finically rich todays generation are looking to be enriched in more fulfilling and redefine what it means to be successful due to the failing society we are living in today. Gen Z and Millennials have adapted to this and are finding happiness outside of traditional norms of success, overwhelmed by the problems facing the world they inherited they’re compelled to take action as they’ve got nothing left to lose. This group is tired of the systems in place, and they’ve co-opted nihilism to cope with the fact that no one is coming to save them, so they’re trying to save themselves.

This article discusses the rise, in simple terms what can be described as a moral compass. Due to the hardships that we are living through and experiencing Gen Z's are looking to work in the right industry for them that reflects their values and has adapted to these cultural shifts amongst the generation. This generation is rejecting stereotypes built by older generations and allowing themselves to find a new kind of success.

A mix of both aspirational inspiring comments about going out and living your life to the fullest, mixed with comments coming from a more realist point of view on the matter in a way that speak of the struggles of living during this polycrisis. A mix of anger and aspiration, I think even these few comments sum up the general feelings of a generation that has faced many struggles. The combination of fearfulness, anger, and upset with the want to do better than the generations before us makes our generation better already in the sense that we know the world today is damaged but we are working with what we've got in order to make change.

pricity is a low waste operation. We have consciously reconsidered everything we do from displaying the menu, how we wash the dishes and who supplies us. British produce is championed, to promote our wonderful makers, growers and farmers, and to ensure flavour is paramount, as well as reducing our outputs.

The term “glimmer” comes from psychotherapist Deb Dana, who defines it as small moments of positivity that can combat negative emotions. Glimmers engage the body’s vagus nerve, which can regulate a person’s heartbeat and mental state, making them a healthy coping mechanism for people who suffer from PTSD, depression or anxiety. Glimmers will become a more universal healing tool and practice as more people struggle with negative emotions.

Glimmers are more personal in the sense that they are individual to each person and what they see as a true form of happiness, whether that be watching a sunset or hearing your favourite song in a cafe, glimmers are personal to each person and provide a small feeling of hope to combat these negative emotions. Glimmers can be seen as a universal healing tool and can be used as a way to engage consumers with the brand on a deeper level and provide comfort. A good example of this is Spotify's new AI generated day list setting that builds the listener a personalised playlist based on what they are usually listening to at that time in the day. Listeners will receive a morning mix, an afternoon mix, and an evening mix with witty hyper-personalised titles aimed to encapsulate niche emotions bringing humour into something as simple as a playlist.

In terms of what is trending, it goes back to things that were once popular and are making the rounds and once again becoming popular but on a different more modernised level. In a day and age where consumers may feel forgotten due to the overwhelming amount of businesses, big or small trying to make their way and gain a following, Gen z's in particular want to feel like they are being listened to and considered. Anxiety to keep up with digital environments is at a high and users are experiencing the fear paradox, or “FOLO squared”. On one side of the pendulum is the fear of logging off which is driven by FOMO (fear of missing out) on niche cultural references or ephemeral social media moments. On the other side, there is the fear of logging on due to the panoptic surveillance state that social media has become.

Events like this have become more popular over the last few years after the rise of influencers and brands realising how useful of a marketing tool they are. Pop-ups like such allow the consumer to have a more personalised shopping experience, telling customers there are only limited tickets available for the weekend-long popup creating this sense of exclusivity on top of an already niche target audience showing that Outsourced vintage is listening to watch their consumers are watching and liking online and are trying to replicate that in real life. They know their consumers aren't the average high street shopper and are stimulated by quirky clothing and by pairing up with Lara, someone who is chronically on London Fashion TikTok, allows the consumer to feel as if they are being listened to. The small intimate style pop-up only accessible by tickets continues to intrigue their typical consumer as that sense of exclusivity is something that shoppers are looking for as it makes them feel recognised.

Targeting to a niche audience automatically takes a business out of the mainstream agenda, although you're brand might not be everyone's cup of tea, there will be an audience for it and they are more likely to remain loyal to them. Building a tight-knit consumer base knocks out the opportunity for competition, although there may be other brands out their doing similar things to each other if a consumer likes the tone of voice of the brand and how they market to their consumers this is something that they won't forget when browsing other businesses. As I have looked at already, consumers are in demand for brands that align with their morals in light of the declining state of the world, so by brands tapping into a smaller and more reachable consumer base rather than mainstream content, the brand will be able to build a richer fan base.

