May '20 In these challenging times, innovation comes to the fore. This is our roundup of inspiring examples from the past 2 weeks - Happen Innovation
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In these challenging times, innovation
comes to the fore. This is our roundup of
inspiring examples from the past 2 weeks
May ‘20
www.happen.com
May 2020 Edition
As the world comes to terms with the new normal, companies are
retaining drive and determination to find ingenious ways to fulfil unmet
needs. We are seeing a community focus - from PlantSavers
launching to help garden centres, to Essentials by Deliveroo keeping
self-isolating customers stocked up. Startups are pivoting to meet
business needs, with Stykka designing a home office cardboard desk
within 24 hours, and workforce tool Zira switching lanes to support
companies through layoffs. Founders are also considering how
current pivots can be reconfigured post-Covid 19 to deliver longterm
value. Indyme’s SmartDome system, for instance, reinforces social
distancing rules, but can become an anti-theft tool in the future. What
do they all have in common? An intense focus on the human and
business impact of Covid-19, and a flexibility that remains essential
as the timeline on a return to normality remains elusive.
Source
PlantSaver
Saving the UK's plants and garden
centres
Millions of plants and trees are expected to go
to waste during the global pandemic, and
many garden centres and nurseries may
not survive that vast financial loss. PlantSavers
is partnering with centres hit hardest, buying as
much spring stock as possible and selling it
online. Everything is delivered and £1 from
each sale goes to ‘Meals for the NHS’.
Source
https://plantsavers.co.uk/
Image: Unsplash
Lyft
Community support in the US
Lyft has launched Essential Deliveries in the US,
a service that will see it transporting food, meals,
cleaning and medical supplies. While Deliveroo
and UberEats in the UK are now delivering
groceries in many regions, in the US Lyft is
collaborating with government agencies,
healthcare bodies and non-profits to help
support communities and keep its drivers in
work. The ride-hailing app has also partnered
with Medicaid to help low-income individuals
travel safely to non-emergency appointments.
Source
https://www.lyft.com/lyftup
Image: Unsplash
Deliveroo
App launches M&S tie-in and
Essentials by Deliveroo
Deliveroo will now feature items from 100
M&S BP stores. Deliveries will be free for
orders over £10, and items include alcohol,
sandwiches, snacks, ready meals,
chocolates, bread and more. Deliveroo has
also launched Essentials by Deliveroo, which
aims to get items such as dried pasta, tinned
foods and other basics to those isolating.
Source
https://www.marksandspencer.com/c/food-to-order/not-just-any-
food/food-news/deliveroo
Image: Unsplash
Superdrug x Stuart
Same-day delivery
from 300 stores
Superdrug is helping customers stay
home with a new same-day delivery
service. Courier company Stuart will
deliver much-needed supplies to
customers within an eight-mile radius of
300 Superdrug stores, when orders are
placed between 11am and 4pm.
Superdrug has stopped restocking non-
essentials in order to maintain a good
supply of urgent goods, while also
providing a speedy service.
Source
https://www.superdrug.com/stuart-delivery
Image: Stuart
Summersalt
Summersalt's Joycast will
brighten your day
With all holiday plans on hold, this
swimwear company is aiming to bring
some joy to its customers anyway via a
free text service. Joycast delivers
uplifting messages - from meditation
videos and GIFs to self-care tips or good
news. The founders said: “Summersalt
has been driven by a desire to spread
joy. And in this overwhelming moment,
we feel it’s as important as ever to bring
some brightness into the world.”
Source
https://www.summersalt.com/pages/the-joycast-by-summersalt
Image: Summersalt
Dental Monitoring System
At-home dental scans
Anyone worried about their dental health can now
use a Paris-based company’s at-home monitoring
system. Users need a dental retractor and a
ScanBox that houses their smartphone - the
retractor is placed in the mouth, and the ScanBox
attaches to it during the analysis. An
accompanying app provides directions for how to
move the ScanBox to take photos. Photos are
then analysed by algorithms in less than a minute,
and a dentist is notified if there are any issues.
Source
https://dental-monitoring.com/maintain-patient-care/
Image: Unsplash
ASDA
Volunteer shopping cards
Many high-risk individuals rely on
neighbours or volunteers to shop for and
deliver their food and essentials. But in
order to avoid any unnecessary contact
or risk when providing cash or bank
details, Asda has launched new e-cards.
Customers can buy vouchers worth up
to £150. Barcodes can then be provided
to anyone shopping on their behalf.
Source
https://cards.asda.com/the-volunteer-shopping-card
Image: Asda
Stykka
Cardboard home office desks
This Danish startup switched from printing
bespoke office furniture to manufacturing
durable home office desks in just 24 hours.
With millions working from home slouched
on sofas or beds, Stykka saw the need for
temporary, sustainable furniture with strong
design credentials. The result is a laser-cut
£75 desk in white or brown that can be
assembled in moments and disposed of in
the recycling. The design is also open
source, if you happen to have a laser cutter.
Source
https://www.stykka.com/cardboarddesk
Image: StykkaGoat 2 Meeting
Include a rescue animal in your
next video meeting
If video conferencing is already losing its lustre,
why not try including a different species in your
next call to mix things up. Californian Sweet
Farm animal sanctuary is allowing businesses
and individuals to include one of its 125 animals
in meetings in exchange for a donation of €60
and up. Goat 2 Meeting can be used on any
video conferencing software, and funds will help
support rescued animals during the pandemic
and pay for virtual school visits.
