ISSUE07: THIRD PLACES by trend asia

ASIAN SPACES Exploring the Third Places that form part of youth lifestyle in Asia-Pacific

AsiA scout Network’s

InsIghts scoop Every 3 months, Mindshare Asia-Pacific invites designated ‘scouts’ living in each major city in Asia to provide updates on urban youth culture and their own opinions on two preset topics, dropping their articles on our blog. At the end of each quarter, stories from our scouts are picked and pulled together by the Mindshare Asia-Pacific Business Planning unit into a pan-regional, topical report, called the Asia Scout Network Insights Scoop. We’re hoping this will help provide a close-up view of what the urban and opinionated 18-32 yearolds Asians are up to, through real, local examples. The bird’s-eye-view regional perspective is meant to serve as a springboard to inspire new communication ideas, sometimes by adapting concepts originating outside the borders of your respective countries to fit the local climate. this seventh issue is titled “Asian spaces” and explores the type of ‘third places’ or hangouts frequented by young Asians in modern cities, alone or with their friends, which are as much a part of contemporary youth culture as music or fashion. The business directions are not explicit, but we hope that taking this with openness and flexibility can help tease out the ideas that lie in the shadows and uncover the opportunities for innovation ahead. For the full version of the scouts’ articles, check out www.asiascoutnetwork.com This PDF copy contains links to the relevant articles, connoted by underlined and bold phrases like this Good and bad comments, or just tips on trends, we’d love to hear from you...XXX

The CiTy SCouTS: Ayumi Ai (Tokyo) Bayliss Wu (Taipei) Ginette Chittick (Singapore) Kitty Jiang (Shanghai) Michelle Mossfield (Sydney) Dang Sering (Manila) Liyana Raja Aznil (Kuala Lumpur) Stirling Silliphant & Aniza Santo (Jakarta) Van Nguyen (Ho Chi Minh City) Tintin Cooper (Bangkok)

MiNDShARe ASiA - PACiFiC: AChARA Masoodi (Ju)

The Scout - Asia Pacific JAMeS Chadwick

Leader, Business Planning

click here for profiles and pictures.

thanks to Kym (Zanyasan) for coordinating with the scouts, and to our reference sites: Trendwatching, Springwise, PSFK, freefrog.blogspot.com, garlpernelectrics.com.au, worldcarfans.com, kix-files.com, gizmodo.com.au, inhabitat.com, jolcy.blogspot.com

ASIAN SPACES

Third Places, or Third Spaces, refer to locations outside the home and office/ school that provides the opportunity for people to engage with themselves or their surroundings without the pressure to make a purchase beyond the minimal food and drink in an café or eatery. The purpose of a Third Place typically goes beyond the functional role of selling food, drinks, and other items, to become an experiential place for relaxation, stimulation, rejuvenation, or inspiration. Because of its broad scope of definition, Third Place cover a wide range of hangout types: from libraries to pubs or cafes, from galleries to restaurants, from public parks to flagship stores, and everything else in between. The concept of Third Place is becoming increasingly important to marketers because they represent an opportunity for brands to engage consumers in the offline world through a more interactive experience than that offered by billboard ads. Branded spaces can become walk-on advertising that allows people to leisurely browse through products and help construct the consumer’s total brand experience. This report explores the characteristics of the various Third Places, branded and non-branded, that have already integrated themselves into Asian city lifestyle. It is hoped that understanding the features of these spaces may lead to ideas on how to establish or improve the Third Spaces that cater to young Asians.

“The successful experience concepts of the present combine the longing for entertainment with true, big feelings, with genuine materials and high-quality design, and help with our problems in everyday life, with quick massage of the soul for stressed-out consumers.” - Brand Lands, Hot Spots, & Cool Spaces, by Christian Mikunda

Throughout July-September 2008, the city scouts were asked to:

Look At: The Third Spaces in the lifestyles of urban, leading edge youth (18-32 yr-olds) in your city • what’s the scene or culture for ‘Third Spaces’ in your city? • how do you, your peers, and the leading edge youth relate to it (or not)? • do you notice any brands offering similar spaces or creating their own “brand spaces”?