The idea is that this generation is increasingly more narcissistic and less empathetic than any other generation prior. Also, this generation places more value on matters of material and extrinsic worth and relies on themselves and their own ingenuity more than any of their predecessors.

The idea here is that this generation is community-oriented and altruistic. Members generally feel responsible on a personal level for the well-being of the world and the people in it. With this they are also a generation that is more accepting of all peoples in society due to their enhanced global awareness following technological advances.

Gen We are the driving force of change when it comes to marketing, they have given brands a reason to be more open and honest with consumers whilst also breaking industry boundaries that were imprinted on them from generations before. The call to be more real when it comes to social media, boycotting Facetune and airbrushing along with Instagram filters and heavy makeup contouring, Gen we are about positive change on a small scale to make bigger impacts that will have a positive change on communities. Less affected by the constraints of gender and the stereotypical characteristics of men and women, studies show that this generation is more open-minded of gender non-conforming individuals as well as to the idea of breaking gender stereotypes in terms of dress sense, workplace and roles within the household.

“The experience economy is extremely important to Gen Me: create products or experiences that enhance their image in the digital space, and they will be interested in you as a brand.”

The growing idea is that this generation is more narcissistic than generations previous due to them being brought up in the age of social media, placing more value on material things and appearance rather than their ingenuity. Millennials have been deemed a lazy and narcissistic generation, that young people today are immature and spoiled, are obsessed with technology, and are noncommittal, job-hopping from one employer to another. Although this may ring true amongst a large proportion of Millennials, there is certainly a generational shift in terms of what people want for themselves. The baby-boomer goals of buying a house and having a family are no longer easily achievable goals for millennials due to the decline of the economy, politics and the climate change movement people have bigger priorities. It seems to many to combat this Millennials are focusing inwards on themselves to provide themselves with the validation they would have once got from pursuing conventional goals like the generations before them. By becoming more aware of the declining state of the world, millennials felt as if they had to work on their outward appearance as the world seemed completely doomed, turning to social media IT girls like the Kardashians and the Jenners for ways of self-improvement and redefining their goals. Whether that be reaching 10,000 subscribers on their YouTube channel or finally getting that boob job they've been dreaming of since they were a teen, Gen Me are looking to alter their future by changing the nature in which they view being successful.

The most vocal proponent of the view that young people today are more narcissistic and self-centred than in previous generations is psychologist Jean Twenge at San Diego State University, California, who has been studying the shift for more than 15 years. Twenge believes that the rise in narcissism has its roots in cultural changes, especially the increased focus on individualism through the last few decades. For example, with parents, and society as a whole, today arguably placing greater value on young people’s individual achievement over their civic duty.

I liked the amount of drink options they had to offer, although a typically smaller menu there was a lot of variety when it came to alcohol-free options, and the selected few cocktails they had for this night in particular were on the drier side which I personally enjoy more in a cocktail.

From reading this article, I was able to relate it to myself and the people my age surrounding me that are also experiencing this same dilemma. The feeling of having to balance personal morals and the high stress that comes with the current economic crisis is affecting how we as a generation view money and how we spend it is a battle that is apparent in our spending habits. The pressure from the masses to be more sustainable and shop second hand but also the pressures to save money drives Gen Z and Millennials to buy from cheaper fast fashion alternatives.

I think what I take from reading this article is the importance, within my age category, of having a strong awareness of the current climate and how we use this in our everyday lives. This current recession that we are facing is causing us to analyse every aspect of our purchasing habits and re-think the importance of aligning our morals with this.

There is a running theme with brands reassuring Gen Z that leaning into re-commerce can help them find comfort in the fact that they’re contributing to a circular economy. The rise in second-hand fashion and charity shopping has grown immensely with the help of social media, especially TikTok, and has encouraged Gen Z and millennials to shop more sustainably. Fast fashion brands like Urban Outfitters have introduced "re-worked" collections that play into this need for example.