Source
https://www.sweetfarm.org/goat-2-meeting
Image: SweetfarmZira
Zira helps employees and employers
through mass layoffs
In the US, 22 million people filed for
unemployment in recent weeks. AI
workforce tool Zira launched the Bounce
Back app in response to help employers
navigate government stimulus
packages, and employees access the
right aid or healthcare solutions. It also
keeps employees and companies
connected for when work begins to
return to normal.
Source
http://bounceback.zira.ai/
Image: ZiraIndyme
Alert customers to social-
distancing breaches
A US company has launched a
SmartDome system that helps shops
enforce social distancing rules. Indyme's
hardware usually provides shop
managers with the lay of the store to
help them make logistical tweaks - or
detect crime. SmartDome's security
cameras detect the distance between
customers and alerts them if they're too
close to other people. The company
says it can be adjusted and used as an
anti-theft device post-pandemic.
Source
https://indyme.com/covid-19/
Image: UnsplashLin Qingxuan
In-store beauty advisors move to
live-streams and chats
In-store staff from a Chinese cosmetics
company are live-streaming advice via
ecommerce sites and conducting one-to-
one consultations using chat tools. The
company saw sales drop by 90 per cent
when the coronavirus hit. But its live
streams - facilitated by Alibaba’s
ecommerce tools - are attracting
upwards of 60,000 views. The company
claims one advisor can sell equal to four
stores in the space of just two hours.
Source
https://www.alibabacloud.com/blog/how-did-alibaba-help-retailer-lin-
qingxuan-cope-with-the-coronavirus-outbreak_595950My Menu
Restaurants access free online
ordering software
Digital menu startup My Menu is
providing its QR Ordering system -
usually used in hotels for room, beach or
poolside service - to restaurants
worldwide for free. The solution allows
anyone to order online without
downloading an app, thus removing
barriers to sales.
Source
https://www.mydigimenu.com/
Image: My MenuStreetify
Virtual stores launch to save the
high street
Deals shopping service Streetify is offering
retailers access to its platform for free for one
year. Shops across the US, Canada, UK, India
and Australia can launch virtual storefronts that
consumers can visit on virtual high streets. They
can post alerts pertaining to deals, stock or
delivery options in digital storefront windows,
along with any relevant data Streetify pulls in
from aggregates, including Groupon. It has
turned more than five million local shops and
websites into virtual stores since launching in
mid-March.
Source
https://www.streetify.com/
Image: StreetifyYouCam
Free augmented reality for
beauty brands
Augmented reality company YouCam is allowing
brands to use its software for free during the
pandemic. Ordering makeup online has always had
additional barriers, since consumers cannot test
tone and colour. YouCam’s AR helps bridge that
divide by allowing them to ‘try on’ the makeup at
home, online. Brands that use the technology can
integrate it into their own websites, while
the YouCam app will provide one-on-one
consultations with therapists and livestream
upcoming beauty shows.
Source
https://www.perfectcorp.com/business/products/virtual-makeup
Image: YouCamPfeffer Sal
30-minute virtual facials
In just 30-minutes beauty specialists
Pfeffer Sal promise to deliver an online
MOT that will keep your skin healthy
during lockdown. A therapist guides
customers through an analysis of their
own skin before creating a personalised
plan including at-home treatments and
lifestyle changes. A session costs £50, but
this can be used to redeem any product
or treatment online.
Source
https://pfeffersal.com/online-skin-mot
Image: UnsplashD’Addario
Drumheads turned into
face masks
Musical instrument maker D’Addario is
transforming drumheads into face shields for
medical workers. Its engineering team is
scheduled to start production on the 27th of April,
and says it will make 100,000 face shields
every week. D’Addario’s Dynatomy face shields
are made from the 7mm-thick clear film usually
used in manufacturing drumheads. With bases in
the US and the UK, the hope is it can support
both regions. D’Addario aims to produce one
million face shields by July.
Source
https://www.daddario.com/face-shields/
Image: D’AddarioBroad Sustainable Building
Stackable hospital built in
48 hours
A Chinese construction company built a
South Korean hospital from shipping
containers in just 48 hours. Each unit has
been fitted with an air ventilation system that
allows fresh air in, but prevents contaminated
air from escaping. And since the containers
are stackable, an entirely new storey can be
added at any time. Broad Sustainable
Building specialises in prefabricated
construction, delivering on speedy, low-waste
and low-energy designs.
Source
https://www.treehugger.com/modular-design/broad-sustainable-
buildings-builds-instant-covid-hospital-three-days.html
Image: UnsplashDraganfly
Health-detecting drones
Aerospace firm Draganfly is testing
drones capable of detecting coronavirus
symptoms from distances of up to 160
feet. Sensors and computer vision
combine to read temperature, heart rate
and respiratory rate. Its creators claim it
will not use facial recognition - the aim is
to get population level health readings in
crowded public places, rather than hone
in on individuals.
Source
https://youtu.be/ot2jlr3d6ug
Image: UnsplashChoura Events
Transforming Coachella tents into
medical centres
The production company behind events such as
Coachella and South by Southwest is now
building temporary hospitals. Choura Events
employees are erecting enormous triage tents
and overflow centres outside of medical hubs in
California. Choura has already built seven such
hubs for hospitals across southern California,
and is continuing to support the community and
events workers.
Source
https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2020-03-
30/coronavirus-event-companies-coachella-pivot-covid-19-testing
Image: UnsplashInnovation is proof of humanity's desire to
overcome any obstacle with positive change.
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