For Example... For each space, describe their location, look&feel, popularity, facilities, activities, community (is it mainly yuppies or hippies, creative-types, corporate professionals, or students, posh or down-to-earth?) • COFFEE SHOPS / CAFES • LIBRARIES OR READING / LISTENING / ‘WATCHING’ / INTERNET / LEARNING CENTERS

• PARTY / ART GALLERY / “WHATEVER” SPACES • OFFICE-AWAY-FROM-WORKPLACE SERVICES • YOUR BEING SPACE • BRAND SPACES

The Headlines

1) 2) 3) 4) 5)

TRIBAL GROUNDS SPACES ADD-ONS REAL PLACES URBAN OASIS NEXT SPACES

1. TRIBAL GROUNDS

As young Asians increasingly defi fin ne themselves through their passions and hobbies, they are naturally attracted at tracted to the Third Spaces that are specifically tailored tailored to these personal interests. ‘Tribal Grounds’ offer their visitors more than the generic café or tea house. They mirror the online communities by acting as the physical hubs for the group, offering the right space, equipment, services, and crowd in order to nurture these community members’ hobbies. Though open to pub publilic, c, Trib ibal al Groun Grounds ds exu xudes des an almo almost st exclusi clusivve fee eell wh where ere only the members who truly truly appreciate the community community will feel feel at home. The types of Tribal Grounds ranges widely widely,, from the manga caf cafe e where addicts de devvour on collections of manga series, to the pub that nurt nurtures ures emerging bands by of offfering a perf performance ormance st stage age and art art-ist management ser services, vices, to the prof professional essional futsal centre that pro provides vides access to st state-of-the-art ate-of-the-art futsal grounds and equipment.

taIpeI | Bayliss Frog café for Bikers: coffee. share. design. gallery. Frog Café is Taipei’s hub for bikers and adventure travelers. The Café is set up by Ming-Huang Yang an avid biker, environmentalist, designer, programmer and photographer. He started his customer base through his blog where he shares his thoughts, adventures and photos. “Frog Café integrates photography exhibition, retail shop, café, meeting room rental, and bikers’ party all in one space. You can register a whole day for your party or meeting, and prepare your art-work to have a solo exhibition for two weeks or a month. And you can come to share your experience of riding bikes with the work team there through your photos viewed through the projector provided by the Cafe. People now need more spaces to relax and to find where their deep soul is. Frog Café has three core spirits - photography, design and adventure.”

Image Credit: http://freefrog.blogspot.com

JaKaRta | Niza Futsal centers “There are now over 30 listed futsal ‘fields’ all over Jakarta… competition means the futsal centers are providing lockers, showers, cafeteria, kid’s area and even boasting about the the quality of their synthetic grass. Most schools have their own futsal clubs (with a greater number of girls signing up), and more centers are being built.”

TRIBAL GROUNDS MUMBaI | Bhavika Blue Frog - the revolutionary, integrated Music Project “The 1000-sq meter complex, set amongst an erstwhile warehouse in Lower Parel, consists of a live music performance club, restaurant, lounge, sound stage, recording studio and sound lab…the club gives an opportunity to aspiring Indian bands like Jalebee Cartel and global bands showcase their talent here as well. Shaa’ir + Func, the new electro funk band that has been making waves across the country, produced and released two of their albums through Blue Frog… This would be one of the few happening spots in Mumbai where people don’t come to see or to be seen, but for the love of music. With live performance spaces, recording soundlabs, a production house, and independent record label and artist management services, Blue Frog nurtures the Mumbai community of emerging musicians. For the music loving consumer end, Blue Frog has an online music store, an audiolibrary, and mobile caller/ ringback tunes for download.”

ManIla | Dang 6underground Music space “6Underground has been aggressively promoting up and coming local bands in 2004 (at its most prominent at their former venue in Makati City) and continues to do so in their new location at Pasig City (right beside Makati City). 6UG (as a lot of people call it) has so far produced 2 album compilations under its own label featuring bands that have Image Credit: Creative Anomaly Studio performed there. On TV and radio, it has partnered with Channel Studio 23 and rock radio station NU 107 for their weekly shows. The shows feature live performances and interviews with various music artists.They also provide internet video streaming of bands from Wednesdays to Saturdays...6UG also works with production companies that organize and promote these gigs or themed-nights. These productions are small and independent organizations that bring together bands for performances at these kinds of locations.”

ho chI MInh cItY | Van Manga cafes “…new cafes known as “manga coffee shops” are springing up at a dramatic rate… these coffee shops have collected volumes of manga available for customers to read on the premises, such as BeOta or M-Manga Café... Besides the huge collection of manga, it also is a hot spot where the true Otaku (Manga fan) gather together and make acquaintance.”

sYdneY | Michelle Govinda’s – ‘Feel Good’ restaurant, cinema, and spiritual center “Renowned for its vegetarian buffet and boutique cinema where patrons sit in cushioned cumfort, Govinda’s is also provides space for kirtan (yoga chanting), yoga, concerts, music classes, cooking classes, and various workshops. As a restaraunt and cinema, Govinda’s attracts a wide range of patrons, all eager to experience the unique experience the space has to offer. It is a popular destination for locals and tourists who are wanting to experience the international flavours that Sydney has to offer… Those who visit Govinda’s for its other facilities tend to be those who are, at some level or another, looking for spiritual fulfillment in their lives.”

