This week in Moving FWD: London’s comeback, youth shifting from architects to followers, and the decline of big social all point to one thing: culture never really moved in straight lines — it only looked that way when gatekeepers packaged it neatly.

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Feeling overwhelmed by the present but still expected to plan ahead? The nouvôt futures 2026 Mindset Deck helps leaders cut through the noise with clarity, optimism, and actionable signals for the year ahead. Coming soon!

From creator burnout to the erosion of trust, the cultural signals are clear: the old extractive models are breaking down. Here are three shifts shaping how brands can build real, lasting value in 2025.

Friction is neither the silver bullet nor the enemy, just as an easy, frictionless future might not be the utopia we can make it sound like. Intentionality. It’s what we crave.

The question for brand leaders is pretty simple: will you be an early adopter and lead the shift away from addiction-based engagement, or a laggard clinging to a failing model until it completely collapses?

“…there are known knowns; there are things we know we know…there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns—the ones we don't know we don't know.”

What comes to mind when you hear about declining levels of institutional trust? Is it numbness? Overwhelm? Paralysis? A general sense of “well obviously, but what exactly can I do about it?”

“Do something small everyday that is aligned with how you want the world to be.”

Be less shit and more solution-oriented and we can start to right some wrongs. Think big by starting small. And it’s never too late to start.

The problems aren’t for posting, they’re the work to be done.

What aspects of our present world do you want to no longer exist in the decades to come? What alternative can you build towards? What needs to be true today to create that future?

When existence feels chaotic, creating smaller circles of trust becomes a means for survival. Control through community. Agency through back-channel belonging.

When 70% of young people report feeling worse after spending time online, that's no longer a niche experience. That's pretty massive design failure.

The Lyst Index Q1 2025 got it right in saying “One word can describe how the industry started 2025: turbulence.”

It sounds like the opening line of a terrible dad joke, but what do a what do a scholar, a pope and a musician with a piano on his back tell us about Power changing? Or better yet, what does a 90s geopolitical concept have to do developing your brand and content strategy in 2025?

There’s real opportunity in designing systems people can connect and benefit from within, instead of just consuming from. That can look like circular supply chains, mutual aid models, or shared ownership platforms.

It will feel messy. It will take time. And best to start small. But it’s something we can build - together.

“Everything starts to look like everything else—not because of shared meaning, but because the system demands it.” Kyle Chayka, Filterworld

After over a decade of desperately seeking virality, we’ve reached a point where there are entire agencies promising it by design. To which I ask: if anyone can buy virality, why bother?

What if the most powerful strategy isn't having all the answers, but asking better questions?

This industry has absolutely zero intention of being disrupted. I used to say the same at the start of fashion revolution. That's disrupt, disrupt, disrupt. I have completely changed my tune and my tone.

Now I say that the only way is to construct.