design:retail - July/August 2020 - 32

6
Health Concierges
Companies across all industries around the world are
putting public health at the top of their agendas.
According to Wunderman Thompson Data's
Anxiety Index, 89 percent of Americans believe the
government alone can't stop the spread of coronavirus and that companies have a responsibility to
help. Post-pandemic, consumer concerns about
health will be paramount, so businesses are starting to respond by promoting the health-first credentials of their products and services.
Amazon is building a COVID-19 testing lab for its
employees. In China, tech giant Alibaba created the
Alipay Health Code app on smartphones. Users get
a rating of green, yellow or red based on their personal health records, which allows them to move
around in public spaces-or not.
In South Africa, mobile phone operator Vodacom

is partnering with health insurer Discovery to
offer free virtual doctor consultations to anybody
worried that they may have COVID-19 symptoms,
through Discovery's DrConnect platform.
As Accenture points out in its recent report
"COVID-19: 5 new human truths that experiences
need to address," COVID-19 means "every business
is a health business."
Looking ahead, companies will seek to employ
specialist health and hygiene experts who can
devise innovative and preventative strategies to
protect the health of employees and customers.
Will chief health officer be the next trending job
position in the C-suite?
PHOTO COURTESY OF ADOBE STOCK

The Gaming Multiverse
During lockdown, gaming's versatility made it a savior for many; its
benefits include companionship, education and stress relief.

Nintendo's "Animal Crossing: New Horizons"
was released in the thick of the global lockdown
on March 20, and became the world that everyone
wanted to escape to. The laid-back island-life
gameplay has proved therapeutic and even
life-affirming for some. "In this world, my contributions may be small, but I can see my island
slowly transform for the better," wrote Louryn
Strampe in Wired. "Seeing the progress is a reminder that my actions have meaning, even when
they're small and virtual."

Canadian startup Tru Luv Media has revamped
its #SelfCare app to support its users' wellbeing. The app invites users into a virtual
bedroom where they can accomplish simple
tasks, such as watering a plant or picking up laundry, to achieve a sense of order and calm.
Games have also helped provide a "third place"
in lieu of physical gatherings. In Japan, elementary school students brought classmates together
in Minecraft, where they hosted a "telegraduation." In the United States, students at several

colleges, including the University of Pennsylvania
and Berklee School of Music, have built campus
replicas in Minecraft.
During mass isolation, the number of online
gamers more than doubled in Europe, according to Telefónica, and video-game traffic
increased by 75 percent in the United States, reports Verizon. As more people tune into virtual
worlds, the wide and varied benefits of gaming
mechanics are opening up to the mainstream.
PHOTO COURTESY OF NINTENDO OF AMERICA

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