TRIBAL GROUNDS

SCOUT BYTES: SharEd SpaCES A characteristic of the web-based economy is the breakdown of hierarchical, linear forms of organizations into networks of independently-operating units, such as small-scale or ‘one-person’ entrepreneurs, or freelancers. These units tend to be small or individualistic and rely on shared resources to keep operating costs at a minimum. The shared resources typically revolve around IT- and online-based services (think shared web hosting or online retailing, like eBay), but we are now seeing the emergence of shared physical spaces to cater to this trend in the form of shared work and retail spaces. • shaRed WoRK spaces: The concept of a shared working space for independent workers and small business owners is emerging, concentrating in the US but also popping up in the rest of the world. From wikipedia : “Coworking is an emerging trend for a new pattern for working. Typically work-at-home professionals or independent contractors or people who travel frequently end up working in relative isolation. Coworking is the social gathering of a group of people, who are still working independently, but who share values and who are interested in the synergy that can happen from working with talented people in the same space.” The increasing popularity of co-working facilities reflects the rise of one-person “personal businesses” as well as a broader fluidity between virtual and real-world communities. (via Business Week) The concept of co-working has been reported as emerging in shanghai. Another example is the Singapore-based Garag3 www.garag3.com/, a business incubation program for web start-ups, also provides a ‘hackspace’ for their entrepreneurs, described the space as a free, publicly accessible office space with WIFI, free-flow coffee and tea,where “genius playground” meets ‘developer nirvana”.

• shaRed RetaIl spaces To cater to the increasing number of artists and designers who are manufacturing their own goods for sale, the concept of a shared retail or shelf space has also emerged. In Shanghai, oshikogoro allows different small scale entrepreneurs to rent our boxes to display their arts and crafts products, where the products can range from bags to post cards, and allows doubles as exhibition space. Singapore inQbox carries a similar concept of shared shelf space for its collective of independent designers and entrepreneurs, also offering merchandising and marketing tips for the products. In the US, the shared retail concept is taking off with the Beehive co-op, a branded local co-op chain that offers craftspeople and designers a retail solution where members rent a portion of Beehive’s store in exchange for a monthly fee and at least four hours of staffing assistance. There is also the recent launch of a new retail experiment by Urban Outfitters called space 15 twenty, where multiple stores make up the space in addition to Urban Outfitters’ own, hosting a rotating selection of complementary brands, from designers, eateries, and even bookstores. (via Trendwatching.com)

2. SPACES ADD-ONS

In the cyber world, ‘add-ons ‘add-ons’’ ref refers ers to bundles of sof softtware that can customiz customize e the application application’’s fea ea-tures, pro providing viding enhancements to bro browsers, wsers, websites, and online games. In the ph phyysical world, a similar phenomenon is being obser observved with the Third Spaces that cater to young Asians. ‘Spaces Add-Ons’ ar are e the extr extra a feat eatur ures es that dec deck k up toda oday y ’s Thir Third d Spaces, ext extending ending the role of the space bey beyond its traditional traditional purpose purpose and basic functionality functionality.. The most basic add-on is the pro provision vision of Wi-Fi ser service vice for the gro growing wing clientele of Internet nomads in generic spaces lik like e the local pub, café, or fast-f ast-food ood joint. In industries suc such h as banking banking,, automo automo-biles, home appliances, and fashion, ret retail ail branc branches hes are morphing into st stylish ylish lounges for visitors to relax, explore, or chat with in-store experts and consult consultants. ants. At a larger scale, the shopping mall is turning into lif lifest estyles yles centers with add-on feat eatures ures for work and pla playy ranging from the business conference conf erence room and to the rather unconv unconventional gigantic indoor slide. Watch out for cross-categor y collaborations where brands of different categories pop up in each others’ spaces to further enrich enrich the consumer’ consumer’s retail retail experience. experience.

FOOD & DRINKS + WI-FI ManIla | Dang eat, work, chill at McDonald’s “An added value to go with your Happy Meal is free wifi. Students flock to the golden arches to feast on their trays full of French fries while working on their school project or just surfing the net. Yes, you can now really actually hang out at Mcdonald’s --- for a very long time. The trend has prompted the fast food company to set up free wifi connections in their shop to stave off the competition from neighboring coffee shops in the area. Another plus is that the some stores are open 24 hours a day, making working time more flexible and accessible.”

sYdneY | Michelle Free internet Bars/Pubs “Pubs have always been particularly popular places to be - to hang, catch up, laugh, cry, eat, take shelter, pass time, and get drunk. However, recently there has been a slight change to the pace of this space with the introduction of free internet access in pubs across the city. Kelly’s Irish Pub and the Sandringham in Newtown are two such pubs. Unassuming would be a good way to describe these pubs. Middle of the road, stock standard, no frills...you get my drift. The demographic of the punters is broad, and there doesn’t seem to be any more of one or another ‘type’ that is being attracted to the free internet - men, women, old, younger, in the middle. The www. phenomena is, as we know, universal.”