Jolene is the sort of place that we'd all love to have at the end of our street. It's a bakery first and foremost, selling wonderful pastries, biscuits and cakes – as well as delicious bread from flour they mill themselves. There's also a daily written blackboard menu of confidently executed sharing plates, with their house-made pasta something of a feature. The vibe is relaxed and the friendly service team will ensure you're well looked after. You can find more of the same at their Hornsey Road branch. - Michellen guide.

Longing for the past can be seen in the rise of #yearnposting on TikTok (1.4m views) where digital dwellers post about love, life, dreams and hopes, often with melancholy undertones. It can also be seen in popular accounts like @doseofsociety, where people on the street are interviewed about their biggest heartbreak or what they learned from their first love, sparking floods of comments from viewers reminiscing about their own experiences.

In a time of oversaturation on the internet it is hard for individuals to not feel overwhelmed with the amount of content they are ingesting. The pandemic, a boredom crisis and TikTok have intensified romantic consumerism (the notion that buying something will make us happier and more fulfilled), and algorithms and accelerating trend cycles have turned internet users into mass marketing subjects.

accelerating trend cycles. Consumers today are aware of the detrimental effects of constant social media use in a world that's more disconnected than ever, and are driving the need for change within the industry today calling for a "pause", they will be moving beyond digital hiatuses and rest stops to re-evaluate their relationship with tech in more intentional and long-term ways. Also bringing on a surge into a caring economy as consumers are finding it increasingly fundamental for brands to be in touch with their consumers values and well-being.

JOLENE are a small London-based chain of coffee shops and bakeries with sustainability and community at the heart of it, the homely and welcoming atmosphere that is translated through their locations as well as their staff is special and unique in today's oversaturated market. I want to create a JOLENE coffee community in partnership with the charity Mad Millennials that closes the gap between brand and consumer to create a collective of people to fight the loneliness epidemic that has spread amongst a generation. In a time where people are chronically online and disconnected from their own lives the rise of "Generation WE" is pushing for a more empathetic and connected future where people can feel like they are helping each other in this precariousness, and my community aims to bring that to real life.

Most used coffee grounds are similar in chemical composition, although coffee grounds used to make instant coffee have fewer chemicals in them due to a more extensive extraction process.^[2] Used coffee grounds are rich in sugars,^[3] which comprise about half of their weight. A further 20% is made up of proteins, and a further 20% is lignins.^[4] The dry coffee grounds contain significant amounts of potassium (11.7 g/kg), nitrogen (2.8 g/kg), magnesium (1.9 g/kg), and phosphorus (1.8 g/kg).^[5] The quantity of caffeine remaining in used coffee grounds is around 48% of that in fresh coffee grounds.^[6] There are significantly less tannins in used coffee grounds than fresh coffee grounds.^[7]

Application of 10 kg of coffee grounds per square metre has been suggested as part of a crop rotation system, where for the first six months, the field is allowed to lie fallow with a layer of coffee grounds on it suppressing weed growth. The coffee grounds are ploughed in and legumes are grown, which fix their nitrogen. Application of an equal amount of horse manure at the same time as the coffee grounds has been shown to nearly eliminate the negative effects of fresh-used coffee grounds. It has been proposed to use spent coffee grounds to feed ruminants, pigs, chickens and rabbits, but the high lignin content makes this an undesirable use.

Biodiesel may be produced from coffee grounds, either directly by extracting the oils using solvents, by mixing the grounds with methane and a catalyst or by using the grounds to feed bio-producing algae.

In concrete making, 10-15% of the sand used may be replaced with used coffee grounds.

It has been suggested to recover caffeine from used coffee grounds for commercial applications in agrifood, cosmetic, nutraceutical or pharmaceutic industries.

In 2021, Gloucestershire-based football club Forest Green Rovers trialled a kit made from 35% used coffee grounds combined with recycled plastic.

So all in all, my concept is to now build a community-style coffee meet group that centres around the brand Jolene. It will include social events at their branches that customers can sign up for and meet new people, discover new local artists, chat with other coffee fanatics, and most importantly combat loneliness. Building off of this idea of fighting loneliness amongst the new generation, I would like the community to be in partnership with a charity, to do this I now look into other establishments that are doing this already to find the tone of voice of my community.

