LSN : Daily Signals : 23 : 04 : 26

Ikea opens Food For Thought at Milan Design Week

Ikea Food For Thought at Milan Design Week 2026, Italy

Italy – At Milan Design Week 2026, Ikea has launched Food For Thought, a sensory exhibition running from 21 to 26 April at Spazio Maiocchi..

The installation introduces three pieces from the new Ikea PS 2026 collection – the 10th edition of the brand’s Democratic Design series – including an inflatable easy chair, a solid pine rocking bench and a three-directional floor lamp.

Co-created with architect Midori Hasuike and spatial designer Emerzon, the exhibition considers how food and design shape domestic rituals across cultures and generations.

The exhibition features a collaboration between five interior designers and five chefs, who worked in pairs to create immersive room-and-menu pairings, highlighting how cooking and eating create social and emotional connections.

A working kitchen offers daily tastings, while sustainability initiatives include partnerships with surplus food marketplace Too Good To Go and AI-powered sorting technology Etrash. This signals how experiential retail is increasingly merging hospitality, participation and circular living.

For more insights on what’s shaping the future of family life, explore our Home and Family topic.

Strategic opportunity

Design for homes that flex between private and communal use; for example, modular furniture that reconfigures from everyday seating into shared dining or hosting set-ups, or lighting systems that shift from ambient personal use to immersive group settings

Highsnobiety and Google Pixel back the next generation of fashion entrepreneurs

Pixel Institute of Fashion & Technology (PIFT) by Highsnobiety and Google Pixel, Italy

Milan – Highsnobiety and Google Pixel have unveiled the Pixel Institute of Fashion and Technology (PIFT), a new interdisciplinary programme designed to support the next generation of creative entrepreneurs. Positioned as both a learning environment and a working platform, PIFT brings together emerging designers to exchange ideas, refine their practices and explore how technology can shape creative output.

At its core, the initiative aims to democratise access to tools, knowledge and networks traditionally reserved for a select few, while rethinking how independent designers can build sustainable, scalable businesses. The launch aligns with our Gen Z Now and Next: From Vision to Contradiction report, which highlights why this disillusioned generation are exploring alternative paths to education.

The inaugural Class of 2026 includes Chet Lo, Priya Ahluwalia, Matthias Schweizer, Christa Bösch, Cosima Gadient, Lukas Krob and Lou de Bètoly.

Participants will engage in structured assignments and collaborative challenges focused on brand-building, global reach and integrating technology across workflows.

The curriculum also features lectures from leading figures across fashion and culture, with the programme launching at Milan Design Week.

For more insights, explore our Metamorphosis 2026: Fashion as Living System report, where we examine the rise of knowledge exchange as a new form of circularity.

Strategic opportunity

Reframe entry-level talent programmes as ongoing learning ecosystems, embedding real-world briefs, cross-disciplinary collaboration and open access to tools

Stat: AI reshapes travel planning but trust still drives bookings

Faces of Travel by Delta Air Lines and Adobe, US

Global – Travel technology company Expedia Group has published an AI Trust Gap report, revealing a growing disconnection between how travellers plan trips and where they book them. While AI tools are gaining traction in discovery, 68% of travellers still prefer to book through trusted brands rather than chatbots or agents.

Based on a survey of more than 5,700 adults across the US, the UK and India, the research shows 53% are comfortable letting AI suggest travel options, 42% would use it to monitor prices and 40% use it to build itineraries. But only 8% in the US and the UK rely on AI tools for planning at present, compared to 59% using search engines and 49% using online travel agencies.

The gap widens at the point of purchase: 66% would not trust AI to book on their behalf, citing concerns about loss of control (57%), data privacy (57%) and misuse of personal information (56%).

The findings echo similar research in categories such as car sales, where trust in AI breaks down at the point of purchase for high-value decisions. Intellitrips – journeys researched and planned using AI – are fast becoming the norm, however. Head to our Optimised Odysseys macrotrend to find out more.

Strategic opportunity

Build trust into AI-enabled purchases through visible safeguards – human verification at checkout, transparent pricing logic and immediate access to real customer support and guarantees if issues arise