SpAceS ADD-ONS

INTERNET BANKING + LOUNGE toKYo | Ayumi espresso culture and internet Banking “Shinsei Bank DeLonghi Cafe combines a bank -- the Omotesando outlet of Shinsei’s Shibuya branch -- with a cafe run by the Italian firm so customers can stretch out and sip cappuccinos on the sofa while doing their banking on the Internet. In addition to banking terminals, the cafe will have several automated teller machines and staff who can open new bank accounts. In the cafe part of the establishment, customers can order focaccia sandwiches in the daytime and wine and cocktails at night. DeLonghi will also market a line of Italian food products ranging from pasta and olive oil to jam and coffee beans -- as well as its home appliances.” KUala lUMpUR | Liyana Maybank Net Lounge “At one of KL’s major shopping malls, a lounge is set up by Maybank to enable their consumers to settle any urgent or last minute banking while being able to rest, relax and surf the internet… Equipped with comfortable sofas, laptop tables, internet kiosks and even plasma televisions, the Maybank Net Lounge is aimed to adapt to the consumers’ ever changing lifestyle. Seeing that more and more customers are now turning to online banking, the four internet kiosks are all set for Maybank2u (Maybank’s online banking portal) customers to do their internet banking transactions.”

SHOWROOM + DESIGN & ARCHITECTURE toKYo, sYdneY the Audi terminal “In its bid to attract younger buyers in the Asian market, Audi has launched the concept of the Audi terminal. The urban ‘terminal’ is a new vision of their dealership showrooms which is said to embody visionary architecture, encapsulating a multilevel design that is adaptable to multiple sites and intended for downtown placements… Using brash architecture to lead the way, Audi is “moving from the periphery into the city,” hoping to carve out a new niche of hip and sophisticated owners who reside in lofts, sip at Starbucks, and prefer the symphony to the country club… Ideal for busy streetscapes and cities where land values are extremely high, the new Terminal concept is highly flexible in its design. For example, Audi Terminals can be either single-storey or multi-storey, and can be built on busy streets using a small footprint.” (via blogs.thecarconnection.com) In Asia-Pacific, Audi Terminals have been launched in Sydney (the first globally) and Tokyo.

Image Credit: galpernelectrics.com.au, worldcarfans.com

SpAceS ADD-ONS

SHOPPING + WORK / PLAY FACILITIES JaKaRta | Niza FX Mega Mall “Tapping into the growing desire of young professionals to meet clients or hold meetings outside the office, fX is Jakarta’s first mall to feature an integrated business centre. Called ‘fPod’, the center consists of 11 conference room ‘pods’ with internet, fax and printing. These aren’t any old ordinary cubicles; rather, design-conscious, softhued spaces (the PR boats of each being created by a different interior designer) that remind me of those nest pods in Matrix… Front and Center is ‘Atmosfear’, a windy, tubular slide taking up seven of the mall’s nine floors – journey time from Fl7 to ground: 12 seconds.”

SCOUT BYTES: RETAIL + HIP EXPERTS In typical retail stores, staffs manning the shelves are usually perceived first as sales representatives of the brand, and only secondly as product or category experts who can be depended upon for advice and support. Traditionally, the role of salesperson and product expert is lumped onto the same individual, but we are now seeing the emergence of retail employees holding formal and rather hip titles dedicated solely to the position of being a consultant to offer clients knowledge and advice, as seen in the following examples from two iconic brands, Apple and Nike: apple | the Mac Geniuses of the Genius Bar The Genius Bar is a tech support station located inside every Apple Retail Store, the purpose of which is to offer help and support for Apple products. Employees are specially trained and certified at the Genius Bar. Their role is to help customers with Apple hardware and software. All in-store repairs of Apple products are carried out by “Mac Geniuses”. The Studio and the iPod Bars, two offshoots of the Genius Bar concept, are present in many new and renovated stores to focus on Apple’s software and iPod issues. The Genius Bar is available at the recently opened Apple Store in Sydney. See video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7xcbycaeXQ nIKe | the Design consultants of NikeiD studios NIKEiD.com is Nike’s online customization offering, where customers can personalize footwear, apparel, and equipment through a custom selections of colors, patterns, personal messages and materials. The concept has physically evolved into their many of Nike’s flagships store through the NikeiD Studio. Launched in Shanghai in April 2008, the classic NIKEiD Studio is “an appointment-only private space allowing consumers to design their products in luxurious surroundings with hands-on help from specially trained Design Consultants [who are] specially trained to aid the consumers in order to bring the design experience to life. The Design Consultants show consumers what is possible within the realm of NIKEiD design, provide recommendations and allow for a premium design experience.” (via kix-files.com) The iD Bar at the ground floor Nike Shanghai offers a walk-in space that introduces the iD experience, with computer terminals to help make your selection, where you can get assistance from one of the qualified Design Consultants or book an appointment with the Nike iD studio itself. In Singapore, Nike’s flagship store offers the Nike Running Club which boasts specially trained consultant to provide expert advice on the most suitable products to improve performance.

