OUTSET

O U T S E T

As we return back to ‘normality’ or should we say, an unfamiliar normality. We are beginning to catch sight of a new reality; this new reality feels very much mismatched in comparison to the life we lived prior to the pandemic. COVID-19 restrictions coupled with perpetual announcements from the government to ‘stay home’ and ‘protect lives’ has not only changed the way life operates, but it has also changed the way people opt to live. A much slower pace of life.

Trend package for ‘LIFE ON MARS’

‘UNCOVER ME’ defines the idea of revealing our hidden identity to the world, on account of this idea existing as a clean slate for humanity.

‘UNCOVER ME’ will act as a clean slate in terms of starting anew on Mars, we will slowly unravel ourselves from the discomfort of which the face mask has generated and begin to discover our identity again. As the creators of this next chapter of which we are about to embark on, it is in our hands to rethink how we could ‘EXPOSE BUT PROTECT’ at the same time, we don’t want to ever have to experience the challenges that the face mask has triggered in terms of our identity. ‘IDENTIFY ME’ will be the new ‘UNCOVER ME’, the future of the face mask will enable one to recognize people they know.

IDENTIFY ME

From the outset of the mandatory enforcement of the face mask. As a collective, we have all encountered contrasting experiences from wearing the face mask. For some, this involved general discomfort, for others, the removing of the face mask for the first time induced feelings of anxiety for the reason that they may not be recognized without the mask or the common feeling of being uncomfortable without it. We became attached to the mask, and so removing it for the first time gave off an uneasy and incomplete feeling.

Our identity has been concealed to the point where even technology can’t recognize us. We have become strangers to our own objects, particularly our mobile phones of which refuse our desire to carry out transactions through Apple Pay.

“Faces are one of the most informative visual phenomena in humans and play a vital role in communication and daily interaction in society,” researchers noted that “The unprecedented effort to minimize Covid-19 transmission has created a new challenge in facial recognition due to mask-wearing”.

To study the effects of face masks, the two researchers conducted a test on a large group of around 500 masked and unmasked faces using a modified version of the Cambridge face memory test. Used to assess recognition and facial perception, the test was conducted online. Results showed that the success rate of identifying someone wearing a mask was reduced by 15%. (Face masks disrupt

facial perception - Know what researchers have to say, 2021).

the idea to amend the current face mask was something that we all could’ve predicted due to the lack of wearability. Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have been advised to wear face masks in indoor public spaces as they are supposed to protect and minimise the spread of the virus. However, ultimately, a piece of fabric on a string is not going to protect us from future epidemics or, even on mars.