It was a fantastic year for dogs. While our four-legged friends will look back in sheer bliss at 2020 as that incredible time when we sat by their side through every waking moment of every long day, things were a bit bleaker for us humans. 

As a realist (or a cynic, as the not-so-genteel sometimes call me), finding the dark side of 2020 was all too easy. But, it’s a year to look back at with rose-coloured glasses and count our blessings. During a time that was -- and is--  so soul-crushingly difficult for so many, the lucky amongst us sat home as the days blurred together. We were working from home, and to have a home as well as work is a powerful combination that can no longer go unappreciated. 

And, beyond the massive arses that so many of us have developed sitting on the sofa every night, we actually gained a few cultural blessings. Before you go back to scrolling Netflix and shopping elastic waistband joggers online, let’s pause to give thanks to a few positives that have happened in this COVID-era. 

All Dressed Down and Nowhere to Go

With societal sartorial pressures gone, we rediscovered the art of dressing for ourselves. Comfy clothes reigned supreme as wearing sweatpants and tees became our daily uniform.

We’ve talked before about the formality bullsh*t of the workplace, so you already know that I couldn’t be happier to see it fading into the background. If forced small talk and weekly meetings go the way of top hats and corsets, I’ll be one happy camper. 

Living It Up ‘20s Style 

The Roaring Twenties will forever be known as a heady time defined by ground-breaking jazz bands and flapper girls dancing the night away. Now that we’ve entered a new decade, we are all grasping to get our head around what the 20s will look like this time around. 

Our culture suddenly feels blurry as we all peer into each other’s lives from behind a screen. With after-work drinks and mini-breaks a thing of the past, much of our leisure time has revolved around takeaway pizza and some bloke with a mullet who trains tigers. 

To prevent us from getting too good at heating up ready-meals, restaurants got awesomely creative. In a bid to enforce social distancing, they changed our expectations. Wine tastings were suddenly done at the kitchen table. Our own client Barbary Coast supplied us with enough cocktails to get us through to 2030 while we play bartender at home. 

As the world finally started to open up (and close again, and open again), we saw next level restaurant/bar concepts like Neon Pigeon 2.0 fighting hard to get us super excited about going out again. 

Brand Activism and Sustainability Steals the Show 

Beyond COVID, 2020 was a time of major social upheaval. As the Black Lives Matter movement dominated headlines, we realised that we’re not in a post-racial world after all. 

We looked to our brands to raise their corporate social responsibility flags and stop doing business with the bad guys. The cynic in me was pleasantly surprised to see that more than a few brands truly did step it up and make an honest effort.  

Crayola Gets Real 

Never known for much beyond classroom competitions of who has got the biggest box, our favourite crayon maker grabbed headlines. Crayola unveiled their new inclusive skin-tone crayons and we were tickled carnation pink with it. 

The Colors of the World box brought the pictures hanging on our fridges to a new level. With 24 shades of skin colours in the box, today’s children can draw the world the way it actually looks. 

Adding Some Green to Our Wardrobes

As we watched Australia and half of America go up in flames, we considered what all of those retail therapy sessions have done to the globe. We were asked to do better. In turn, we asked our closets to throw in a helping hand. 

Cool concepts like Shop Bettr stepped up to the plate with a sustainable fashion platform. After a rough year, it gave us a chance to feel good about looking good. With animal-friendly, people-friendly, and earth-friendly fashions, it was a breath of fresh air in a world on fire. 

And Banksy Puts His Money Where His Art Was 

Even Banksy got in on the action when he threw down his paint and started operating rescue boats. His bright pink yacht sailed the Mediterranean rescuing refugees. Using the cash he made from his human rights themed pieces, he funded an incredible mission that was truly lifesaving to the migrants from war-torn countries.  

Ikea Got Fun and Spotify Grabbed Our Ears  

What a meeting of two worlds. In the IKEA and LEGO collaboration, the most dreadful thing on earth to put together met the most fun thing on earth to put together as kids and adults alike swooned. 

As we played with our new LEGO, we continued on our podcast kick. As a bonus, Spotify became a podcasting powerhouse and the home screens on our phones became just a bit less cluttered with apps. 

And Us?.. We Got Busy 

In 2020, at Design-Hungry, we had the opportunity to work on 24 different brands across three continents and seven countries. We created 10 new-to-world brands, four brand redesigns, six new websites and moved countries twice. It’s been an amazing time for us creatively and professionally and all we can say is thank you for pushing our arses out of bed every morning and keeping us super busy!