3. REAL PLACES

Young Asians are increasingly looking for a break from the branded blandness of the commercialized fr franc anchise hise landscape thr through ough places that serv serve e a dose of realness and authenticity authenticity.. The authenticityy in these Real authenticit Real Places can tak take e on multiple dimensions, such such as: • Design Originality / Distinctiveness: where the authenticit authenticityy is deriv derived ed from the clear unique unique-ness and originalit originalityy of the place. The place place’’s designs or ser services vices are exceptional and difficult to be replicated elsewhere. elsewhere. • Evolved / Heritage: where authenticit authenticityy comes from the fact that the place has, over time, nat naturally urally evolv olved ed to be a community community hot-spot without the original intent of building a staged staged Third Space. • Adaptated / Renovated / Warehouse: where authenticit authenticityy comes from the places places’’ ref reference erence to some space or ev event in history histor y, or renov renovation of an old space into a hip and modern spot. Real Places ma mayy var aryy from the run-do un-down wn shac shackk to st stylistic ylistic caf cafes, es, but the common thread that runs through them usually in invvolv olve e blend of these characteristics: unpretentious atmosphere, absence of anyy social pressure to purc an purchase hase items or act/dress in a particular manner manner,, unique touc touch h by the owner (or personally knowing knowing the owner), owner), and inv inventiv entiveness eness of the décor. décor.

DESIGN ORIGINALITY / DISTINCTIVENESS

toKYo | Ayumi sign café, by transit General office inc. “Sign” is one of innovative cafes which appeals artists, creators, and other opinion leaders.” It features wall-to wall ceiling graphics by Japan’s leading edge pop culture designers Groovevisions and Shu-Thang Grafix . The owner company, Transit General Office Inc., offers comprehensive space creating business with fashion, music, design, art and cuisine elements through their self-running cafes, hotels, or beauty salons with 11 outlets in Japan and New York.

ReAL pLAceS taIpeI | Bayliss Five-cent Driftwood House The Five-Cent Driftwood House is a creation by designerentrepreneur Hsieh Li-shiang, who uses big, weathered pieces of driftwood, Chinese stone sculptures, antiques, welded metal, and chunky, rough wooden tables and chairs in her restaurants, which are cave-like buildings resembling something that might have been dreamt up by Antonio Gaudi with brownish concrete lumped in all shapes and directions. Through her passion for pottery, she has also created pottery serving dishes, cups, plates and tabletop accessories.

KUala lUMpUR | Liyana the Apartment “The Apartment (that’s actually built in a mall) is a restaurant with a cozy and homey feeling; it would seem as if you’re just popping over your friend’s joint for a bite to eat. With different areas set up to look like different parts of your apartment, you can literally be eating next to the kitchen sink…” Image Credit: jolcy.blogspot.com

EVOLVED / HERITAGE BangKoK | Tintin Lao Lao, the Afterparty Haunt “Lao Lao hardly seems like a happening place on the verge on serving some of Thailand’s most creative and wellknown culture-makers, but this local Ari afterparty haunt has been quietly serving drunken artists, filmmakers, musicians and trendy types, Chinese grease and raw shrimps for over 10 years… All this celebrity doesn’ t even seem to be noticed by Lao Lao staff and owners, or perhaps it just couldn’t give a toss less…”

hcMc | Van the wild side of coffee culture “[Students] sit on the sidewalk of the park and order drinks from the mobile cafe (a recycled mini-van).To be honest, the coffee here sucks… But who cares? Some come here to enjoy the rare green of the city, some come to watch high-maintained people sitting in the patio cross the streets (they are both watching each other)… You can also see students from the Fine Art University sit and do their homeworks (drawing the Notre Dame church) by hours. Every Sunday, it becomes the playground of the Vespa club, the Honda CD club.”

ReAL pLAceS sIngapoRe | Ginette colbar “The food here’s not great. There’s no air-conditioning (a top priority for many Singaporeans as equitorial summer runs all year) and mosquitoes there are on the war path. But I love this place... This used to be a mess / canteen for colonial British soldiers posted to Singapore staying at the Portsdown area.” MUMBaI | Bhavika energee Drink kiosks “Energee is bottled flavored milk that is only available through its chain of milk booths, which is unique to the city and perhaps a few places in the state of Maharashtra. Most are found outside colleges and commercial offices which gets really crowded during lunch breaks. The booths actually are a hangout place in a way because people aren’t allowed to take the bottle away with them… Energee has survived with virtually no marketing in the state, while the cola companies spend millions on their advertisements… Energee is like a tradition, I would introduce this drink to my children rather than a Coca Cola or a Pepsi. Once you taste it, and realise the benefits of it over an aerated drink, it’s difficult to let go of it.”

