If we could trade this year’s trends for peace, we would do it in a heartbeat. But right now, that is something we can only dream of. Brands2Life Global partner Adel & Link wants its trends to provide a glimmer of hope and keep alive our faith in a better tomorrow. Because ultimately, we have a lot to look forward to.

This year’s trends include:

#1: ClimateTech

Planting trees is a great start. But climate tech start-ups think there’s more we can do to save the planet: they are developing devices that are powered by renewable energy and capture carbon to recycle or neutralise it. They produce CO2-absorbing cladding, recycle carbon from the atmosphere to make construction materials and work on ways to reuse concrete from demolished buildings to combat climate change.

#2: Tech Fatigue

With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, digitisation started permeating almost all areas of life – leading to an all-time high in screen time. We rolled out of bed and spent all day in front of our screens, only to continue the swiping and scrolling once we had clocked out. But how can we get off the (not so) merry-go-round of digital experiences? Ironically, technology seems to be the remedy. The apps we are so addicted to send us reminders to limit our screen time and we can even install software to make us take breaks – whatever is needed to wean us off our screens.

#3: 4-day week

Belgium has it, Iceland tried it, and hip start-ups in Berlin have truly embraced it: the 4-day work week. In the war for talent, it is an unbeatable argument for employer branding and a huge benefit for employees. Instead of working till you drop, tasks are completed more efficiently – all made possible by meetings that are turned into emails and an optimised workflow. After all, a study by Vouchercloud shows that – in an eight-hour workday – we manage to work productively for a mere two hours and 53 minutes. Let that sink in.

#4: Finfluencer

We don’t talk about money! That’s a sentiment that was firmly anchored in German culture for a long time. But then came social media. On YouTube, Instagram or TikTok, finfluencers are introducing more and more people – especially women and younger generations – to the world of finance. They are the beacons of a new financial movement, bringing their financial savvy to the world in a clear and entertaining way via various channels.

#5: Welcome to the Metaverse

Since Facebook changed its name to Meta, it has become clear that we are drawing ever closer to the metaverse. It creates the perfect symbiosis of virtuality and reality – not a bad idea after years of living in a pandemic, is it? But despite all the advantages, virtual worlds are not immune to the problems of our analogue world. The decentralised nature of the metaverse means that uniform rules and laws are difficult to implement.  Most importantly: who gets to make the rules?

Want to find out more? You can find the full list of Adel & Link’s 2022 trends here.