Although a wonderful foundation, I feel as thought my Jolene community group doesn't align with the target audience of Age UK. As they are targeted towards the older generation, I feel as if my millennial/gen z consumer would be better suited to a charity that has more of that mindset and different goals for the generation in mind.

All in all, younger generations just want to feel like they're being listened to and that is what I want to achieve through creating the coffee community. Starting with a smaller-scale coffee chain like JOLENE will allow me to build a clear idea of what I want for the community and how it will have a more local impact as that is what is wanted by our generation. The ideal target audience is that of JOLENE's already exhibiting customer base, mature Gen Z and millennial London-based people who are looking for a familiar community built off of a love for something so mundane.

1. Meet like-minded, age appropriate young adults who you could realistically see yourself becoming friends with and who also wanted to make the most of their youth and explore the very best of what London has to offer.

2. Connect with people keen to do a range of social activities, rather than just one hobby or interest (as we don’t all want to talk for hours about running!).

3. See the same people regularly, so that connections could build organically and not have to trade numbers, when you haven’t properly yet gotten to know them.

Alongside this David wanted to see a change in the wider community, once holding his first community walk through Hampstead Heath where 12 people attended the community has only grown and with that so have David's ambitions for GFP. The community is now followed by 35,000 young people in their 20's and 30's and some events have up to 200 attendees.

We’re an arts and education charity and a social enterprise; our services support the growth of sustainable local creative economies. Over 600 artists, designers and makers are affiliated with Bow Arts through our workspaces, Nunnery Gallery, affordable housing for creatives, and award-winning schools and young people’s learning programme.

Most recently in 2023, Bow Arts partnered with Camden council to transform 90 vacant apartnements into affordable working studio space making it one of the largest affordable work spaces in the capital.

“The cost of property is driving young artists, designers and makers further and further out of London, in search of spaces to live and work in. The loss of talent and skills from these essential creative workers is massive; both for the economy of the city, but fundamentally for the lives of local communities living within London. 

“It is vital to keep artists in our cities – this new and unique partnership between Camden Council and Bow Arts is committed to creating over 150+ new truly affordable creative workspaces that will help early-career artists stay in London, and embed them within the local community.”

Marcel Baettig, Chief Executive Officer at Bow Arts

Since 2011, Kinfolk has become a leading lifestyle authority with a dynamic mix of print and online media, including a quarterly magazine sold in over 100 countries in four languages, daily posts on Kinfolk.com and bestselling books.

This involved making a full revision of the brand’s core values, through embracing a variety of worldwide baking traditions and championing a culture of innovation that brings people together. Sisban believes in the quality of relationships with local communities, so we also work hard with various charities to make a difference in the local neighbourhood in which each bakery operates.

The result is a revamped Chestnut brand that delivers knowledge, craftsmanship, opportunities and benefits to aspiring generations who want to practice the magical art of baking.

For obvious reasons, Broccoli magazine isn't for the average magazine reader, their specialised subject matter applies to those who smoke cannabis or have relaxed views on it, although I do think that my article and subject matter would fit well into the magazine in terms of relatability and the types of people who read Broccoli I think that my article may not directly apply to the subject matter.

Released quarterly, each issue is seasonally themed, with all food, entertainment, and lifestyle content geared towards that theme. Articles include interviews with well-known chefs, accompanied by themed menus with recipes, illustrated guides to daily encounters and inspirational photo essays encouraging readers to try new activities.

In addition to its print publication, Kinfolk organizes monthly "community gathering" events that take place around the world, each based on a seasonal theme such as flower potlucks, butcher's block parties and campfire cooking. These events take place concurrently and aim to unite the global community of Kinfolk readers while also offering practical advice and lessons. The company also produces international food-based workshops, cookbooks and a short film series.

The array of different featured interviewees they have cover a wide range of topics, from Nigella Lawson to Kano then Professor Brian Cox, Nobel Rot offers a wide variety of guests giving perspectives on food and drinks from whatever sector they're in. The brightly designed covers are what initially drew my to Nobel Rot magazine but on further research I have begun to learn more about the tone of voice of the publication and what they aim to do, which is to spread the same enjoyment that they have for gastronomy.