ADAPTED / RENOVATED

sYdneY | Michelle the world Bar “The World at Kings Cross has had many incarnations over the years… the establishment is spread over three levels of a very fine and well preserved Victorian building. In recent years, the Kings Cross area has undergone a major face-lift, and many of the old, colourful spaces which made the area legendary have been replaced by more well-to-to establishments. However, The World bar has managed to preserve much of the charm of the ‘Old Cross’ without delving into its history of seediness.”

ReAL pLAceS

ManIla | Dang casa Xocolat “… one-half of an old 1960’s house is turned into a chocolate lover’s paradise with delightfully arranged mismatch rugged wooden chairs, couches and tables in pastel colors. The shop has other mall branches but this branch is definitely a one of a kind experience with its humble tableware sets, quirky ambience and distinct crowd.”

sIngapoRe | Ginette old school: Design Village “5 creative visionaries took over a bunch of old buildings previously occupied by a girls’ school and turned it into the new talking point for Singaporeans interested in art, design and wining and dining. Old School is a nexus for a slew of advertising and design houses, photography studios, music and theatre studios, cafes, fashion stores (the Comme des Garcons Guerilla store) and even a cinema (named Sinema) that shows only local films.”

4. URBAN OASIS

With the increased modernization of cities comes the need for the quick-fi fixx relief from the daily chaos. Young Asians are heading for spaces within the perimeters of their cities that offer them a moment to to relax relax and breathe. breathe. Parks, gardens, beac beaches, hes, riv riverside erside walks, and panoramic landscapes fit the bill at its most basic, but the ideal Urban Oasis ma mayy require in addition to that, a touc touch h of st style yle coupled with the presence of the right type type of community community to suit their hobbies and personalities.

sIngapoRe | Ginette House “House, has been quietly making waves with is art influenced nonrun-of-the-mill Spa that comes complete with a cafe (called Barracks) and an extremely cosy indoor/outdoor bar (called Camp). It’s best to choose your place out here on the patio for dinner by the jungle clearing. For drinks you should always sit at the far end, where the jungle clearing spreads and the stars shine overhead. The music’s not too loud, which is always good for a saturday night when you have had enough of the in-your-face bangs of the super clubs.”

shanghaI | Kitty urban tribe “Urban Tribe is boutique or tea house or gallery which takes you on a special journey for escaping and soul searching far beyond. What Urban Tribe opens out before us is a very natural and rustic peace, as well as a feeling of leisure and ease and a healthy lifestyle… The space caters to visitors as space to be away from busy and restless urban life.” All items are 100% eco-friendly while the back garden immerses customers in sense of a true nature, with water lily, stones, grass, Yulan trees, and bamboos.

MUMBaI | Bhavika Mindspace Garden “When a huge garden comes up away from the hustle and bustle of the city, it’s always welcomed. ‘Mindspace Garden’ … is a huge recreational place in the city. Different flowers are blooming on either side, which makes the atmosphere very peaceful, pleasant and importantly, gives your space. Due to its close proximity to BPO offices, many young call centre employees are seen at this park. More places like Mindspace Garden are needed in Mumbai to maintain sanity and give young couples some breathing space.”

URBAN OASIS taIpeI | Bayliss the top space The Top Space “has a peaceful landscape to escape from the noise of city. Its popularity is not only from the views, but also the unique space design and its atmosphere... It makes your mind calm with a lively breeze and fresh air during the day. When the night’s coming, it becomes a romantic place.”

KUala lUMpUR | Liyana sky Bar “…the bar offers an excellent ending to a tiring day at work. With beautiful sunken booths next to open windows, one can literally dream the night away, staring out into the amazing scenery of lit up skyscrapers.”

SCOUT BYTES : ThOUghTfUl Brand SpaCES Relief and relaxation from urban chaos does not necessarily have to come from natural green spaces. Sometimes it may simply be about responding to specific needs of everyday city life. For example, Netherland’s Orange Telecom’s installed charger-lockers in its retail stores to let customers recharge their phones while shopping or lounging.

In selected music festivals in Belgium and Netherlands, Nokia installed a silence booth, which offered festival goers a place and a moment of silence while making a phone call.

More recently in the US, Teen Vogue created a pop-up (non-permanent) shop in a mall which girls can relax and explore different products. The shop will offer free snacks, informal modeling, a perfume bar, a makeup station, charging stations for cellphones and iPods, a gift-wrapping counter and racks of clothes. Nothing is on sale, but girls can explore the items that the mall offers, then be escorted to the shops where those items can be purchased. (pictures and examples via Trendwatching.com)

5. NEXT SPACES

With 20 201 10 approac approaching hing,, we can expect an even stronger curiosit curiosityy to tow wards what the ne next xt chapter of the Millennium holds. Young Asians are and will continue to remain fascinated with the fut future ure’’s technology tec hnology,, aesthetics, and designs. Next Spaces are those that pro Next provide vide the opport opportunit unityy for visitors to experiment with the latest tec tech hnological adv advances ances of the industr industryy, in a fut futuristic, uristic, digit digitally ally-wired -wired set setting ting.. Examples include spaces that feat eature ure st state-of-the-art ate-of-the-art tec tech h gadgets, pod st stations, ations, large monitors, interactiv interactive e touc touch h screens, all within a space where the arc architect hitecture ure and décor projects a larger larger-than-lif -than-life, avant-garde, space-age experience. Crucial to Ne Crucial Next xt Spaces is that that the visitor is allo allow wed uninhibited freedom to pla playy and interact hands-on with the gadgets and other feat featured ured elements.

toKYo | Ayumi kDDi Designing studio Built in 2005 by mobile carrier, the KDDI Designing Studio still shines as a fun-filled playground for futuristic mobile and digital technology. The five-story building consists of a Live Lounge (1F), an area with free Internet access that also hosts live performances, the au Design Park (2F) displaying the newest concept models in a space station structure, KDDI Portal Living (3F) where new experimental technology is displayed, LISMO Forest (4F) a setting displaying the LISMO character mascot and his forest word, and Wired Café 360 (5F) an oasis of greenery and art magazines, with panoramic views overlooking Harajuku.

sYdneY | Michelle Apple store “The store consists of three levels - the first dedicated to macs, the second to iPods and the third to service. On a comparative scale, next to the other retail outlets, the place is huge. The design is also distinct, with floor to ceiling glass windows allowing a view into the three levels from the street...The scene in the days leading up to the opening was nothing less than pandamonium. Apple geeks from around the world lined up and camped out on the street (NB - this was the middle of winter) for days before the opening, just to be the first to get through the door.” Image Credit: gizmodo.com.au

NexT SpAceS shanghaI | Kitty Nokia Flagship store “Visitors will be introduced to a lively Nokia world by a multimedia screen. When walking into any product line area, the relevant information on the product line will display on the screen...all products on the display are usable models - all features have been activated and each of the models were equipped with specialized accessories, like wireless mike, earphone, sound boxes and even wireless printer.” BangKoK | Tintin true urban Park “TRUE Cafe is more of a gadget shop and internet surfing/studying area where you can order a coffee if needed. It’s not a noisy hell-hole like most the shops in Paragon, because most of the people who go there are nerds, and all they want to do is play Warcraft on the machines or browse Ipods, lomo cameras. and architecture mags. TRUE is for cool nerds, geekazoids, nerd-queens and kings, who can change the world. In my point of view, they were really smart to hire P’ Wit to design their massive, 20 m long flipping signage aptly named “Spaceball”.”

JaKaRta | Niza subtitles: ‘underground’ Arthouse Gem Subtitles DVD is a DVD rental service for mostly independent movies that also offers viewing facilities in its premises. Each viewing room seats up to 6 people equipped with state-of-the-art sound system and screens, including a Hi-Definition viewing room to play Blu-Ray DVD’s. The store also has a touch-screen to for customers to go through their listings.

NexT SpAceS

SCOUT BYTES: CYBErTECTUrE: ThE fUTUrE Of fUTUriSTiC BUildingS?

Image Credit: inhabitat.com

Buildings in the future may not only be interactive, intelligent, and multimedia, but might also use those features to conserve energy and water, and monitor occupant health. Mumbai’s Cybertecture Egg, planned for completion at the end of 2010, is a radical 32,000 square metre egg-shaped building which spans 13 floors of offices, and showcase an integration of intelligent systems and multimedia to provide its users with a customizable working experience. The intelligent systems will allow occupants to personalize the view outside their office window with real time virtual scenery, and can monitor occupant’s vital health statistics, like blood pressure and weight. Cybertecture’s tilted oblong frame passively optimises solar energy consumption and reduces heat gain, while a rooftop garden with wind turbines and solar photovoltaic panels help generate electricity. Water conservation is taken care of with the incorporation of a water filtration system that recycles grey water for irrigation purposes. (via PsFk)

TReNDS FOR

INDIE MUSIC REDISCOVERY As the indie spirit matures in most countries’ music scenes, young Asians will be increasingly drawn towards even more undiscovered indie territories, resulting in a deeper exploration into the underground, alternative cultures to curate the bands, artists, and designers that are yet untouched by commercial sponsorship. This may mean going beyond their national boundaries, especially for smaller nations. The result is the growth of music-related initiatives that support or nurture this type of discovery, from record labels to artist collectives to events to digital applications. Example: Neocha Next Playe Playerr is an music application that plays random songs from their database of Chinese indie music collected from their social networking site, Neocha.com.