"PERK UP" endeavours to build more meaningful connections between one another through finding comfort in the mundane, showing that even in a chronically online world, people need each other to feel a part of something greater and contribute to a cohesive movement.

From what I have researched into JOLENE and their products, it seems as if Pomme and JOLENE share a lot in common in terms of how they produce their products and their sustainability ethos.

Chestnut Bakery practices Sisban’s desire to help the local communities in which its businesses operate. Chestnut donates food to the Felix Project helping feed the homeless across London and also raises money for The Chelsea Pensioners. It is also environmentally conscious, by reducing food waste through creating a ‘Surplus’ range of products that utilise food waste in and by partnering with Too Good To Go to reduce CO² emissions.

If the weather’s nice, you can grab a table on the terrace, while you can also use your visit to do a spot of shopping, as Boxcar sells larder items and household goods, including oils, spreads, artisan chocolates, beauty products and homeware.   

"There’s an underlying sense of stress because of the politics in the UK. Feeling unsupported by the government makes me worry I won’t be able to find a good job/ make enough money to live comfortably in the future"

"Yes, the future of the country and world is super unpredictable at the moment, it’s scary"

These are just a few of the responses that I got for this question and I feel very blessed that respondents felt as if they could speak openly and honest about their own struggles and fears for the world. The responses for this question were all along the same line of feeling scared for out futures etc, giving me further confirmation as to what I have been writing and researching about. It also gives me a greater awareness to the generational shift to the view on the government and politics in general, some people going into more specific detail that others, but the general consensus is that people are scared by our political state and government and find it really hard to picture a future in somewhere like the UK where it is so uncertain.

"Yes definitely. I feel like there definitely is a shift in comparison to even our parents generation. I think people just value and see more importance in different things now. I think in previous generations there was this set structure of what success is whereas i feel like we see more oppurtunity now and it isnt such a set thing, it can be more independant and relative to the person!"

"Somewhat, many value having a fulfilled life although many still rate success by the amount of money they make"

"Yes, success is now 500k followers and a brand deal"

The responses for this questioned varied, majority relating to the research that I have already found, stating that they thought our generation's view on success was more individual and that people aren't following society's expectations of success as they have previous years, shying away from financial success and redefining it in terms of happiness and quality of life. But, then other responses showed that people now see success in terms of social media and fame showing that even today peoples wants and values for their future still vary. This is very helpful for my project and shows that there is a generational need to slow down and redefine the stereotypically view of what being successful is.

"I don’t feel like I higher my expectations off of influencers but I can definitely see why it would have an effect in some people when you see people living these “perfect lives” you start to look at your own and doubt that your doing well"

"I hate it, I appreciate content creators and storytellers but influencers sometimes seem a bit silly"

"Yes, some influencers are damaging in the unrealistic lifestyles and behaviour they portray. They rob reality for a lot of people."

The responses to this question show that there are definitely mixed opinions when it comes to influencers and the effects they have had on our generation's expectations of themselves, many feel as if the type of influencers that are about today create unrealistic lifestyle expectations. When influencers were just emerging on social media beauty and fashion were at the forefront of what people were consuming, early Youtuber's like Zoella showing people her makeup and hair routine, but influencing today is so much more than that. People have learnt from previous years that there is a lot of money to be made in terms of influencing, selling a product by showing yourself integrating it into your life for a 30-second clip for it then to never be used by that person again, it feels as though influencer culture is being used as a promotional tool more than ever and people are starting to feel the disingenuous path that it is taking. As well as this, influencers today are promoting a lifestyle, picture-perfect brunches, aesthetically pleasing shopping days with their besties and pub nights with multitudes of friends, these types of images and videos can have just as an effect on peoples mental wellbeing. Selling a lifestyle of jam-packed, friend-filled excursions is making our generation feel more and more left behind, feeling this urge to go out and post about it to prove that you are also "living the dream". I think this has gotten worse over the years, especially surrounding influencer culture in London, people are feeling like they aren't doing as much as those they see on social media when really its all just a social strategy to get people to engage with their content.