2009

RISE OF THE ESCRIBITIONIST The word ‘escribitionist’ from the English word ‘exhibitionist’ and the Latin roots ‘scribe’ which means ‘to write’. It describes the act of publishing online, updates of their personal experiences and reflections, as opposed to the blogger who may engage in reporting, journalism, or heavier forms of writing. Escribitionism is on the rise through popular ‘update’ tools such as the rapidly-growing micro-blogging application Twitter, and Facebook status updates that prompt members to respond to “What are you doing now?”. Among the tech early-adopter community, the idea has evolved into the concept of “lifestreaming” or “lifecasting” which is “an online record of a person’s daily activities, either via direct video feed or via aggregating the person’s online content such as blog posts, social network updates, and online photos”. Example: A popular Lifestreamer: h t t p : / / w w w . yongfook.com/

ONLINE OFFLINE As online communities continue to grow in strength and number, an increasing number of these communities will manifest manif est themselv themselves es in the offline world through self-orga self-orga-nized niz ed events, and sometimes even official hangout spaces. These events are organiz organized ed and evangeliz angelized ed largely through the w we eb. C Co ommunities rraange ffrrom g gllobal, viral o on nes lliike B BaarCamp, to local, interest-based communities like Blythe dolls. Example: YouTube Live Live YouT ouTube ube’s first ever LIVE STREAM took place on No Novvember 22nd, 20 2008, 08, streamed liv live e from San Francisco. Part concert, part variety show and part party, the event brought to life many of the videos and talent that YouTube viewers have already made popular, hosting a variety of YouTube celebrities, including Black Black Eyed Eyed Peas Peas and rapper will.i.am.

MOBILE APPS Tight budgets in 2009 will drive mobile phone users to maximize the functionality of their mobiles by installing free or low-cost apps. The leader in this sphere is the iPhone with over 10,000 apps in its Apps Store, putting immense pressure on phones running on other operating systems - Microsoft’s Windows Mobile, the Nokia-backed Symbian, and Google’s Android - to provide a competing range. Popular apps will focus on games, social networking, location, and productivity. Example: iPhone Apps Store Store

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HOME ENTERTAINMENT

PHYSICAL/DIGITAL INTEGRATION

Many consumers will opt to spend more time at home as they ride out fi fin nancially uncert ain t i m e s . S t ay i n g a t h o m e w i l l b e w h e r e t h e entertainment is. Expect longer, more intense, lean-for ward sessions in front of the PC screen where they will feed even more intensely on m u s i c , v i d e o c l i p s , m ov i e d ow n l o a d s , b l o g s , and social networking. Family time still re revvolv olves es around the TV screen but will go be beyyond vie view wer er-ship of traditional TV channels to include even more cable viewing , DVD entert ainment, and gaming.. gaming

LUXURY: CONSIDERED* As the global economic climate worsens and consumer fatigue with mass marketed luxury products escalates, the purchase of luxury goods, traditionally for the show of status and prestige, are being influenced by more sophisticated values. The new trends driving luxury purchase are: Increased scrutiny of product quality, authenticity and value for money, a greater appreciation of artisanship and fine craftsmanship, renewed calls for exclusivity and deeper brand experiences, and a heightened awareness of social and environmental responsibility. * Source: Global Report by De Beers Group by Ledbury Research Researc h

Digital functionality will be increasingly used to enhance our physical experience, bridging physical and digital worlds. Examples are location-based apps that suggest interesting and relevant information based on the mobile user’s physical surroundings, or apps that allow digital information to be accessed through physical, non-digital methods or platforms (think QR code, touchscreens, or movement-based gaming). Vice versa, young consumers will also be looking for apps that help them store, or view, interesting, and relevant information about their physical activities in a digital manner. Example: The Louis Vuitton Soundwal Soundwalk k is a unique location-based urban soundtrack, produced in collaboration with Soundwalk, a cutting-edge audio guide, available in six languages, offering a vibrant portrayal of three Chinese cities – Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai – following the footsteps of the three greatest icons of Chinese Cinema: Gong Li for Beijing, Shu Qi for Hong Kong and Joan Chen for Shanghai.

next issue : LEADING EDGE MUSIC

ÂŠ Mindshare Asia-Pacific. 2009. All rights reserved. No part of the publication may be reproduced in any form without prior permission from the publisher. For private circulation only. For more information: Achara Masoodi, achara.masoodi@mindshareworld.com